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TTEATtST’S RTTNDAT AMERICAN, BASEBALL AND OTHER SPORTS. — SUNDAY. AUGUST 3, 1013.
Batter Always m Duel of Wits With Pitcher—Zim
TAD SHOWS HOW EASY JIMMY SHECKARD TAKES IT WHILE WAITING A PITCHER DUT
TOGETTHE
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/ MvCH 0 OcfrjTO
L rv 'vetr
N HOLE
flurlerc More Aggressive Than
Ever, Says Heine—Step Out
and Meet the Ball.
T
HIS is the closing article on
"How to nit the null" b\i the
"(treat Zim.” In it he declaret there
it a great deal of fiction about the
latter’I ability, to place hit hits, lie
alto hat tome interettlng things to
say about the menial duel that is al
ways being fought by the pitcher and
latter.
By HENRY ZIMMERMAN.
"Is the pitching getting better or
worse?" Is a question asked of me
many times.
"Better.” Is always my answer. I
will explain.
I do not believe that the pitcher*
of to-day have any more on the ball
than did the twlrlers of five year*
ago. They have no more speed.
They have no better curves and
their change of pace Is no more ef
fective. But they
take
%ir* saws that a batter smcj>j<-o
Sity f-ofisAjAfto meet me 0Ati.
ftCt°o ka fvte cu Roe 0 rgt^kj
0000O0000O0OO0O000O
Fiction of Placing
Hits Exploded
by Heine
I
DO not believe that any bat
ter can stand up there and
swing and drive a base hit into
any field that he chooses. Plao-
ing base hite is a nloe thing to
talk about, and when a man
does place one it Is so apparent
that he receives a great handl
but It has alwrye been my be
lief that thara is more fiction
than faot conneoted with this
subject. When I wallop I give
thanks every time I get a base
hit, and am not disappointed if
the ball does not go where I ex
pected it to go.—HEINE ZIM
MERMAN.
00000000000000O000O
chances in the pinches.
A few years ago there were very few pitchers who would curve a ball
when the count was two and three. If a batter got a pitcher in the hole
by that count the batter knew that the pitcher was going to sacrifice every
thing he possessed in an effort to get that deciding ball over the plate. There
was no concealment about It. The pitcher simply took a chance on the but
ter hitting the bull where a fielder was.
Only the very great stars would take a chance on curving the ball.
Now almost all of them do It 1 do not lx-llove there Is n pitcher on the
Brooklyn staff who won’t curve the ball with two and three. If they don’t
get It over all good and well. They ilgure that the chances of scoring are
no greater if they pitch a curve and walk a man than If they put it square
over the pan anil allowed a man to lilt.
ONLY A FEW BATTERS CAN “PLACE A HIT.”
There la little to choose between the pitchers of this year and those
of five years ago so far as hoadwork and mechanical ability are concerned.
But the greater frequency with which the hit and run Is played, the greater
chances taken by the batter, have resulted in the pitcher taking longer
ckpnces.
Ever since I can rememlier there has tioen a controversy ns to whether
there was such a thing as placing a hit. Some players have contended that
ttiey could do It. The pitchers have always made the claim that the bat
ters had all they could do to connect with the ball and that It wns nonsense
to believe that any batter could drop a ball where he willed.
1 can’t do it. But 1 believe there are some barters who can occasionally
and under certain conditions. One of these is Johnny Evers. 1 have seen
the manager drop a base hit in short right or left Held, but lie did tills when
the infield wns in and when he could poke the ball over their heads.
I do not believe any batter can stand up there and swing and drive a
base hit i.i» any field that ho chooses.
I know when I wullop I give thanks every time I get a base hit and
I’m never disappoints 1 If I happen to hit into left when I might have got
more buses by driving into right.
MORE FICTION THAN TRUTH IN THE CASE.
Placing base lilts is a nice thing to talk about, and when a man does
place one It Is so apparent that he receives a great hand; but it has al
ways been my belief that there was more fiction than fact connected with
this subject.
Sluggers nre of two types—-the fellows who put their bodies into the
swing and the nten who swing with the arms and shoulders. I believe the
latter have the l>est of the argument.
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UNUSUAL RULES AND
PLAYS IN BASEBALL
(No. 4)
By J. W. Heisman.
W
Maybe I am prejudiced In their
favor for the reason that 1 belong to
that class.
You have geon fellows up there
who were crouched. They seemed
to be a bit stiff of arm and when It
came to swinging they seemed to try
to throw their body Into the punch
as well as their shoulders. With the
result that the power of the muscles
and arms was lost and there was
something strained about their posi
tion.
Meets the Ball Cuming.
It’s my belief that a man should
be swinging his bat freely, that he
shouldn't be set, that he should take
a step as he meets the hall In a
word, that he should do all of his
swinging with his arms and shoul
ders.
I have always tried to meet the
ball before it reached the plate in
stead of waiting until it was sailing
over or had passed.
To tell Just when to hit Is so tech
nical and so involved that I do not
like to start a discussion. Men like
Jlfumy Sheckard seldom hit at the
first ball. They like to wait out the
twlrler, make him pitch for the plate
“very moment In the hope of secur
ing. bases on balls.
That's all right for a man like
Sheckard. He is one of the best In
the world when it comes to waiting
out a pttcher. But It won’t do for
another.
First Ball Suits Zim.
If the pitcher gets the ordinary hat
ter in the hole by shooting the first
one across then he has the hitter
under a handicap. It doesn't make
a great deal of difference to me. I'd
Just as soon hit the first hall pitched
as any other.
That is merely a general statement
If the pitcher happens to be going
wild I’ll wait in the hope of sending
him further into the air. Very fre
quently I hit with two balls and no
strikes. That Is, If there are men on
base, because you know the pitcher Is
going to put one In the groove In the
hope of slipping it over and getting
out of the hole. I do not believe that
I ever hit with three balls and no
■trikes.
BACHRACH HAS DEVELOPED
MANY GOOD SWIMMERS
SCOUTS QUOTED LOW.
Quotations on acouts are rated low.
Cincinnati paid but $100 for the re
lease of Tom O’Hara. However, some
club owners may figure that scouts
^cost them enough before they get done
CIHCAGO, Aug. 2.—The remarka
ble success achieved this season in
water sports by Perry McGUllvray,
Harry Hebner, A. C. Kaithel, Michael
McDermott and other representatives
of the Illinois Athletic Club has awak
ened great Interest In the methods of
William Rachrach, aquatic coach of
the Windy City organization, for it is
realized what an important factor Is
good handling in.the development ot
any athlete.
Bachraeh has learned one of the
great truths of life—that no man
knows everything on any subject, and
therein lies the chief secret of his suc
cess.
’ When 1 was instructor at the Chi
cago Y. M. C. A ” he said, “my horizon
was limited, and I felt there was lit
tle 1 could be taught, but no sooner
did I take hold of the Illinois boy
than 1 found out how much 1 had to
learn. Then I undertook to broaden
myself. 1 looked into tlie system of
every instructor whom 1 thought had
ability. 1 sought the opinion of every
swimmer I came in touch with. 1 in
vestigated every theory of past and
present, and I used ordinary common
sense in deciding what was promising
and what was not. 1 am more than
ever convinced to-day that anything
new is worth glancing into. No pu
pil comes to me with ideas of his own
that, unless they are palpably wrong,
1 give him a chance to try them out.
Practical tests often prove valuable
to the seeker for knowledge. 1 am
now experimenting with u dozen and
one things, and results will dictate
which to adopt and which to discard.’
CHANCE WANTS SOX TO PAY
ZEIDER’S BILLS AND SALARY
NEW YORK. Aug. 2.—Frank
Chance doesn't want the White Sox
to swap back with him as a result of
his charge that he was deceived in
the Chasc-Zeider-Borton deal.
The Yankee leader declared to-day
that all he asked was that the Chicago
management pay Rollie’s salary and
hospital bill until his foot is in good
shape and he is able to resume play
Ing.
“Nothing is more absurd than the
statement that I want to get Chase
back to use him in another trade,”
said Chance.
“Right now Zeider, in the hospital,
is worth three Hal Chases. Rut
have learned that Callahan deceived
me as to Zeider’s condition. When
he Is able to rejoin the team, however,
La will b«s a buz iidoj.”
3KN a batter hits the ball over
the fence within the foul lines,
so that It was a fair ball at
the time It waa last In sight Ae Is
entitled to a home run and can not be
put out even If the ball should be re
turned to the field of play before he
completes the circuit; provided, that
fence was not less than 236 feet away
from home plate.
Hitting the ball downTa steep em
bankment that was 235 feet distant
would not entitle a batter to a home
run; it’s the fence that counts. In
the case of an embankment special
ground rules should always be made.
In the absence of special ground
rules to the contrary, It is the rule in
baseball that when a batted ball goes
through a hole In tho fence, or Into
spectators’ boxes, or anywhere out of
sight of the umpire the same shall go
for a home run.
We often see a man take a hefty
swing at the ball, but miss It for tho
simple reason that he so misjudged Its
location jus to find himself being hit
by the ball. And then because the
ball hit him he wants to take his base.
But this is one instance where he is
not entitled to take first, for the mix-
up counts as a strike against him. He
should not have struck at such a bad
ball.
T N high class ball the batter always
* does what he can to block the
catcher’s throw to btises whenever a
runner is trying to steal. This can
often be done quite legitimately, and
then again the rule Is often violated;
but the average spectator has little or
no idea Just what action on the part
of the batter constitutes a rule vio
lation in this connection, and what is
perfectly permissible. The matter is
worth an explanation.
Let us remember that the batter’s
box—one on either side of the plate,
according to whether a batter is right-
handed or left-handed—is 6 feet by 4
feet wide. Now, within the lines ot
this box the batter may stand where
he pleases. He may step to any side
or any corner of it to hit at the ball,
and even if he falls to hit at It he has
the right to take up his stiition in
any spot so as to be where he wants
to be in case the ball is_to his liking.
If he happens to take up a position
within this box rather close to where
the catcher is squatting to receive the
ball no one can object, for no one
can tell whether he fully means to
take a whack ut this particular ball,
especially if it is going to come over
the plate.
And even if It doesn’t happen to
come over he may still have to go
after It. for the “hit and run” signal
may be on. In this position of close
proximity to the opposing catcher he
may be able to interfere very con
siderably with the catcher’s throw to
base simply through the latter being
crowded too closely—not having “el
bow” room enough. This would be
the catcher’sown fault, for had he ob
served bow i^use he was to the bat
ter—the latter standing where he has
a full right to stand - he should have
backed away from that batter and
made sure not to be crowded too
closely by the other In the event that
he found it necessary to throw to a
base right after receiving the ball.
ball. In case, though, he decides not
to swing his bat through at the ball it
remains, of course, more or less sus
pended out in the air for an instant or
two after the ball has passed, and in
this position It may very seriously In
terfere w;ith the force or accuracy of
the catcher’s throw.
But this thing of making a fake
swing at the ball can be overdone. The
batter may extend his bat back to
ward the catcher such an unreason
able distance as to poke It right in the
latter’s face or Jostle his mask. The
question of whether he intentionally
hampered the catcher is one strictly
for the umpire to decide under all the
circumstances of the case.
Sometimes, perhaps, an umpire Is
misled by the fact that the batter
proven himself a very good actor.
Generally, I would say, an umpire will
form his opinion of whether a batter
purposely put his bat in the way of
the catcher’s throw from noting
whether the batter turns around and
looks to see exactly where the catcher
is at the Instant of thrusting out the
bat. Of course, the catcher is not
obliged to stand close to the plate or
batter so that the latter will be able
to interfere with him. As a fact good
catchers will very quickly catch on
when a “block and steal” play is on.
Under such circumstances the
catcher should Jump away from the
plate and the batter as he receives
the ball, and If he will do this the bat
ter will find it difficult to bother him
without violating rules. So if the
batter keeps his face and eyes turned
out to the diamond an umpire will
argue that he made no effort to defi-
nitelv locate the catcher, ana there
fore he could not have intended to in
terfere with the latter’s throw.
But if the batter turns around to*
ward the catcher as the ball skips by
him, and then steps either out or
backward toward the catcher after
locating him—especially if he steps at
all out over the plate, it will be clear
to anyone that he fully intended to
break un the catcher’s throw. Under
such circumstances he should be
called out and the runner sent back
to the base he started from.
COAST LEAGUE OWNERS
WANT NO OPPOSITION
SAN FRANCISCO. All*. J.—Trou
ble among the minor baseball leagues
of the Pacific Coast Is promised In
an announcement made here yester
day that after this aeason no outside
league will be allowed to play in the
Coast League territory.
Portland, Oreg., which has both
Coast League and Northwestern
League teams, Is the only point af
fected.
"It was the consensus of opinion
that the fans of Portland are getting
too much baseball,” said President
Baum of the Coast League, in an
nouncing the decision.
P ROFESSIONAL players become
very expert In getting In the way
of the catcher whenever the latter Is
called upon to throw to bases, and
thev accomplish their purpose so
cleverly that no one could swear they
meant to do It. As a consequence the
umpire very rarely calls them for it.
nor does the opposition catcher even
register a kick—with them It is alt
goow baseball.
Of course, when the catcher antlct.
pates the runner Is going to steal or
the next pitched ball he should signal
To Cure Corns, Callouses
Bunions and Aching Feet
WOW, If, In addition to taking up a
position in the box which will
crowd the catcher after the latter has
received the ball, the batter raises hts
bat and swings it out more or less to
ward the plate as the ball approaches
no one can object to that mere act
either; for that is what every batter
milftl Ja athanauoB ha* &Wl nan a l
The following Is said to be the surest and
culckwt cure known to science for all foot
ailments: ‘TUaaolre two tabkwpoonfula of Calo-
I’idt compound In a hasln of warn water. Soak
the feet In Uila for fully fifteen minutes, gently
rubbing the acre parts’* The
effevt La really wonderful. All
soreness goes Instantly; the feet
feel delightful. Corns and cal
louses can be peeled right off.
It gives immediate relief for sore
bunions. sweaty, smelly and
selling feet. A twenty-lire cent
box of Calocide Is said to lie ;
aufndmt to cure the worst feet. '
It works through the pores and
removes the cause of the trou
ble. Don’t waste time on uncertain remedies
Any druggist has Caiocide compound In stock
or he can get it in a few hours from his whole
sale house.
his pitcher for a “waste” ball—tha(
is, one thrown wide of the plate so
that the batter can not get out after
it far enough to interfere In any way
with the throw down. If he made a
wrong guess or was outguessed by the
batter and runner, so that he did not
expect the runner to go down that
time, he perhaps called for a ball
close in to the batter. Such a ball
gives the batter all the opportunity In
the world for easy and legitimate in
terference, and the wise catcher
blames nobody but himself.
(To Be Continued Next Sunday.)
HARRY FORBES HAS NEW
WELTERWEIGHT SCRAPPER
CHICAGO, Aug. 2.—Harry Forbes
has dug up a new star. The former
bantam champion believes he has the
real goods In a young welterweight
named Cole Lenzi, who hails from
Gary. Ind. Though little known, the
young boxer has a record of twenty
victories. Forbes has been boxing
with Lenzi for a week now and says
he is one of the most promising young
men he ever handled. Foroes intends
to proceed carefully with him, but at
the same time will not bar any of
them when It comes to making
matches.
RECORD-SMASHER ADMITS
HE IS A PROFESSIONAL
RALEIGH, N. C., August 2.—Rich
ard Little, the Cornell student whose
mile run about a month ago at Hick
ory, N. C.. gave him the world’s rec
ord, will run no more as an amateur.
He has confessed that he received
$6,000 for his recent exploit.
Little broke the world’s amateur and
professional record for one mile on
his privately constructed track at
Hickory.
Norman Taber, the mller from
Brown University, competed against
him. Little’s time was 4:12 1-5. He
is a graduate of Lenoir College, South
Carolina, and is 19 years old.
His confession ends the Comeli-
Harvard controversy over him, and he
has attached his signature to a con
tract as principal of the Newton
Graded School.
Four New York clubs subscribed the
money for the race at Hickory, ac
cording to the man who held some
of it. Little’s admission was volun
tary and followed Cornell’s declina
tion to yield him to Harvard.
FLYNN-SMITH CONTEST
SHOULD BE LIVELY AFF/R
NEW YORK, Aug. 2.—New Yck
fight fans expect to see fireworksi
plenty on August 8, for that la th
date on which Gunboat Smith, th
strongest "white hope” thus far de
veloped, and "Pueblo Jim" Flynn, th,
most dangerous veteran in the heavj
class, have agreed to mingle for ten
rounds before the Garden A. C. mem
bers in the arena of Madison Square
Garden.
Both of these scrappers haVe made
their reputalons via the knockout
route, and as each is aware that pugi
listic oblivlox will be the certain fate
of the loser the battle should be a
desperate st-uggle from bell to bell.
DAVIS HELPS THE ATHLETICS.
Harry Davis Is credited by Phila
delphians with much of this year's
success of the Athletics. When he
was away last year they slumped
Now he is back again. He is consid
ered one of the best men In the busi
ness on the coaching lines, excelled
only by McGraw. Chance and possi
bly Jennings.
ONEY
LOANED 0 SALARIED MEN
AT LAWFUL RATES
ON PROMSSORY NOTES
Wlthotf Endorsement
Without Collateral Security
Without Rial Estate Security
NATIONAL DISCOUNT CO.
1211-12 Four*, National Bank Bids.
BRANNIGAN AND CHAVEZ
TO CLASH IN LONG BOUT
TRINIDAD, COLO., Aug. 2.—Benny
Chavez, the local bantamweight boxer
who recently knocked out Kid Pep
pers in Denver has been matched for
a twenty-round contest with Patsy
Brannlgan, of Pittsburg, to take place
in an open-air ring at Central Park on
Labor Day. Chavez is still anxious
to get a match with the champion,
Johnnie Coulon. The fight with
Brannlgan will he staged by the Santa
Fe Athletic Club.
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