Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08
ABILITY TO OUTREAsON
OPPONENTS BIG FACTOR
IN DIAMOND SUCCESS
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and then think whether or not 1t is an
easy matter for him to decide the prob
| lens he must face. and mako his de-
cision 30 quickly. None OF the in
stances are fictonal. all being based
on actual observation in major league
contests in which the turn of the sin
gle point affected the result Of the
game
In 1913 in a single series between
Washington and the Athletics two in
stances of games saved by remarkably
quick thinking are remembered. In the
third contest Of the series Walter
Johnson was pitching. and the score
was to in favor of the Athletics at
the end of the eighth. Washington had
a man on first and third and It looked
as thought might tie up things and get
a one-run lead, which ordinarily would
be enough margin to insure johnson a
victory. The Athletics infleld was
playing close with Derrick. who was
in Barry's place at short. Just far
! enough back to cover second II a steal
were attempted. There was one man
down and Milan and Gandil. the two
surest hitters In the Washington line
up. were following at the bat. Milan
hit the ball directly at McInnis on first
Everybody expected to see him make
the play at the plate, but quick as q
fash he turned, put the ball to second
covered first himself and took a throw
from Derrick which had Milan by
about foot.
1t was case Of exceptionally quick
thinking. McInnis had figured that even
though he did make the play a. the
plate there would still be two men on
and the cleanup hitter At bat, and be-
sides there was the chance the base
runner making for home might be safe
81 n1aN hot No
base runners would not exert them
| selves especially. they also thinking
he would make the play to the catcher
In an effort to block of the run. He did
just the opposite and got away with
1t. BY doing the unexpected he had
pulled his team out of the hole by re-
firing the side in a manner which prob
ably won the game for Connie Mack.
That Is one Of the positions in which
| player often finds himself, when
he must take chance in order to
save the game and all his reasoning
as to its possible success must be done
almost in the twinkling of an eye.
/ Those men were on the bags and 1t
was up to the youngster holding down
| first base for tho world champions to
meet the crisis.
In the only game Of that series won
by Washington-the last-Tom Hughes.
who was pitching for the latter club
found himself placed in a COED way
to lose his game after his team had
given him a one-run lead. In the first
half of the ninth the Athletics got
their first two men up on the bases
Lord was on second and Oldring en-
first. Hughes knew that Collins would
sacrifice, and he further knew that II
he were successful the Athletics would
have a man on second and third, WY,
one of the most dangerous hitters in
base ball following-Baker II Col
l{po han r1xy toIr
single to throw the game against
him. Hughes knew 1t was up to him
to break up that sacrifice. He went
over to Gandil, on first, and told him
to play in exceptionally close and make
the play to Foster on third. He then
bag. while he. himself. went in to
cover the bunt along third. Collins
knew what was up and he figured to
break their calculations by dumping
the ball down directly toward the
pitchers box, thus catching Hughes
out of his stride in the effort to cover
the territory along the base line. Col
Inns put the ball where he wanted 1t.
but he had failed to take into his CAL
culations the exceptional ability shown
by Gandil In the previous contest to
diagnose just such problems. Just as
soon as Gandil saw the ball pitched
he noticed Collins made no effort to
turn his bat SO as to place the ball
either along the first or third base
lines. He saw Immediately what was
up and dashed in to cover the pitchers
field. He got the ball on the third
| base side Of the path from homo to
the pitchers box. and. making a quick
throw to third, got Lord on close
play Baker was walked. but one Of
the next two men singled and would
have scored the runs which would have
won. AS it was. though. the men were
10 YARk ~ la -
by Quick work held oIdring at third
The game would have been tied and
won, possibly, had not Gandfl been able
| to reason the play intended by his oppo-
nent.
| The man on a ball club who must do
| more thinking than any other is the
| catcher. There is not a moment durin g
| the entire period Of play when he Is not
working his wits in order to keep the
! other club from figuring as to his prob
able actions. Without men on the
| bases It is imperative that he always
| outreason the man at bat, in order that
his pitcher may be kept out of a hole.
| and when the bags are not empty his
| duties become all the more arduous.
He must gauge the number of waste
balls for which he signs well enough to
] give him a possible free throw to get
| the base runners when they start to
slab from getting into deep water. Be-
| sides that. he must figure what tho
| man at bat is expecting the pitcher to
| throw him and signal for just the OPP
| posite kind OF ball. There is no posi-
| tion on a ball field as difficult, either
physically or mentally. as the catcher's.
One of the brainfest men that ever
played behind tho bat In either league
| was Billy Sullivan Of the White Sox.
| Sullivan. by his wonderful ability to
| think quickly. pulled his team out of
many a hole which resulted In a win
being chalked for his pitcher.
An example of Sullivan's manner Of
! outwitting his opponents is shown by
an instance In which DOC" White, the
star left-hander. at that time with the
same club. pitched. There were two
men on and two out. One OF the best
hitters in the American League was at
bat. When he knew 1t was coming
over he was almost sure to drive the
| ball into safe territory, and that meant
disaster. Sullivan started to work him
| the first two in succession. The bat
| ter was too wise. though, to be caught
| by slipping over a third strike imme-
| diately. Sullivan walked out to White
| and whispered to him. Going back be-
| hind the bat he took a position just
outside Of the plate and White pitched
| three easy ones so far out they could
| not be reached. Everybody. even their
! own players. supposed Sullivan had
| told White to walk the batter. After
| those three easy balls in succession.
| the man at bat had on a confident
smile but he had not reckoned with
| three and two. and 1t was only reason
able to suppose that had White not in
| tended to walk him he would have put
the ball over the plate before he got