Evening star., 1923-01-23
The Real Mark of Su-
periOrity in a Ball Team
Secret of Ty CObb's
Success-The "SteaI
and lam - Play
McCra,U's Specially Vas
Theft of Third-Effect
of the Lively Ball.
leased Exclusively Through American Newspaper

f NIX Baltimore team OF 1873
was even better than the one
OF 1894. the year of our first
championship. 1t was practically
the same team; that is, the individ-
ual players were the same. but the
machine was being perfected by
more accurate adjustment of the va
rious cogs. Each player knew the
function OF the other and did his
part to bring about perfect co-ordi-
nation.
Other clubs had good batters. good
fielders, good catchers and good pitch
erS. Ii was very clear to us that an
advantage would lie in the way we
got the most out OF our strength.
We sat up at nights and talked these
matters over. Every suggestion was
given consideration. sometimes in the
form of hot argument and some
times in calm deliberation. We ali
had the same aim-to Win--and we
wanted il to be victory OF the team,
not of the Individual.
Obviously the secret of advantage
was in base running-getting the
larger number of runs out of a given
number of hits. Right there is the
That, l suppose, is true in any walk
of life.
Developed Base Running.
The Orioles had speed and could
hit. BY constant experiment we de-
veloped system of base running
that soon became famous. At the
same time we had TO develop a syS-
TEN of defense against base running
by our opponents. | think i can
truly say that we were pioneers in
the present art of getting the most
runs out of the least number OF hits.
The hit-and- run play was our best
form OF attack. though we often
varied it. If when the first man up
got on base and the next batter was
a good place hitter. we were almost
certain to signal-or give the sign. as
ball players call it-for the hit and
run. The runner would start from
first base with the pitch and il the
batter hit behind the runner he would
go to third If "A play was made TO
get him at third, the batter would go on
to second. We always took chances.
There always is an advantage. in TAX
ing close chances. 1t puts the other
fellow up against the worry about
what 10 do In other words. we would
test his nerve instead of letting hlm
test ours. That incidentally. is one
of the secrets of Ty Cobb's success.
He always tests the other mans
nerve.
Used "StenI and Slam"
OF course, opponents got 10 know
this system. Then il was that We
had TO vary it. Often we used a
play that was called steal and slam" y"
1t was simply d variation of the hit
and run. The man on first would
take a lead to actually steal the base.
In that case. If the ball was good
one. the batter would slam at it. If
the pitcher, expecting a hit and run,
M oh
let it go and take a chance on the
runner stealing the base. In ma
jority of cases fast runner would
be safe The batter then would be
in q better position than ever. With
runner on second he could take his
time and wait for good one. He
could even sacrifice so as TO advance
the runner TO third and have man
on third with only one out.
think we were among the flrSt TO
dope out a scheme for preventing the
| traditional double steal when there
are runners on first and third. In
the early days. before my time even.
] it was almost certain that if the
man on first started for second and
! a throw was made to get him the
, man on third would score. To this
| day that is hard play to stop. but
| we manage TO handle ii rather sue
| ceSsfully now.
Our first plan was TO let the second
| baseman cover The bag. The short
stop would run in, crossing in front
| of second, and take the throw and
| whip the ball to the plate in time TO
! get the runner from third. That was
| known as "the short throw 1t also
| has its disadvantage. Soon the
runner on third got to expect the
play. AS a result he would run
| back to third and both would be safe.
to second.
The only way to beat that play
successfully is to have nervy sec
| ond baseman or shortstop with a