Evening star., 1918-02-17
DISPOSAL OF McIrNlNIS MARKS TIE
PASSING OF ONCE GREAT TEAM
Some Interesting Stories About Macks
Club, Telling of Some of the Methods
They Adopted to Win Ball Games.

another club from the Athletics. This
! player was notoriously weak on a
curve ball. He would chase one al
! most to first base. American League
pitchers were wise to his weakness
and worked him to the limit After
leaving the Athletics his batting
slumped about thirty points. late in
the race. Mack believed he could use
| this veteran player to advantage. He
had no trouble making a deal for him.
| Immediately on rejoining the Athletics
the player started to hit He soon
picked up the lost thirty points, and
added about twenty more to his total.
Any batsman will tell you IL he ts posi-
tive the curve Is coming he can shtft MS
position to great advantage and step
into the curve. AS member Of the
Athletics, knowing when curve was
TO be pitched. the player by changing
his style was able to greatly remedy
his weakness.
Don't Like Signal Tipping.
There are some managers who do
not look on the signal tipping system
with favor. Frank Chance famous
leader of the Chicago Cubs and New
York Yankees. was one of them.
While admitting the batsman's chance
to hit safely was considerably increased
by knowing what was about to be
pitched he always doubted whether the
risk taken was worth while. Because
of the success attained by the Athletics.
due. in a measure, to their knowledge
of the opposition's signs. number OF
teams took up the system. BY most OF
them the practice was sooner or later
abolished. because the coachers got
crossed I recall a case where the
coacher by word or mouth notified
the batsman that a curve was coming
The pitcher had a puzzling curve with
his style to be able to better hit the
ball, hugged the place closely and
stepped in to meet the curve. 1t so
happened the signal called for a fast
one. not a curve. 1t was high and
inside. Instead of connecting with his
on the side Of the head. He was out
of the game for three weeks. at
time his club much needed his services
That ended the system Of grabbing
signals on that club for all time.
A number of years ago the Boston
club came to Philadelphia for an Inn
portant series. All season the Red
Sox had found the Mackmen q mighty
hard aggregation to beat Most Of
the Bostonians felt that the Athletics
to get the Red Sox signals. The
Boston club had decided to play care
fully. not to overlook a bet. In the
seventh inning of the game, with the
score a tie, the Boston management
decided to make a change in pitchers
Three hits and one run were made
off the new pitcher. putting the
Athletics out in front
Sherlock Holmes Stuff.
At the start of the next inning the
Boston catcher informed me that he
was positive some one was getting
their signs. He was of the opinion
that some one on the outside was do
ing the detective work. In fact, he was
positive a man sitting in the upstairs
of house back of the right field fence
was giving the information. He in
formed me that every time he called
for fast ball the window shade would
be raised He also wanted me to no.
tice how the batters would swing at
the fast one and let the curve go by.
The catcher called for two fast ones.
Strangely enough, the window shade
inches-and what healthy swing the
batsman took. Two hard drives, both
being foul by inches only. was the re-
suit. Now TIL call for a curve" said
the catcher: this fellow is weak on
such a ball. but he will let it go by
without the slightest concern. I'll also
bet you that curtain doesn't move" A
curve wae called for. the curtain didn't
move, and the batsman looked said Of
fering over with disdain. I really be-
gan to believe the Boston catcher had
made a discovery. In this inning the
Athletics hammered out four runs.
dence.
Three days later was doing the UNI
pfrfng on the bases. The pitcher who
had been used as relief man in the
first game was announced to start the
game. Jack Coombs was stationed at
nrst base as coacher. l related to
Coombs the conversation that had
passed between me and the Boston
catcher, also his suspicious relative to
the window shade as a means of tell
ing the batsman what was about to be
pitched. BY way Of explanation, l
might say that II is possible through
the medium of strong field glasses for
man several hundred yards away to
get the battery signals by closely
watching the actions of the catcher.
This was the method the Boston club
believed the Athletics were using.
pialned. why, 1t isn't necessary to
adopt such a secrettye system when
this fellow is working" said Jack, "rm
giving all the signals. This fellow uses
only curve and a fast one. That
makes 1t all very simple. II you Will
watch closely, you will note that every
time the catcher calls for a fast one
the pitcher will take a much ffrmer
grip on the ball. When he doesn't 20
through with that extra motion YOU
can rest assured it will be a curve"
watched the pitcher, / saw what
Coonbs said was true, and for an inn
ing ne called correctly every ball that
was pitched from his position at first
oase. DO you wonder now why this
fellow seldom finishes a game aeainst
us?' said Coombs.
The Tioorc Hod c4