Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-01-09
By Hugh S. Fullerton.
Copyright, 1919, by the Press Pub
fishing Co.
Irhn Now Y nrl. Nrnrll \


CThe New York WORLDLY
Baseball may not be back, but it is
on its way. In Chicago they are hav
ing a prefervid argument as to Wheth-
er or not Tyler and Fred Mitchell pull
ed a bad boner when Tyler pitched so
as to allow Babe Ruth to make a triple
in the first game of the worlds series
in Boston-the game that really end
ed Chicago's hopes. The debate has
waxed hotter and hotter, and now it
is asserted tina. Mitchell ordered Ty-
Ter to put the ball over and force Ruth
to hit or strike out.
1t is quite evident that some of the
detlters have their facts a bit mixed,
but at the same time the play is an
interesting bit of baseball general
ship. The facts are these. Runners
were on second and third bases two
were out, the score was to 0 and
Ruth at bat Tyler had pitched to
Ruth many times, and regarded him
as an easy mark, because Ruth
scarcely could get u foul off him dur
ing an entire spring trip. Tyler was
bit wild, and pitched three balls be-
fore he could get one near the plate
1t looked as if he was playing the
game, and pitching SO that if Ruth
wan ed To hit at all he would have
to hit a bad ball.
The ninety-nine baseball men out
of every hundred would either have
ordered Ruth passed intentionally or
ordered the pitcher to make him hit
n bad bah or walk With three balls
and no strikes called it looked a thous-
and to one that Tyler would issue the
pass, fill the bases, increase the
chances of making an out on the bases
and bring up a weak hitter Yet Ty-
Ter flashed a fast ball straight over
the plate. Mitchell let cut a yelp that
could he heard in The press box. and
seemed angry That may have been
camouflage, for Tyler came back
with q curve that Ruth missed
Up to that point there is no argu-
ment that Chicago was playing bad
ball and takihg reckless and unnec-
ossary chances. 1t is equally certain
that Tyler underestimated Ruth. He
was pitching to the Ruth of 1917, not
the Ruth ofNt9lS. He knew Ruth in
side out, estimated his mental atti-
tude perfectly He knew that when
at bat Ruth does not Try to think, but
Just keeps his eye on that ball and
swings. He probably figured that
Ruth could be mised into thinking.
Mitchell had called Tyler twice for
putting the bali over the plate and it
may he that Mitchell thought Ruth
could be trapped into thinking the
next bah would be wasted and let it
go over for the third strike If they
figured this way the boner was theirs
They figured without one element
and that was the confidence in his
own ability to- hit, born of his terrific
driving during he season
1t was risky, daring and all that
but with the count three ana two Ty-
Ter would have been a hero had he
put over that third strike aud famed
Ruth Instead Ruth was there to hit
anything within reach and he tripled
because Flack was as far out for theI
third strike as for the other two and
could not reach the line smash to right
center. The "boner" was pulled when
Tyler put over the first strike--not
when he tried to slip over the third.
1t is something of relief to get the
real ball players talking baseball in
stead of listening to the squabbles or
the magnates. 1t shows that there is
interest in the game in spite of the
owners
Plans for spring training are under |
way and they are as different as the !
clubs. Five or six of the major |
league teams are planning to do most |
of their spring training on the home
grounds Comiskey has received ur- |
gent invitations from the president of
Panama. from army and navy Off |
Gals and Canal Zone officials, urging |
Kim to train in Panama, and he has |
decided that he win take his White !
SoX to Panama, either this spring or |
reXt, and that they will go this spring |
IL the team can be. collected in time |
TO make the start.
Comiskey and McGraw planned TO |
take the White SoX and Giants to |
South America in 1915. play during |
January. February and March and |
return for the season. The war spoil |
ed their plans. hut ever since then |
Comiskey has had the idea The
chances are that he will attempt TO I
get McGraw to take the Giants with |
the White Sex to the Canal zone The |
Cubs. and probably the Red SoX, are
going to California, but all the 9TH !
ers are shortening up their trips and |
planning for rigid economy I
This coming spring there will he |
really less reason for spring training |
than ever before in the history of the |
game More than fifty per cent of |
the PLAYERS who will compose the ma
jor league teams will come from long :