The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-07-20
Injury Develops
Star for Yankees
Accident To Catcher ,Schang
Makes Hero Out of
Hoffman
BY BILLY EVANS

NJ blLL1 Evans
If major league ball club has a
star catcher whose work stands out,
is it wisdom for the manager Of that
club to use said catcher almost ex-
clusively?
Good catching means so much to
a ball club that manager is prone
to use his star regularly, If he is
fortunate enough to have such q
type catcher. But it is questionable
# such a policy is advisable.
Ray Schalk of the Chicago White
Sox is master workman, one Of the
greatest catchers of all time. Every
manager under whom Schalk has
played since coming to the big show
has seldom used any other catcher
if Ray was fit to 60.
AS result of such a policy, the
White Sox have developed little or
no catching material since Schalk
won his spurs as star. One Of
these days Schalk is going to paN,
out of the picture, and when he
does, the White Sox are going t.
suffer for lack of good catching.
One Catcher Stands Out
On practically every major league
club there is some catcher who
stands out, who has an edge in most
departments Of play on the other
backstops Invariably that catcher
gets most of the work.
1t is only when the star is injured
that the loss of his services are felt,
because of the lack of capable
substitute. Catchers cannot be de-
veloped sitting on the bench, getting
in the game once every week or SO,
or warming up pitchers in the bull
pen.
Very often team has high class
catcher doing bench duty who, werk
it not for the presence of the star
catcher, would do his share of the
work most efficiently. Often it, takes
serious injury to make it apparent
that the club has more than a mere
substitute sitting on the bench.
Perhaps the most recent example
Of this truth is found in the lineup
of the New York Yankees.
Schang's Injury Costly
In Wally Schang the Yankees
boast of one of the best catchers in
the majors. So efficient is he, that
for years it has been customary to
use him almost exclusively back of
the bat.
During the first road trip of the
Yankees this year they played re-
markable ball. winning something
like II out of 20 on foreign fields.
No man helped more the Schang.
Immediately on the return of the
Yankees to the home grounds Schang
was injured. When it became evident
the injury was very serious and that
Schang would be out for weeks the
morale of the club seemed to slump.
No one could take the place of
Schang. That was the feeling that.
seemed to exist, among the pitchers
in particular.
Fred Hoffman, Wally's understudy,
was forced into the fray with little
or no preparation. Incidentally. he
had hurt his knee in practice and
was none too fit.
Hoffman Gets Chance q
For about two weeks the Yankees
played Eaggedly, winning something
like four out of IL. For time it
looked as if the absence of Schang
would just about ruin the Yankees
pennant chances. Just aobut the
time the experts agreed on such az
decision Hoffman hit his stride.
Given a chance to catch regularity
he handled his pitchers in great
style. The team, after slumping off
big lead to a four-game margin,
has come back in great style and
now enjoys almost prohibitive lead.
Schang's injury gave Hoffman his
chance. 1t offered him the oppor-
tunity to prove his real worth.
Wallie's accident instead of weak
ening the Yanks, as it first seemed,
has really strengthened the club, as
Manager Higgins is now positive
that he is we'll fortified back of the
bat.