The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-03
Some Fast Runners Don't Understand
How to Conserve Energy, and
often Fail to
Score.
TY COBB GOOD RUNNER
Players Must Use Brains as Well as
Legs TO Make Seores-Shouio
Try to Beat Own
Record.

''Ty Cobb knows how TO run He
may not be the fastest Splinter In
| the majors, but he has FORM, sa,o
BOYD Comstock, recently. Mr.. Com
stock was coach OF the university OF
Southern California track team when
Fred Kelly, Howard Drew and other
champions were members OF the
squad.
las soon as Cobb hits ball to the
| infield the player receiving 1t knows
| he has TO work fast or Ty. will beat
his throw" continued Mr.. Comstock.
This tends 10 hurry certain per
centage OF the fielders. Errors are
likely to result. That Is q concrete
case OF speed efficiency.
All players cannot be Ty Coobs. OF
course. But the average major
| Lacquer can add a fifth OF q second
to his speed in ninety feet II trained
and coached correctly on the spring
trip and, by earnest effort on his part,
should add another fifth by the end
Of the season
Some years ago, when was coach.
| ing at southern California, I exper-
imented in time tests with Ira Court
ney, one Of our sprinters and mem
Der Of the last Olympic team.
Possessed Ideal Form.
| Courtney had the ideal running
and sprinting form. Dressed in a
baseball uniform, Courtney went from
/ the right side of the plate to first
base in three and two-fifths seconds;
from the left side in three and one
fifth seconds. A man with his speed
would beat out large number Of In
field balls.
81 believe that most major leaguers
| should be eleveneecond men. At that
speed they should reach first in three
and four-fifths seconds, or there
| about.. In that case they should
beat out IS to 20 per cent OF the balls
hit to the inheld instead Of the pres
ent small average-15 or 20, should
| Judge.
| Jim Thorpe, former Carlisle all
correct sprinting form in college. Les
another Splinter Of real ability. Both
run the 100 not far from the ten fiat.
II have been asked why some
speedy men like Thorpe and Mann
are not great base runners. when they
certainly have as much real speed in
| the sprint as Cobb, Eddie Collins.
! Burns of the Giants, and Shotton.
1T Is possible that they exhaust
their nervous energy reaching first
When l was in college the field was
so small that only one heat was run
in the high hurdles. At the end Of
this heat ! was SO completely tired
that could not walk from the finish
line 20 the club house, a distance OF
200 feet. This may be the reason,
to a lesser degree. why Mann and
Thorpe do not steal as many bases
as they might
Much Time Is Lost
Much time is lost swtping bases
also due 70 incorrect running 1t
takes the average major Lacquer from
three and one-hfth TO three and four
fitths seconds TO go from first to sec
ond or second 10 third. 4 man often
breaks his stride IN his anxiety to
keep his eye on the ball. This is more
than liable TO throw him off for
fraction Of e second at a time when
fractions may mean victory or de-
feat
Time is also lost in sliding to
base feet first l understand, OF
course, that the oncoming spikes are
apt 70 put fear in the hearts of in
neIds. but the runner has to break
his stride TO throw himself forward