The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-02
KNOWS THE ROUTE AT THE
 START

A shortstop knows where the ball will be thrown the moment it starts. So, using that as a guide. he cat de- termine which side of the bag to give the runner. That makes it easy 10 touch him because he will surely slide for the open. side. If you ar- tempt to block him he is liable to get away with hook slide.
 If a shortstop fails to touch the runner as fe comes in he should never go after him again unless he overslides. You've always got a chance of the umpire failing to see that you missed him but if you try to touch him a second time it is q cinch that umpire will call him safe, It is important that a young short stop learn to touch the runner with the same motion that he cathes the ball. The touch must be made quick and suappy.
 The double play is the most im- -portant play in baseball. Shortstops and second basemen who are weak at this never last in the big league.s
 In making double play when taking the throw at second base the shortstop should always step into the the diamond as he makes his throw to first This gives him free hand and prevents being run into by the runner. If the play Is close and the
 
 shortstop, the latter always has ms right arm free for g throw if he steps in instead of standing still.
 Now, if the ball Is hit to the short stop and he has to start the. double play, his most important move IS the way he throws the ball to the sec ond baseman. It isn't enough to toss it 50 he can catch it. The expert shortstop losses the ball so that the second baseman can make 8 free throw to first. The best way to do this is to toss the ball underhandeo, chest high and directly over the bag mot to where you see the baseman standing. If the shortstop losses the ball low or too far over, the second baseman loses time in stopping ana coming up to make the throw.
 In taking throw from the catch CT on the double steal it depends en- tirely on the start and speed or the runner on third base whether he starts for home or. whether he holds his base. The shortstop must hgtFe this cut in a fraction of a second and determine whether he snouia stay on the bag and take the throw or whether he should rSn in anu take it. If he goes in he is after the man on third and must forget the other. fTt
 The Busiest biru0OB Oh AAs .
 A shortstop must learn to nold baserunners close to the bags by letting them know that he is watch ing them. By doing this carefully he can keep them back aon every pitch.
 It should be the duty of the short stop to take all possible throws at third base from the outfield. This enables the third sbaseman to do the backing up along with the. pitcher.
 The shortstop really has more duties than any man on the lnfieio. he was originally called shortstop because he was supposed to pc help to the outfield as well as the infield. In other words, he IS snort fielder. In some cities they still call him that.
 The expert shortstop goes out and relays throws from the outfield. This is one of the most important duties, especially if he has a good arm. IT he hasn't a good arm he has no ousl- ness in the big league.
 Dave Bancroft, who manages the Braves this season, is as good a man as I ever saw in cutting off throws from the outfield. He won a game in the worlds series two years ago that Way. There was man on first ana one on third when a single was hit to the outfield. The throw started for third base, supposedly, with no chance of getting the runner. In stead it went to Bancroft who had placed himself for it. He let the first runner go on to third, but turned and whipped the ball to sec ond, getting the batter who had tried to stretch the hit. That wasn't new at all-it Is often done-but It