New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-10-10
S p . a king
of Sports

l of Sports
GssHmnsHaasssnns.sinaHaiHssassai
Wen, long about I o'eleck or 90 n
wise acres viii be chanting the
annual lullaby n told you So"
Neither jones nef Walker will B
paid for their exhibition night befoF
last, The purses SO TO charity
Rocky Kansas, who nights Bern
slain Friday night, has hurled anoth
or challenge Al Benny Leonard,
It's the same old story. Bsistei
fans ma a scarcity OF tickets an
spectators are getting slA each 10
the coveted nastboard In New York.
Odds today dropped 10 even money
II 10 estimated that close 10 1900.
900 has been wagered in Wall stree
alone,
New York hotels are crowded with
series fans and II Is next 20 impos
sible 10 get reservations this week.
Zev now IL less than a al favor,
lite over Papyrns. The British horss
yesterday took a trial sallop. doinl
the mile and an eighth in AIS Us.
Fans from all parts OF the country
as well as several foreign lands. have
invaded New York for the world
series.
The trsselins. record probably IL
held by Robert r. Murphy. who yes
terday finished journey of nearly
10000 miles from Manila. Philippine
Islands. TO see the Yankees and Giants
fight II out. Others have come from
Mexico. Cuba and Canada.
Billy Evans. whose sports articles
appear In the Herald. will umpire he
hind the bat today. Anent the game
In general. Evans today has the fol-
lowing brief "reminiscences.
Can ball player steal base with
out having the catcher or pitcher
figure In the happening? That point
was raised during game in New
York between the Yankees and st.
Louis Browns. The officials scorer as
we'll as all the other scribes, decided
that such thing was possible. AS a
result, Second Boseman Ward of the
Yankees was credited with most I'M
usual stolen base.
When player steals base. the i'm
preston conveyed is that the pitcher
either allowed the runner to get too
big lead or the catcher failed to
make an accurate peg. In this case.
however, Outfelder Ken Williams OF
the Browns was the player directly re-
sponsible for Wards steal of home.
Here are the facts in the case:
In the fifth inning of the game.
Ward, who was ON first base, went all
the way to third on Catcher Hoffmans
single to left field. After stopping the
ball, Williams, with the ball In his |
possession, trotted in toward second |
several times feinting a throw to the
plate. Ward accepted the challenge |
of Williams, and with every step |
that Williams took toward second, |
Ward advanced a step in the direc-
tionof the plate. When about mid may
between home and third, Ward made |
a wild dash toward the plate, taking
Williams off his guard. Williams at
the time was just back of shortstop.
His throw was trifle wild and Ward
easily beat the play.
How would the play be scored? At
he close of the inning several of the
players asked me what l thought of
t. I told them that Ward had un-
outsmarted Williams in
he matter and was entitled for some
credit for so doing. The only possible
credit was to score the bit of daring
Is a stolen base. J also offered the
suggestion that it might be scored as
IN error since Williams had invited
he situation and then failed to get
lis man because the throw was wide.
While such a scoring of the play ,
would have penalized Williams, still it
would have given Ward no credit for
lis smart play.
The idea of a stolen base was rather $
coffed at. The impression among the /
layers being that stolen base would
ave to have the catcher and pitcher '
CURE in the play it was argued that {
UGH scoring Of 'the play would {
onvey the impression that either the s
atcher or pitcher was at fault, yet in a
his case neither had the slightest to S
o with the play. II
| understand that the play caused y
s rnucl, discussion in the press box $
S 1t did on the field. Evidently the f
corers agreed on stolen base for a
Yard as that is the way it was car II
led in all the summaries Of the game
81 -. L.