The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-08-26
Billy Evans Says
SOMETHING NEW

Bill Dinneen, once q famous pitch
er, now an American League UNI
pire, pulled a new one on me the
other day. 4....
We were discussing the great short
stops Of the game, past and present,
when Dinneen, who is able to 90
| back 80 years, asked:
Have You ever noticed that q
majority of the great shortstops
were slow of foot?"
He then proceeded to prove his
statement of fact by naming such
stars as Herman Long, George Da-
Wis.,. Bobby Wallace. Hans Wagner,
Hughey Jennings and Roger Peckin-
paugh.
Perhaps Wagner, in his rough
style, was the fastest Of the men
named and Honus was far from a
Ty Cobb on the bases.
Dinneen's observations interested
me. ! carefully analysed the speed
Of shOrtstops past and present with
whom ! am familiar and realized
there was much truth in what he
said.
So it would seem that geat speed
afoot is not absolutely necessary to
success as a shortstop. Rather, Just
fair speed seems to be the happy
medium
Playing the batters. knowing each
ball pitched, timing the ball and get
ting the break with the pitch are
for more essential than speed for
shortstOp. - =.
PIRATES PLEASE '."'
Has the presence of Fred Clarke
on the bench of the Pittsburg club
had much to do with the fine grade
Of ball that is being played by the
Pirates?
For three or four years the Pr
rates have threatened as pennant|
contenders. One year it seemed as
If it was all over but the shouting,
when the team suddenly collapsed.
This year, after getting away to
a bad start, due no doubt to lack Of
condition as the result of bad wealth
er on the training trip, the Pirates
finally found themselves and started !
an uphill fight for the pennant.
In previous years the Pirates bsve
been in the running. from the start. |
This year it was close to mid seas on |
before Pittsburg made it definitely
certain that IL was going to be q |
pennant contender.
Just about this time Fred Clarke,
pne Of the greatest outfielders the
game has ever produced, joined the |
club as balance for Manager Bill
McKechnie.
Clarke, as manager, had given
Pittsburg its last pennant and world |
championship in 1909. He was just !
the steadying influence needed. He
took some Of the many burdens from
the shoulders of McKechnie.
Pittsburg has a great ball club
that is being we'll handled. It will
never have better opportunity to
win than this year.
Should Philadelphia win in the
American, we would have the un-
usual spectacle of an All-Pennsy-i
vania SERIES.
.. F1CkLLE RANDOM
The baseball fan is sure tickle. He
is constantly shifting his hero wor-
ship. - |
Last year the country over was
pulling for Washington. That city
had never won an American League
pennant. That was one reason for
the loyal support.
reason was every fan was pulling
for Walter johnson to get a chance
to pitch in a world series before he
was through.
Fandom got its wish. Washing>
ton won and Walter johnson, ma
tional idol, emerged the big hero.
Now it is Philadelphia and Connie
Mack with fandom. Everybody
wants to see Mack finally null a
after 10 years of adver-
sity.
Connie himself is confident that
his time has arrived. Not given
much to talking, he tells the world
1925 is a PHILADELPHIA wear.