Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-28

That's what counts in a ball game. 1t
makes no difference whether it is via the
old base hit, drawing four balls or taking
one in the ribs, just SO you get on. You
have to get on base before you can hope
to score, and the player who can get on
is valuable man to have on ball club,
writes George Young in the Philadelphia
Ledger.
1t takes a keen eye, good Judgment.
nerve and a cool head to make a good
waiter" Not the kind that ''slings hash
in a "beanery," but the man who tops the
batting order. the 'lead-of' man OF a
ball team, and when a manager can find
one he usually considers himself lucky
and starts to build up his team from this
point There are few star ''lead-of men
in the game today in fact, the species is
a rarity in base ball and just as hard to
find as a ffrst-class pitcher or man who
can hit 300 and play the outfield like
Cobb Speaker.
The lead off, man does not have to be
hitter in fact. few of them are found
among the leaders in the batting aver
ages, and if they do get there it Is by
drawing bases balls or getting to first
one way orr another. To top the pattlng
order a player must have speed. in addi-
ton to the other qualities, in order to
enable him to beat out taps or to reach
first on tumble or slow fielding In case
he hits to the intield.
The idea is to get on somehow.
In making up his team manager will
pick his cleverest batsman-not his hard
est hitter or his best hitherto top his
batting list. The second man will be one
who can LAY down bunt" for sacri-
flee. or a man who can be depended upon
to hit the ball and protect a base runner
on the hit-and-run play. OF course there
is no certainty about him hitting the ball,
for the man on the mound is out there
| trying to outguess him; but the second
| man in the list is usually one who is rea-
sonably certain to protect the runner
whenever necessary.
"Clean-Up Man" Bats Fourth.
In the third position is the star bats
| man of the team, who is capable of put
ting through the base hit after the
'1ead-off' man has reached first and adj
vanced on the sacrifice, and fourth posi-
ton Is the place for the clean up"
man. The remainder of the batting
order is made up according to the hit
ting strength OF the payers, with the
| battery usually bringing up the rear
the catcher eighth and the pitcher
ninth. There Is not much difference IN
| the systems employed by the various
managers in making up their teams, al
though occasionally catcher who can
hit above the average is paced higher
| in the batting order. Schalk OF the Chi
| cago White Sox, Clark of Cincinnati
| and Chief Meyers Of New 1ork-when
the burly Indian backstop was hitting
at his top speed-Deing some of the
ood-hitting catchers who have been
| given places OF distinction.
| In placing each memper of the team
| in order to obtain the best results
manager may make many changes In
! his lineup in the course OF a season,
but there probably is more experiment
! ing in the search for "lead-or' men
| than for any other position IN the iist.
If a regular member OF the team nlts
| a batting stump for any length OF time
! ne can be benched in favor of utility
| man until he RECEIVERS his batting eye,
! or he may be dropped in the batting
| order for the same reason, but once
player proves his AFFINITY to lead OIL ne
| usually holds his position.
! Attempting to pick the best lead
| off, man in the two major leagues Is
| hazardous task. but 1t Is doubtful II
! there would be much dispute over the
! selection if the honor were given TO
Miller Higgins, the veteran manager
f, and second baseman of the st. Louis
Cardinals For years Higgins has been
| recognized one OF the greatest Hrsl-
| up men in the game, having won us
| tinction in that position while win
| Cincinnati and since he has been with
1
| st. Louis.
Higgins Has No Superior Today.
Huggins possesses all the qualhca-
tons for the position. He is small IN
| stature. hugs the plate from the iett
side and is a hard man to pitch 10, as
any big league twirler will ADMIT.
Higgins is not hard hitter. athoueh
he often gets one by the outneld Tor
extra Bases, but while he is at bat ne
| works a pitcher for every advantage
there is to be had. If he is forced TO
hi, at the ball he meets it with
| chopping blow, holding his bat almost
in the middle and swinging to meet
the ball and drop 1t over the infieid Id.
or the same type of batsman was VIII
lie Keller, now out of the game, and
Row Thomas The latter two, when
with Brooklyn and Philadelphia, were
considered the crack "lead-or" men
of their day, and SO clever were they
in fouIing and waiting for their base
on balls that the foul-strike rule was
adopted in order to thwart them.
But among the players of the present
day Huggins has no superior. and led
the National League in drawing bases
on balls with a total of los. Hug
gins closest rival in tho National
League is "Heinie" Groh. now playing
third base for Cincinnati. Last year
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