Evening star., 1915-06-12
PUTTING BALL ON RUNNER
TRICK OF PLAYERS TRADE
Infelders Who Are Proficient at Taeeine the
Speedy Boys Are Few, Says
George Young.

he had missed Bates. and he was quick
to offer apologies.
Umpire in Position to See.
Plays Of this kind have been made
hundreds of times in regular cham
pionship games. The umpire is the
only one in position to see them. yet
they have been the means Of causing
players to be banished from the game
and suffering suspensions which have
seriously affected the teams chances
of winning the pennant. or at least
finishing among the leaders. This is
not to argue that the umpire Is al
ways right, for many times the official
misses the play himself when the play
er. the runner and the ball all reach
the bag at the same time and there is
no chance for the umpire to see just
which landed first. the runners foot on
the bag or the players hand holding
the ball
The star base runners Of the present
day make study of sliding into the
bag and avoiding the man with the ball,
just IS others do of bunting or making
inside plays" Base running is an art
that has advanced with all other de-
partments of the game. In earlier
days, when pitchers were not taught
to watch the bases as they are today,
and did not use as much speed, it was
much easier for the base runners to
pilfer second, third or even home Such
masters as Connie Mack, Frank Chance,
John McGraW and Jimmy Callahan al
ways insist on their pitchers making
the base runners hug the bag, and
their skill in doing this is largely re-
sponsible for the ability of the catchers
to turn back" the speediest men in the
game. Yet the catchers usually receive
most Of the credit.
1t is not always the speediest sprinters
10 ha
man who knows when to start is able to
get lead while the pitcher is getting
ready to deliver the ball and possesses
the ability to avoid being touched that
makes the star base-stealer. Ty Cobb,
credited with being the cleverest base
runner in the game today. has often slid
into the bag safely with the man wait
ing for him to arrive: but TyruS is not
doing so much Of this these days, for
the guardians of the bags have become
accustomed to Cobb and his way of slid
ing and do not give him as much room
as they did formerly
To get the runner and avoid being
hurt is the aim of every man who has
on the bases or at the plate, Some
players are more daring than others
and Will take the chance of getting
cut down in order to block the runner
on when he knows the play will be
close. In the days of the famous Balti-
more Orioles one Of their tricks was
TO sit on the bench in the course of the
practice and, with a file, sharpen the
spikes on their shoes while the play
ers Of the opposing teams were watch
ing them. Then the Orioles usually
Informed the shortstop and second base
man that they We're coming down and
wanted lot of room. They generally
got 1t. 100. SO that the ba se-stealing
usually very high.
Way to Stop 'Spiking.
Present-day guardians of second base
have learned way to stop that sort of
thing however. so that art has lost it's
ERECT tap on the bean or sinking
the ball into the ribs of the runner is
found most effective, and the II didn't
mean that which follows does not les
sen the sting. either While Otto knabe
was a member of the Phillies he and
Mike Doolan. who had reputation for
blocking runners off second base. were
considered the hardest pair in the game.
Doolan today carries as many scars on
his shins as any two players in the
game. for the reason that he refused
10 give the runner an inch of room that
ne could block away from him.
When asked the other day whom he
considered the cleverest man at tagging
taken as authority. owing to his
experience and service on the diamond.
unhesita tingly answered: johnny Evers
TIE captain of the worlds champion
Braves is the best in the business,
The veteran supported this by saying
that Evers played the ball and the run
ner with better judgment than any other
man in the game. and his skill In taking
the ball with one hand and putting 1t
on the runner with one motion was
XII IN nf hnr y,lo
base ball.
One of the stars of the American
League who deserves the right to be
classed with the Boston second base
man is Eddie Collins. who not only
Is star base-runner himself. but who
is one of the most proficient in the
art of blocking and tagging slider
Collins has style of his own, and it is
the most effective and safest system of
mailing a runner used by any guardian
of the keystone sack. Collins 'rid.es' the
runner to the bag. taking the ball and
allowing himself to fall with the run
ner. putting the ball on the man. check
ing his speed. and at the same time
keeping his own les0 out of danger.