The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-07

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The hardest parts of a ball game, If
it Is a hard g5ane. are the first and
last innings declares Bill James of
the Boston Braves. "Ge.ting your start
and then, II It is a close game. say with
your opponents one run behind. getting
through the ninth inning, are the most
trying times for me. The hardest game
! ever pitched was that I to o contest
with the Athletics last fall. and the inn
portance OF that affair added TO it's
strain on the players. But a. a general
thing the hardest games aren't the ! To .
ones. but the 4 10 3 and > to 4 sort.
II you're leading I to 0 along in the mid
die or toward the end your opponents
aren't hitting you much. but II you're
leading 4 to 3 they're getting on base
often enough TO do some scoring and to
Increase the need OF your putting all
you have on every ball"
Complaint Is made from time to time
of games which drag-long drawn out
games running more than two hours.
Sometimes stowness on the part of a
pitcher is responsible. sometimes deMb-
crate movements by the players between
innings. There's a remedy II the times
consumed by a series OF games at the
Polo Grounds this season are more than
"A coincidence. While the battle feet
was in the Hudson there was a band
at the Polo Grounds every day, ard
with the band hitting 'er up between
innings the respective times for five
games In succession were 10. $50.
/ 40. / 40. 2 90. TIT . 10 game went
eleven innings and the two hour gam
contained heavy scoring and a change OF
pitchers twice. Has music charms to
speed laggard fest?
An artistic bit of acting was lone
T.
OF the Cincinnati Reds. Three Of the
players of that team, Clarke, catcher
Lear. pitcher, and Twombly. left fielder.
not only carried through a strataRem by
excellent physical execution. but they
made 1t possible by the cleve way in
which they acted their roles while
the play was on. With A of the New
York team on second. Il drove a single
to left. A hustled for the plate. and
B, thinking Twombly would throw to
the plate. turned first and scooted for
second. Lear intercepted Twombly's
throw in the middle OF the diamond,
whipped the ball to second and nipped
Il.
Now that play il old as the hills, hut
in this particular instance X. an intclli-
gent base runner. was fooled by the
acting. II a runner cant tell when that
play is coming off an observant specta-
'oT nearly Always can, having tho whole
field in front of him. but in this cas-.
the writer. for one. was sure the ball
was going to the plate, Clarke stood
back there apparently ready to take
the throw, Lear assumed "A relaxed atti-
tude az II out of the play, and Twombly
seemed to he bent OF getting the ball
in 10 the plate with all possible haste.
Excellent Discrimination, II Intentional
instructive acting, If unintentional
We are wont TO egard the prOfessionsl
players stay in baseball as but a pass
ing part of his career, but there are not
"A few men in the game who have devoted
practically their lives to il, making IT
a fixed. permanent business. These dia-
mond otables have been in baseball.
either as manager or player, approxi-
mately the following number of years:
McGraw. %; Mack, 30 Gr!fith, 25
Robinson, 80 Stallings, % Jennings.