San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-11
Employed Properly, He Is
Actively Engaged in
Helping Win Flag.
LEADER In SWATTING
Hasn't Been Up Nearly as
Often but Heads Horns
by in Bat List.
BY JOHN B. FOSTER.


New York, Aug. 11.-Jack Bentley
has not succeeded in winning many
games for the Giants on their present
western trip, but he presents an in
teresting case for the baseball scalper.
He leads the National League III
batting and leads it indisputably
True, he probably will not get the
honor of being called the leagues best
batter because he has not played III
enough games as compared with the
famous longhorn Hornsby. But he Is
miles over Hornsby i'm what he has
done for he is the only baseball bald
eagle soaring at the heights of .40O.
Bentley has won ten games for the
Giants and lost seven. He was going
better than that until Pittsburg and
St. Louis bumped him. Had he shown
ability to win on this trip he might
have led the National League pitchers
as we'll as its batters.
Early in the season before be got
going Bentley was usually taken out
of the game to permit someone to pat
for him. Recently it has been the other
way about; he has been doing the
pinch-hitting for ss.ne one else. lie mas
mad some success Ut lli;it.
All in All, a Success.
Bentley is not much on the base
paths and it has been necessary on
several occasions to put on fleet run
ner in his place, but, take him all III
all, Bentley affords q striking exam
pie of what can be done with n player
who is used for the best that is within
him without trying to overdo 1t.
One of the best minds in the Inter-
national League said that Jack Dunn
had made winning player of Bentley
by putting him in the right spots.
Bentley is not an every day play
-" he said. mot even at first base:
He will wear out. as big as he is, and
if he pitches too often he has moth
The Giants paid $4,000 in gold
dueats for Bentley. Figure that as an
investment to capture worlds series
that may bring in gross receipts OF
S1.O00,000 That sum is too large. and
out of all proportion to the intente OF
the series. but that does not alter the
fact that it is possible to draw it.
For the S6j,000 the Giants got a
pitcher who is pitching good ball. a
batter who is leading the National
League, n pinch hitter who has made
good, and a rather fat player who can
play first base. That is about the
status of Bentley at the present
writing.
I.uque, hot headed ms he always
has been, not only has lost out i'll a
chance to make an unusual pitching
record, cut he has put his team in
hole. Suspension for his outburst re-
Gently may last longer than 4 few
days. Players who wander around the
field with baseball bats in their hands
looking for a noddle TO crack have
never got off very easily when they
were caught.
Players of both the Giants and the
Reds admit they were riding each
other. Liique has been ridden before
and he never takes it very well. The
Cuban loses his temper like a fire
cracker does its power and blows up
the same way. Therefore, players Of
opposing teams play Luque for his
mentality as much as for his curves.
1t looks as if the great Cuban pitch
ing record has gone blooey.
A play came up in New Orleans
the other day that has attracted a
great deal OF attention and the writer
- received many letters from fans
asking him how about it. 1t is de-
scribed in press reports as a "catch-
er's balk." The batter could not be
sent TO first on balk and if the UNI
pire ruled the pitcher had made balk
the umpire was wrong in sending the
halter 20 first, As he permitted n run
TO score and batter to go to first,
the supposition is that he ruled the
catcher had interfered with the batter
and the latter was sent to first. all
runners advancing since the bases
were filled. That ruling does not come
under the balk rule. Had the umpire
ruled IL was just plain ordinary
balk. the ball not having passed over
the home plate. the runners would adj
vance but the batter would remain
where he was. There was nothing un-
usual about a catcher interfering with
the batter.