San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-20
BIC HAND OR
GLOVE NEED
. OF: |NF|ELDER
Th;rd-baseman With Small
Hand Must Make Up
For 1t in Miit.
NO RULE AGAINST IT
Regulation Glove Can Be
Worked Upon Until 1t
Is Oversize.
NO RULE AGAINST IT
Ry GEORGE CHADWICK

Copyright by the San Antonio. Lish-
New York, April 19.-"You've got
IA have a hand like a ham TO be
successful infielder on this circuit"
said a bush leageuer dolefully as he
babe farewell to the major league
team he had hoped to play with III
1924. =, 81
"You said a mouthful. buddy,
ebinned in one of the regulars. wrap
ming his gigantic paw Ground the
bus6er's smaller one. "And the man
that hasn't got one had better mare
himself one"
THAT. new-how do you make
yourself hand like ham,:
EASY. Get glove and go 70
work. Stretch the glove. Beat the
glove. crush the glove. Make it PHI
ahle Rcnd it and bend it some
more. Stuff it here and there where
II needs stuffing. Get it so big that
IL will cover a shoulder of bacon On
the outside but still fit the hand on
the inside.
NsYou can only have glove thai
il legally the size the glove makers
are permitted TO make. but you can
get that old glove 81 it will sprawl
all over the lot. And the bigger you
make II. the better your chance ~
staying in the big leagues. The old
hall will find the little cavity and.
how. no matter how hot they come,
YOU can stop EN- ALL"
But can't they take the glove away
from you?s
No Rule Against It..
\ l.
" didn't you? And you plared with
Il legally. 1t stretched itself IN tho
ordinary course of play. There's
nothing wrong in that.
"Of course. the bigger your hand is
10 start with. the better off you arc.
Jnfielders like Lutzke of Cleveland
whose hands would reach around a
dozen eggs. become doubly dangerous
with the glove. Look at the ex-
panse they get. When Lutzke puts
his hands out a ball just naturally
can't dodge him. He picks up hits
every day that look easy, but the aver
rye small-handed player would have
little change of getting them. Batters
break their necks getting TO first on
what they think are hits past Lutzke
and when they get there they find the
ball waiting for them.
"If it wasn't for the glove a lot OF
players that are in the big leagues
wouldn't be there at all. They
wouldn't last four weeks If they
couldn't build their hands out with
one of those old bags. Take Sam
Hale of the Athletics. Now his hands
are about as small as those of any
man in the big leagues. He'd lose
many a one at third If it wasn't for
his old basket of glove. As it is
he misses more OF them on his bare
hand side now than lot of the big
handed boys. The hall hits his littl'
hand and bounces off. Sometimes h'
pounces on it and throws the mar
out because he has good arm. But
he misses them just the same. %
course, as far as Sam is concerned
he can hit so well that they cam
chase him away from third
Third-sacker Most in Need.
(which .infielder needs the ham
hand most?" the oracle was asked
"Third-besamen., he replied. "The!
70 by him fast at third. The short
stop comes next and then the second
baseman. The second-baseman gets {
lot of nice easy ones to. field. Hit
going to right field take a zip a
times but most Of them scoot that wa!
with Looping bounds. The first-basc
man can get along fairly we'll witt
small hands. particularly if he han
pens to be left-handed; for then hi
glove-and its a big one-is towar
the infield. A right-handed guy mus
MAY the field with his bare hand
That's one reason why left-hande
Businessmen have been making sue
hit. Fans haven't thought niue
about II. but it's the old glove tina
has made the difference"
"Isn't a good throwing arm as e'
sential to an infielder as a han
hand?"
"Of course yon can't plav the II
field with dead arm. buddy. but
you have to take your choice. era
the average thrower who has the POI
cine appendage. It's the old ham thu
gets there for the ball player-but q
the hand, mind you, mot in the thin
tank"