The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-07-05


rifice, than gamble on a big in
Managing is an adaptation of
material.
You can't steal il you haven't got
fast men.
When you haven't a slugging
team, the old army game, playing
for one run at time, is the most
successful system.
The Giants stuck to it, as a mat
ter of fact, even when the ball was
livelier. When you score one run,
the otter side has to score to tie
you and score twice to beat you.
lean to defensive baseball. Nat
urally, it's all the better If an ac-
complished defensive man can hit
as well, but / do not believe in
sacrificing defensive strength for
hitting. There's no percentage in
batting in two or three runs and
turning right around and kicking
in as many.
Right now te Giants are second
in team batting in the National
League with .2S4, which seems to
be plenty good enough when club
is leading in fielding with 1915.
Six Beating 800
A half dozen Giants are hitting
800 or more-Terry, 1928; Hank
Leiber, 1926; Joe Moore, 1923; Gus
Mancuso. .309; Mel OFT. .3o7; and
George Davis, 800. And Mark
Koenig, whose average is .296, and
Dick Bartell, who is batting .2S9,
are timely hitters.
All. these men are exceptional
defensive players, and certainly
wouldn't trade them for murder
ers row which would leave the club
with weaknesses in the field.
It's an old axiom that pitching
| is rs per cent of baseball. Surely,
it's a robust percentage. believe
in pitching, as well as playing,
deliberately. encourage our catch
ers to make all pitching decisions.
The catchers and I talk over the
opposing batters thoroughly. That
saves talking it over with every
pitcher on the team.
I don't believe in saving pitchers
for future assignments. Win to-
| days game and tomorrow's will
| take care of itself.
Slab Relief Important
One, of the most important things
in managing is to know when
pitcher is through-when to take
him out. Many game has been
| lost by a manager permitting a
pitcher who suddenly had lost his
stuff to pitch just one too many
balls.
Relief pitchers are as important
as starters. Adolfo Luque and
Herman Bell. relief pitchers, played
a big part in the Giants winning
the pennant in 1888. If you've got
a dependable bullpen crew, you
need not call in regulars out of
turn.
With more than one out. the only
chance is hit and run. With none
out, sacrifice. The hit and run is
the surest way to escape hitting
into double plays.
| Generally speaking, l. believe
National League clubs cling closer
to playing for one run at time
than do American league teams.
Make Sure of Ono Out
On double plays, our objective
is to make the first out sure. Thus,
we stress an accurate, deliberate
throw to second base. Sometimes
this prevents us from getting the
second man, but it has been proved
that IL you miss the first, you miss
both. I'd sooner get one sure.
A striking example Of Giant de-
fensive play was our infield lay
ing back for a double play with
the bases full and one out In the
eleventh inning of the fourth 1898
world series game in Washington.
when we led to /. The plan
worked perfectly, with Cliff Bolton
hitting into the double play.
A curve ball is the most effective
pitch in pinch. II the batter hits
it, he isn't likely to swat 1t as
hard as he would a fast one.
With man on third base and
less than two out, have him take
a lead on an ordinary infield pop
up. There is no sense in tagging
up and waiting for the ball to be
caught. II it's caught, the man