The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-06-23

by some younrster now in grammar
/ school"
Iris Speaker. manager 81 tho world
champion Cleveland Indians. combines
tneffectiveness II pitching with heavy
hitting as the reason for the lack u
stolen bases
THE base runner of today lie the
man who can SO from nrst 20 third
or from second home on q single. not
the man who can steal seventy Eve
bases IN a season, said Speaker. "The
ine4ectiveness - the modern pitcher
has brought about the heavy hitting
and, Indirectly the decrease Ia stolen
bases. We have no pitchers today Ike
slathewsou. Joss. Walsh. Plank. Wad-
dell Brown. and ether stars OF ten
years ago. The average pitcher Of
today throws the BAH up and hopes ItI
won't hit him coming back"
well known National League man
a94r who did not wish bis name used
bat who Is leaked on a. a student Of
baseball paychology. blamed the lenl-
ency q umpires IN enforcing the balkI
rules as one reason Tor fewer stolen
bases
Heavy hitting has been one factor. u
he said ~but another factor Is that
the pitchers today can hold a manI
two steps from frat base. The run
ners cant get a start pitchers make
baik after haIk ard the umpires refuse
70 call them. The rule that when
a pitcher makes any motion which he
hshttually makes II throwing 20 the
plate and does not pitch to the batter
that q l. 8 baik. The pitchers today
repeatedly make motions 70 pitch Il
the batter and then snap the hail to
FIRST. 80 that the runner cant get any
kind Of lead"
Eaaie Collins. who once was one OF
the greatest q base runners. declares
that the catchers are not throwing any
better than IN the years past and that
the runners ara not any slower
WY should I Try 20 steal when /
have men behind me who usually "a
vance me by hittingg" asked Collins.
"Id be foolish 70 take the chance. !
Another thing the rules are more
strict new. We used to set a lot o.
free stolen bases when there were two
out with the other team way ahead !
and 40 cared whether the runner was,
On first ar third. We don1 gee those
any more. The only time try %
steal Il with two out and one run
needed 70 tie or win Then want to |
- On second 80 can score on a
single
Harry Hooper, another great base
runner. takes the same view as Collins. !
while Kid Gleason manager of thaI
Chicago White sox says that the base /
runners ~ today aren't as smart a.
those q past years. He said;
~Nhy have them steal when the /
chances are they'll set thrown out or /
picked eff the saek after stealing p
he said. The batters are hitting and 1
that's the best way 70 get the runners
home"
The records reveal some unusual
facts about base stealing IN the ma 3or i
leagues THE number of total stoleu i
bases has decreased rapidly. more 80 1
IN the American league than IN the
National which moss has replaced the
junior circuit a. the leading base steal 1
Ing organization.
IN 1873 there were 1910 stolen bases
n the American leawue. .4so Ia 1915 /
Dos ia 1919 ard only T50 last year i
Thus far this season there have been
isT thefts. At the ratio Of 0nly s9l Ter
The season or little more than one
fourth the number Is 1913. Where
Clyde Milan led the league IN 1912
with SIS thefts and Cobb in 1915 with
Dc. the leader Last year--Sam Rice
STEELE only So, and George Sister With L
a2 was the oalv other man 20 pass the i
s5 marx. Eight years ago there were Il