Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-08-20
Judgments

Dali mas 10 90 WITH tHe Nalue Oh
the bunt. He is strong for the sac
rifice hit, as we'll as for the gentle
little tap which dumps the ball just
in front of the plate and affords a
scramble for all hands and more than
an even chance for the base runner
to land safe Omahas present posi-
ton in the Western league standing
verifies the value of the Rourke
strategy. Omaha has led the league
since some time in June, and bids fair
to go through to the end OF the season
in first place. 1t is second in bat
ting, eighth i'll fielding and fifth in
base stealing, but it leads the league
in sacrifice hits Denver, with more
base hits and a greater total OF bases
and more stolen bases than any team
in the league, lacks los of having as
many sacrifice hits, and fifty of hav-
ing as many runs as Omaha, and is in
fifth place, nineteen games behind
Omaha, Also, the smuggling Denver
tiles are charged with having struck
out 467 times in 1872 turns at bat,
while Omaha is given but $50 out Of
3,655 times up. At that the Grizzly
sluggers have secured only thirty-six
more hits during the season than
Omaha, for only sixty-two more
bases, the figures being:
Total
Hits, Bases
Denver ................'... 1855 1,4s1
Omaha Observation-Disclosures. 1880 1925
Denver has made fourteen more
home runs than Omaha and sixteen
more three-base hits, while Omaha
leads the Grizzlies by forty eight
two-base drives This analysis might
be extended indefinitely, but it has
gone far enough to reasonably sup
port the contention that the bunt is
a great factor in the manufacture OF
runs, which are really the controlling
factor i'll winning ball games.
oe Tinker, following the lead Of
Johnny Evers, has filed protest with
President Tener of the National
league over the granting OF almost
unlimited power to the umpire. Tinker
AYERS that the umpires, exercising
their arbitrary power to the utmost,
rob games of their attraction by
suppressing players who are inclined
to get sassy" in their zeal After a
manner Tinker is right. An umpire
who strains his larynx to instantly
1t up player getting ready to
protest a decision, does take some OF
the spirit out of the game. because
players lose some of their fight when
the umpire is so strict. But on the
other hand a lax umpire is likely to
encourage tendency toward rowdy-
ism. There is happy medium some
place. Fans like to see players argue
with umpires little. but they don't
like too much, especially when it de-
lays the game. In other words it's a
problem which must be settled by the
umpire's judgment, and that's a
doubtful qualification in most cases.
The middle OF August has now
passed and fall is almost here. And
Iris Speaker continues to lead the
American league in batting. And for
the first time in ten years it looks
'very much as if the great Tyrus Ray
mond Cobb will have to acknowledge
the superiority of an opponent in this
line OF base ball achievement. For
ten years Cobb has led the American
league in stickwork. But at this writ
ing he is approximately thirty points
behind Speaker. And Speaker con-
tinues to maintain his heavy smuggling
If Cobb is to be the premier batsman
once again he'll have to improve
nightly. He'll have to hit at a ,450
gait. For Speaker, it is believed from
present indications, will keep up his
400 clip, so it will be only by his
own prowess that the Georgian will
be able to pass the Texan.
Walter Johnson, the fireball king
has added the spit ball to his assort-
ment of twisters. This bids we'll to
make trouble for American league
batsmen. The ordinary splitter, with
ordinary speed, is difficult enough to
control, and generally has batters
hopping around the plate with con.
siderable avidity. But with Johnson
shooting a splitter down the pike with
his enormous speed, it will take more
than a mere hop or duck to escape il
Walter should be little wild. And
on the other hand if Johnson masters
control of the splitter, even Ty Cobt
will need four bats to hit it.
Tohn Camel is the real hard-lucI
guy. Last year John entered into q
contract with the Brooklyn Federal:
for three years. 1t was persona