Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-25

and then play the ball as il comes. At
third you are planning and guessing all
the time. If you get back too far there
Is the bunt to stand you on your head.
If you come in too close there is the hard
smash to break down your guard. And
when n ball is hit down the third base
mans way he hasn't any time to get set.
If he isn't quick on his feet and quick
with his hands the play is by him before
he can breathe"
Shafer at Third
81 recall an instance" continued Devlin
when | was hurt one day and Tilly Sha-
fer was sent to third. At the end of a
week, just before | was back he called
one night at my room. If you don't get
back tomorrow. said Shafer, I am going
home. what's the troubIe?' l asked
Third base he said. Trying to play
that bag right will drive any man crazy
in month I'm close to a nervous wreck
now. l always liked baseball before, but
| not this part of it,
"Shafer had the answer. The man who
doesn't try to plan and study batters and
shift to meet the play will never be a
star at third. The man who does is al
ways under heavy strain. Either way
you are up against it,"
About Wagner
'Ill tell you one uueer turn in my work
at third" Devlin added. II played against
Hans Wagner for ten years. more than
200 games, and In all that time he never
tried to bunt against me. Yet I had to
watch him all the time. fearing he would
cross me. one day | guessed wrong.
was sure he was going to bunt; | saw
him start the motion and | rushed in.
He hit one through me so fast | haven't
seen it yet After that | decided to let
him beat out a hunt before / came in
ha rIit nna my
although he is fine bunter"
The report is abroad that Mr., Carl Nor
rs, of Sapulpa, is abroad again as one
of the entries i'm a $4,000 match. The
birth rate isn't one for every minute, as
suggested, but about six for every second.
Baker on the Job
We have heard any number of dis
cussions as to what sort of a third base
man Frank Baker was and is. He was
and is the greatest hitting third baseman
of them all AS fielder he has been
good but not great. This impression that
Baker is a poor infielder is all bunk
I've heard this fellow couldn't play third "
remarked Nap Lajoie lately. but | have
been playing against him five or six years
and | have never seen him play a bad
game yet. He isn't wearing any medals
for grace, but he always gets them in the
games I've seen his work"
Just what Benjamin Michael Kauff will
do later on is only "A fit subject for the
box scores. But at the end of the first 10
days work Mr. Kauf was able to report
10 trips to the plate for seven hits and an
average of $40
AS good running start was supposed
to be of great value i'm his peculiar case,
those who have bet money that he
wouldn't bat 800 on the year may soon
desire to hedge for a kopek or 50.
No one picked the Phillies 10 win last
season, and We have heard of no one pick
ing them for the present campaign. Yet
they lost no great time hustling back TO
the perch they occupied last October
against much stronger opposition than
they were forced to meet last year, AS
we see it, Pat Moran has an underrated
ball club. He has the pitching and the
punch-a combination that will go quite a
way when handled by leader like Moran.
Amy club that picks them out for huke
champions is as poor a picker as Jack
Dillon was when he went out after Jess
Willard.