The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-08-26
THREE BADGERS
DECLINE; eLOAT
over EN- NOW
Arson Used to Say Triple Was Evil
dcnco Of Sprinkler; PlAeln
Fielding Records.
By JOHN b. POSTER

New York, August 26.-The de-
cline of the three-base hit began in
June and has continued until the
boys in the big leagues gloat al
most as much over a three-sacker
as they did in other days over their
homeruns.
The best record made in the mai
or leagues this year for three-bag-
gers was away back in May. That
seems like ancient history now but
on May II there were 10 three-bag-
gers batted in all of the games of
the big circuits of that day and
there never have been that many
since. On May 20 there were II
and that is the second best day for
the boys this year. On April "a
there were 16 so that it will be OBJ
served that one, two and three rec
ords all ran before June /.
On June 17'there were Is three
baggers and on May s and June 10
a total was made of IA. In July
and August the batters never have
got over IL. That not only proves
the decreasing crop of the three
base plum has become scarcer and
scarcer as the season has pro-
crossed but it helps to prove that
the pitchers have picked up a little
since the beginning of the season.
even if there are no wonders among
them.
Cap Arson used to hold that the
three-bag hit was the evidence of
the sprinters Perhaps you might
not have liked his logic but his
theory was novel. He insisted that
three-base hit was only a two
base hit run out by a fast man or
homerun which a slow man
could not make. He had some
proof to back him I'D at that be.
cause most all of the players who
have led in making three-base hits
are sprinters while Arson who
could not run fast enough to keep
up with the village bake cart lost
many a home run because he
could not get beyond third base.
Throttle Home Runs.
Nowadays they say the three-base
mt has been throttled because the
flelders play out on the fences al
most all of the time and they do.
They are so afraid of home runs
popping into their neighborhood
that they leave the infielders to
their fate and no longer back them
up as they did.
Pinelli who plays third base for
cincinnati, an Italian ball player
just as Gene Sarazen is an Italian
golfer, has done something that
many a John Smith third baseman
born straight out American has
been unable to do. Twice this year
he has fielded 10 chances at third
base. Some third basemen have
fielded that position life time and
never have taken care of 10I
chances once. If Pinelli could bat
better he would be a fine PLAYER
in spite of the fact that Hughey
Jennings thought he would never
do. In Cincinnati the Banana club
thinks Pinelli is little Victor
Emanuel.
st. Louis Americans battled be-
fore whale of a crowd at the Polo
in double header and
neither of them got anything out
Of it except the cash pro-bono. st.
Louis won the first game with
Shocker pitching and New York |
won the second with Bush pitching
Each club put its best pitching foot
foremost and St. Louis for the
fourth time on its eastern trip
Jailed to get anything out of a
1oubleheader except little added /
cash. OF course in this instance
where the team was playing it's
nearest rival to split double head
sr saved tumble but to have won
t would have put the Browns on
Easy street for the series.
What would Ty Cobb give il he
could have got some victories ont
II the games which Ehmke has
away for him this season.
Here's Tipoff on Giants.
The Giants defeated st. Louis
liter the Cards had gone into the
eighth inning with a 8 to 0 lead
that's the tipoff on the National
eague race and the folks who
iont like the Giants may as well
,egln to make up their minds that
he outfit Is coming through.
3ranch hickey with four weeks to
% and a possible chance to win
he championship has begun to ex-
'erlment with young blood on the
Ontending team in the roco rh,