New Britain herald., 1924-03-15
DODGING BALL IS
 NO LITTLE TASK
Outfelder ManusCh Mas Hit Y
 Times Last Season
(By Billy Evans)

(By Billy Eyans) Outhcider Manusch of the Detroit ] Tygers was hit by pitched ball IT
 times during the 1928 campaign i There doesn't appear to be anything 1 unusual about that statement. Yet 1 from the viewpoint of the umpires in
 the American leagues it has consider able meaning.
 Once upon a time. getting hit by q pitched ball was a fayorite stunt with many of tlieF big -lcagu" league players That system is no longer popular. The athletes much prefer to hit the ball than be hit,
 Getting out Of the way of a badly pitched balfis quite an art. Some play CTS do il gracefully, others awkward ly, Tho point is to convince the um- pire that you are really trying to get out ot the way.
 In golf fontwork plays q big part in the success of the player. Getting distance and accuracy depends as much on the feet as the eyes and arms.
 The flat-footcd boxer is at great disadvantage when pittod against tho shifty athlete.
 Footwcrk plays an equally import ant part in the work of the batsman in baseball. 1t is as essential in keep ing from being hit as in hitting the ball.
 Certain battcrs by Il mere movement of head or body avoid the ball. Others drop to the ground in a heap. Some step forward or backward to get out of the way.
 Such methods 10 avoid being hit are apparent. and make it an easy matter for the umpire to reach d decision. II is tho stationary batsman who causes all the trouble for the judges of play.
 Kid Elberfcid, famous big leagucr in his day, was such n ba,sman. The Kid feared no pitcher. hugged tho ! plate closely with his body extending well over it.
 Elberfcld took such position on every pitcher and retained it regard less Of thesstylc ball pitched, If a ball was thrown directly at Elberfeld ii was almost a certainty that he would /, bcshit.
 The Wid's feet were as if frozen 10 the ground, and he would movc his body ever so slightly. |
 Manusch of the Detroit club Is n somewhat similar batsman, except . that he is q left handler The promis- ing Detroit recruit stands fairly c,csc 10 the plate and assumes the crouch . position. !
 The rules state that batsman is entitled 10 first base if hit by Il pitch cd ball unless. in the opinion Of the the umpire, he plainly makes no effort to get out Of the way of the pitched ball.
 The umpirea were constantly in hot | water with Elborfcld. OftcG l rcfuscd to give him his base. it being appar- cnt to everybody in the park that he made no effort 10 avoid the pitch, yet Elberfeld 1 am sure was perfectly truthful in his argument that hc did not purposoiy try to get hit. Il
 Manusch. on 2 fast ball pitched in- side. seems pow rlcss to get ott of thc way. He is Il great batsman and ma turaliy would much prefer taking ,rark at the ball.
 Often 1 cautioned him last year, N hen q pitch that was perhaps only in inch away from thc plate would almost grazo his shirt. only to have him assure me that hc had no intcn, ion of being hi.
 Possibly T'yrus Cobb. master bats. man. will teach him tho art Of getting put of the way. On such balls Cobb shifts back q trihc and pulls them town the first base line.
 The umpircs hope Cobb 50 porfccts !, uanusch's one fault at thc plate. as [ will make things much easier for | hem.