The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-07

that it rs almost an even break on the
number of successful steals and number
of men thrown out trying to steal but
when one considers that a larger percent
age of stolen bases than most people i'm
agine are made in games where one
made to catch the runner, or in one
sided games in which the losing team is
badly demoralized, the percentage against
the runner is greater than the figures
show.
Some teams do not play the base steal
ing game, preferring the hit and rum and
this is largely responsible for the small
total of stolen bases by certain teams
year after year. McGraw is crazy about
the base stealing style of play although
notice that the Giants do not cut loose
for second every time they reach first,
as they did a few years ago. On the
other hand Stallings and Moran do not
believe in this style, preferring to hit
and run and mix the offense.
AS to Robinson's statement, | want
to say that l honestly believe that the
Phillies are the best base running team in
the National league. We have not the
speed merchants other teams have, and
perhaps there are one or two teams that
can outrun the champions by many yards
in straightaway running, but we will out
class them on the bases. Brooklyn is
one of those teams. The statistics will
go far toward proving this. Any time
there is Philly player on first base,
no matter who it may be, you are pretty
safe in betting that he will be perched on
| third if the batter singles to the out
| field. And when a runner is on second,
\ he Will score on single.
TEAM WORK
he fopc III, 1.
| should" but where are the teams that
do this as consistently as the Phillies
| 1t is all matter of team work on the
| bases, and the Philies have perfected il
\ to such an extent that they are the clev-
crest team in the league, dspite the APP
parent lack of speed which we hear sc
much about.
We have fewer men caught on the
bases, even when taking what appears to
be foolhardy chance, than any team ir
the National league, and this is an i'm
portant item late in the race, when runs
and hits become scarce
| Robinson figured that the Pills would
| fall down because they are a poor base
running team" but to tell the truth
have always felt the same way about the
Dodgers. They were favored with grea1
| pitching, and are the best hitting team
in the league on averages, but 1 hay,
more hitting to get few runs than tn,
| average team
HITS AND RUNS
Last season every team in the Nationa
league outhit the Phillies on total hits
but we tailed more runs than any team
in the league excepting st. Louis, which
| totaled $50 runs to the Phillies' $50. Whei
one considers that st. Louis made 129
nlts to 1905 for the Pills, it is not hare
70 see which team got the most out O.
it's batting strength. BROOKLYN made 12S
hits and scored only $50 runs.
At the time | am writing this Brooklyn
leads the National league in team bat
| ting, and has made 1912 hits and stolel
lSs bases but has scored only 452 runs
wmie the Phillies have tailed $50 rum
on $40 hits and los stolen bases. Thes,
figures, it seems to me, explode the has,
running theory.-Copyright 1916. b,
Grover Cleveland Alexander.