Evening star., 1917-11-04
NEW YORK,S FAILURE TO WIN
WAS SURPRISE TO PAT MORAN
Wise Leader of Philadelphia Nationals
Hands Out Some Interesting Comment
on the Recent Base Ball Classic.

then place the blame on the catcher
If the play is pulled successfully sew.
eral times in the same inning, then re.
gard my catcher as having used bad
judgment He can always resort to
the pitch-out and often break up the
play. 1t has often been said that pitch.
Ing is so per cent of a teams strength
Perhaps that Is true. but it is also my
contention that skillful catching is az
least SO per cent of any pitchers ef-
fectiveneSs.
Give us fair ball club. with
smart catcher and good pitching stans
and will always make things interest,"
ing Tor the opposition. A couple OF runs
for club that has good pitching and
brainy catching Is usually enough to WIN
For an illustration OF such truth. 1
need only to point to the Chicago White
SoX of 1906. There was club known as
the .Hitless Wonders 1t was a club
without much speed, but it had remark
able catcher in Billy Sullivan and dne
pitching staff in Ed Walsh, Doc White
Nick Altrock and Frank Smith. The aoil.
ity of Sullivan to break up the hit and
run play was almost uncanny. 1t also
seemed he could usually pick out the ball
on which man was going to steal HIS
knowledge of the weakness and strength
of the opposition was most thorough. His
, quiet line OF conversation was most con.
fusing to the batsman.
Compliments Bill Killifer.
i'Take my own ball club, for instance,
much of the success that it has had in
| sticking up in the race can be traced
to the brilliant work of Bill Killifer and
his understudy. Eddie Burns. l regard
Bill Killifer as one Of the greatest catchers
the game has ever produced. He has not
. been press agented as much as some
twenty years, but l consider him the
best the National League has had in
many years. That is a rather strong
statement. when you consider Johnny
King. Jimmy Archer. Roger Bresna.
han and some Of the other stars. but
am firm in the opinion.
Il played on the same club as Archer
and King at Chicago and know OF
their remarkable ability. Why. nsv.
er saw Killifer pull bone in my life
and I don't believe I have ever ao.
tually disa greed with the plan Of action
as mapped out by him. We have talked
over plays on the bench. and kfllifers
line of reasoning has usually won US
over to his selection, even though It
failed killifer is a great catcher and
fine boy. There is nothing tempera-
mental about him. nothing chesty. ne
is a real gentleman"
A rather glowing tribute to Killifer
thought. coming from such a wise
old head in base ball as Pat Moran.
About Ray schalk.
While on the subject of catchers / am
going to give the world series receivers
White Sox has been rated by most Of the
critics as the greatest catcher in the
business. Prior to the start OF the series
! it was conceded that in the receiving end
| OF the game Chicago would have a dis
tinct advantage. Since the close Of the
series many critics, in their post morfems,
have insisted that McCarty and Rari.
den of the Giants outshone their dimfn.
utive American League rival 1t has
been pointed out that both McCarty and
, Rariden did far better work at the bat,
and that the Giants took more liberties
on the bases. To sum up their opinion,
one would reach the decision that the
Giant catchers were of much moro
value to their team than was Schalk
! to Chicago.
/ Such a conclusion does a great in
justice to the brilliant SchaIk. On the
| face. it would perhaps seem that he had
] been outplayed. but 1 for one disagree
with such a verdict. Only those on
| the field, actively engaged in the game
can fully realize what Schalk means to
the Chicago club. Perhaps no one is in
a better position to judge the work of
the catcher than the umpire. At the
close of the series one OF the National
| League umpires remarked that il any
! of the Giants had 4 weakness, Schalk
was aware of 1t. To the pitcher.
| Schalk is a constant source of encour-
agement. He is coaching constantly;
| he has something to say on every pitch.
One minute he Is praising the pitcher:
! the very next minute he is condemning
him for his carefessness or lack OF
stuff He is the pepper pot" of the
club. He is first after McMullin. then
Weaver. then Gandil and lastly Collins
to say something. show some life.
Perhaps figures make 1t seem that
| Schalk was outplayed. but 1t would be
hard to convince the Chicago players,
Manager Rowland or Owner Comiskey
of the fact. hey know what he means
to the club.
Copyright 1917, by W. C. 'Evans.l