Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-22
NEW CARD TACTICS
BATTLE ATHLETICS
SIugging Checked, Mackmen
Are Unable to Cope With
Smarter Rivals.
BY GEORGE CHADWICK.

DA OLOhOE CHADWICK.
~ ASE ball sharps have been
X studying the batting fig
IL ures Of the 1881 world
series, with interesting find
ings. One of them is that al
though the Athletics didn't hit
well enough this year to suit their
boss and the Philadelphia fans,
they actually batted better, ex-
cept in the home-run column,
than they did last year.
Perhaps the 1881 world series inaugu-
rated a new type of series for the fu-
ture, with less emphasis on smuggling and
more on expert placement Of the ball
and speed on the bases. We seem to be
getting into new batting era. We get
occasional shifts Of one, anyhow.
Now take look at the batting flg-
ures. The team batting percentage Of
the Athletics in the 1880 series was 1877.
The total base batting average was more
impressive than that. The hits per
game for the Athletics in 1880 were
5 SIS. They counted heavily in scoring
because they ran high into home runs.
Connie Mack deplores lack Of batting
on the part of his boys this year. They
made better team average than they
did in 1880. This year they were smart
enough to bat .220, and they averaged
Z 1T hits per game. What they failed
to do was to hit the ball into the stands
and over the fence with abnormal fire.
quency.
Cards Hitters This Year.
The Ct Tnnlis Cardinals had moro
total bases in batting this year than
the Athletics had. 1t wasn't so last
year. Hence, If there was any appre-
ciable deficit in batting in 1881. it was
= making home runs. In the seven
games the Athletics made only three
honers, two by Simmons and one by
Foxx
some smart men called attention to the
fact that the series of 1880 was the
glorif1cation Of the home run. They
thought the Athletics would home-run
themselves to victory in 1881, but the
AS didn't, and right there is where
they fooled their boss, as we'll as out
siders. Grimes and Hallahan pitched
anti-home balls.
The three-base hit is practically ex-
tinct in a world series. There were
three in 1880 and not one in 1881. One
reason why the three-bagger has passed
into dust and ashes is the limited area
in grounds. The outfielders camp away
back near tfn fences. If batters could
hit Texas lea2Ie to order they would
have the outtielders standing on their
heads.
Had outfieId Groggy.
Recollect how the short outfield
flies batted by the ST. Louis players
bothered the Athletic outfieldersP
There wasn't one of those flies that
was not an easy catch. as far as me-
chanical handling of the ball was con-
cerned, if only the fielder could have
gotten near enough to the ball. On
some of the hits the Philadelphia out
flelders dared not run too far in, for
fear the ball would bound away from
them. and on others they could not
run far enough in.
The old Chicago White Sox "Hitless
Wonders" who got the runs while the
other teams were In despair, were bully
boys at Texas leaguing. Yet no man
ager has trained batters to hit Texas
leaguerS for regular diet. It would
be long and hard task and then
the manager wouldn't be sure that he
had caught his bird, no matter how
much salt he threw around.
AS for world series fielding honors,
Colbert at shortstop. the great fielding
hero of 1880, was just as good as, or
better than, in 1881. Yet the boys failed
to give him much of a hand. If it
hadn't been for Pepper Martin, Colbert
would have been more conspicuous.
In 1890 Colbert threw more obstacles
in the way of Philadelphia success than
any other fielder of the st. Louis team.
His work didn't have much result be-
cause the Athletics were home run
ming their Way along
In 1881 Colbert played a glorious
game at shortstop for st. Louis and
surpassed the other players Of both
teams in making assists Had he
batted as successfully as Martin and
had he been able to run bases like a
jack rabbit, he would have divided the
applause with Martin.
I. He has been one of the greatest
shortstops on defense in the annals of
the world series. Ask Burleigh Grimes
and Wild Bill Hallahan. They know.