Great Falls daily tribune., 1919-08-24
Third Loses Its
Former Hold as
the Most Difficult
Braeking Up Steals Only Part
of LabOrs at the Middle
Cushion.
BY !. E. SANBORN.
Chicago Tribune Service.

They used to call third base the tough
/ spot on the infield fifteen or twenty
years ago, barring the pitchers job, Of
course. And that reminds me that a
lot of folks forget the slabman is an
| infielder as well as pitcher.
Once week or so all summer long
| the inQuisitiye fan comes to bat with
problem" He wants to know why an
umpire permitted the other team to send
I its pitcher into the outfield in the third
/ inning, for instance, and then put him
back on the slab in the eighth, for in
stance.
There is no more reason why man
ager should not do that than there is
|. why a pitcher cannot field a bunt or
| cover first base. The instant he steps
off that slab he is an infielder and sub
/ ject to all the rules governing, infielders,
and if he covers first base for an out
there is no reason why he cannot resume
/. his job as pitcher, any more than ii he
had filled in as right fielder for an in
ming or SO.
Third Base Not So Hard.
No player is out of the game as long
as he stays in it, and the manager has
the right to post players anywhere he
pleases on fair ground, the catcher being
the only man who can stand on foul ter
ritory when the ball is pitched.
Getting back to third base, there used
to be q general belief it was the hardest
position to play because the hottest. But
conditions have changed in recent years
and the development of team play mas
made the last sack on the triangle the
easiest except in purely mechanical plays;
1t is true the hits come to the third
baseman faster than to any other 1ntleid-
er, except the pitcher, but it is also true
hot <ho irI hoc has little else TO
think about except the hits that come
to him.
Gets 1t or Misses 1t.
The balls either come SO fast that the
PLAYER has to make q stab at them or
they come SO slow he has to make a
running pickup and throw provided the
pitcher doesn't beat him to it. When a
batsman hits to third as rule the field
er sticks down one or two hands. ac-
comes up with the ball it is an easy
throw to first and if he doesn't it is a
base hit. The throw from. third is
shorter than the average throw from
shortstop to first because the third base
man stands closer to the plate.
A lot of the spectacular infield plays
are made by third basemen because it
often is blind stab on fast hit, but
the hard task on the infield is guarding
second base. In the matter of brains
the second baseman probably has the
harder task of the two. At least one
usually sees the veterans and quick
thinkers stick around second base after
they have slowed down with the advance
of years.
Many Things to Think About.
At either short or second base there
are a lot of things to think of besides
what comes from the batsmen. If there
are runners on the bags the keystone
job is manifold. With a man on first
the two keystone men have to watch the
catcher's signs to know which is TO cover
second in case of a steal.
Many folks believe the two llayers
settle that between themselves, Tut in
modern baseball the catcher's sign gov
erns it. 4 fast ball pitched by right
handed pitcher to a right handed bats
man means the shortstop will take a
throw to second A fast ball pitched by
means the second baseman will cover
second if a throw comes there. Curve
balls and left handed pitchers reverse
the system.
Key to Home Defense.
So any one can see the shortstops and
second baseman have to keep their eyes
open. The third baseman doesn't care
what is pitched or whether the man at
bat is right or left handed. He merely
keeps his eyes peeled for an attempt at
q bunt and if the ball is hit his way he
gets it if he can.
In the matter Of double plays, the two
keystone men can make or unmake a
defense Speed is the solution of a
double play and the shortstop or second
baseman must be able to handle fast
throw at extremely short range at times
SO as to enable him to relay the fall to
first ahead Of the man who hit it. The
third baseman has none of that stuff
to worry about. The shortest throw
he has to handle is from the pitcher oc-
casionally. And his double plays are
almost always made by the long throw
h.nn