The Alaska daily empire., 1917-10-04
PITCHERS AND CATCHERS
 ARE THE DEPENDENCIES OF
 WORLD SERIES MANAGERS

World series empndSlSeS lHe ldCl that with the possible exception of pitchers no member of the team is under greater physical or mental strain than the catcher during the battles for the championship of the major leagues. In the handling of delivery and signals, close plays at the plate, throws to cut down base stealers and in backing up first and third in throws from the out field, the catcher is both a busy and important factor in the contest.
 A sharp eye, steady judgment, powerful throwing arm and cool courage are necessary requisites for the player who dons the mask and wind pad in the most important of all baseball games. It is fortunate that both the Chicago Americans and the New York Nationals are equipped with catchers of this cal ibre for the series of 1917 which begins in Chicago next Saturday. While the Giants have slighty ad- vantage in quantity, in this depart ment of the game, the White Sox are generally conceded to have an edge in the quality of the receiving staff.
 The Chicago catchers include Ray Schalk, Byrd Lynn and Joseph Jen- kins, while the New York quartet consist of George McCarty, William Rariden, George Gibson and John Onslow As both Jenkins and Ons- low are comparative newcomers, they are not likely to figure in the series to any extent and their chance of seeing service is extremely re- mote. Schalk is expected to bear the catching burden of the White Sox in every game of the series unless he should be incapacitated by accident or illness. He has caught in more than seventy-five per cent of the seasons games, while Lynn has acted as receiver in the others. Rariden has done the greater amount of the back stop ping for the Giants this year due in part to the fact that McCarty broke his leg early in the season ana was out Ol lHe Sdule ioI BUY eral months. Gibson, the former Pittsburgh receiver, is the third string catcher for New York.
 If McCarty can stand the strain of the game, and it is the impress sion among the New York players that he will be physically fit for the fray, he will undoubtedly have first call upon the position. This will bring him into action against Schalk. The latter is unquestion- ably one of the best catcher of the day. He knows the weakness of the various batters and, as he can handle the delivery of any and all the Chicago twirlers, he will be able to signal for any form of curve or break that he may think puzzling to the man at the plate.
 The outstanding feature of his play, however, is his fast and ac- curate throwing to the bases. He must be speedy sprinter and per feet slider who would pit his skill against Schalk with any degree of success. McCarty is not so bril- liant in this feature of the catcher's art but he is an excellent director of the work of the hurlers and is ! far stronger batter than Schalk. According to the season averages there is little choice in the fielding work of the two catchers but the White Sox backstop is much faster on the base lines than McCarty as the latter's accident is likely to pre- vent him from taking chances at base-stealing except in an emer- gency.
 An injury to Schalk during the early stages of the coming series would work havoc with the Chicago Club for while Lynn is an ambitious player, he lacks the experience and all-around ability of his principal. In this respect the New York team is in a better position to face such disaster for either Rariden or Gibson, owing to their greater ex- perience can step into McCarty's place with less disconcerting effect upon the team play than would be the case were it necessary to sub stitute Lynn for Schalk. This can be seen from a comparison of rec ords which include the batting and fielding averages stolen bases and double plays of the flee catchers who may participate in the series.