The Daily Alaska empire., 1938-03-10
B. B. PLAYERS AT DUKE ARE
 GIVEN QUIZ
Veteran Coach Hands Out Final Examination
 Tn P. E. 5o"


 DURHAM. NC, March 10.-The old professor distributed mimeo- graphed sheets titled Final Ex- animation in P. ESQ and tramped ut of the classroom.
 Then Duke university's baseball players began swinging fountain pens with a flourish. Here was a quiz they could handle.
 It was Jack Coombs' annual questionnaire fer his athletes, who lake a physical education course in baseball as part of their required college credits for graduation.
 Professor Coombs has been giving these tests since he came to Duke in 1929. They deal with techniques of positional play, batting and fielding problems and often pre- sent case examples that call for imaginative thinking for the dia- mond students to extricate them selves from hypothetical situations
 A baseball writer once offered one of these questionnaires to the New York baseball team and the Yankees spent hours of road trip debating over the answers.
 These tests, following semes- ter's classroom lectures and con- versations. have made Dukes team a collection of smart youngsters They've won a flock of titles, in- cluding last years Southern con- ference championship.
 In case you've forgotten, Coombs won 5 world series victories for Philadelphia, three of which were against the Chicago Cubs in 1910. Tn 1906 he pitched the longest American league game, winning 24-inning tussle with the Boston Red Sox, Al.
 Here are some of Professor Coombs' questions. with the an- sWers:
 Q. What is a shortstop's hardest fielding play?
 A. A batted ball which bounds over ahe pitchers head. This ball must be fielded on the run, and the 'hortstop's throw to first base must be made under full speed, thrown from the awkward position in ,,,l,;ol1 I,o fiaIJc fl,o kal1
 Q. How would you play your nfield under the following situa- tions, deep or in close? CD Runners on first and third bases, second in- hing no score, one out, eighth man in the batting order at the plate. (2) Runner on first base, one out. three runs behind, three balls and one strike?
 A. CD deep. t2) close.
 @. Should a pitcher vary the time between each pitched ball?
 A. Yes, particularly if any base is occupied If the pitcher does not vary the time he consumes in mak- ing his different deliveries, run ners will be invited to steal bases.
 o. When should catcher back up third base?
 A. A catcher should never back up third base.
 o. What is a waste ball and why is it pitched?
 A. A quick pitch so far away from the plate that it cannot be hit by the batsn1an. It is thrown because the catcher has some defensive play in mind.
 o. What is the most difficult fielding play for a pitcher?
 A. The swinging bunt. The ball is swung at very hard and is hit in such a manner that it rolls slow ly close to the base line The diff culty for the pitcher is to decide whether to let the ball roll with the hope it may go foul or pick it up for an almost impossible play at first base.
 O. What advice would you give your batsman under the following ball and strike situations? CD Bases empty, two balls and no strike. @ Runner on first, one out, no score, two balls and no strikes. t3) run ners on second and third, one out, three balls and one strike.
 A. CD Hit. Try for long hit to get into scoring position. @ Hit the good ball, using possibly, the hit and run play (3) Hit the good ball.