New Britain Herald Newspaper, June 4, 1915, Page 13

e h\u'dle race a mnfic strain on the athlete? This question has been asked hundreds of times. The athletes say no, while the majority of experts say yes. Judgmg by the pxct'ute the experts are right. The athletes say it is a slight nervous tension and strain for a few seconds, y First Basemen llave start of hurdle race at Penn relay games, won by Kelly of California. He is second man from right. outset of his career. Isbell. Jake Daubert was a pitcher at the So was Frank Stuffy McInnis considered himself a shortstop until he was given, the chance to replace Harry Davis. Schmidt of .the Braves was a pitcher. ‘Started at Some Other Position T each. of'the three. first sackers position ‘br ings Targe portion of the en in the country are play- young man inaugurates his career it is his ambition to|started in the game as an outfielder |for there is no other position in the shortstop or:second base- N _very fast he selects an d¢§ob as his by right and but % does ni position o fim frst base as his nd has three- uyln.nu for 1 pmaw—moc Johnston, Roy Pete. Shields. Johnston used -n star southpaw, Wood and Bob Wopd, ‘were catchers. Char- | ley, Hickman ' began as a pitcher and was an' outflelder when bought from Bmon George Stovall was a pitcher until his arm went back on him, while Claude Rossman was an outfielder un- I assigned to the infield work. Gandil of the Washington Nationals and then switched to first base. Cleveland has had no monopoly upon the first basemen who have been made | over. Going back to tho early days of the game, it is found that Pop Anson was a third baseman, while Comiskey ‘was a pitcher when he became a pro- fessional, " Fred Tenney and Jack Doyle were. catchers, and good ones I fiel game has basemen the while Shields was a |too. Jiggs Donahue, one of the best’ Getting ‘first last season. hard most of [known, was noted as being one of the _have been |few left handed catchers in the busi- Chance is another who ‘and mask to gudrd’ Jack Miller, of the Cardinals a second baseman. All of Whlch goes to show that many of the first sackers are such through force of circumstances and not through choice; also, that it behooves the youngster of today to perfect himself in the art of playing.first skilifully, big leagues for which there are so many opportunities to break in. Size up the present situation. Cleve- land s trying out two ' recruits— Shields, a bush leaguer*with only one year’s experience, and Roy Wood, with but a few months’ trial. Chicago needs an accomplished first baseman to, substitute for Fournier, whose flelding is not equal to his batting ability. Branch Rickey has tried sev- eral youngsters in hopes that he can find one good man for the job and al- low Leary to resume duty as a catch- er. *Pipp, a graduate of the Interna- tional league, is being given a trial in New York, while Washington may find itself compelled to get a new man for the initial cushion should Gandil's health fail to improve. ‘Good first basemen are just as scarce in the National. If Miller Huggins can get the right man he will let Miller go back to second or short. McGraw wants a younger man to replace Fred Merkle, Moran is seeking a successor to Luderus, Fred Clarke may have to put Hans Wagner on first to replace Konetchy, who has jumped, and Cin- cinnati needs a man to fill Hoblitzel's shoes, Mollwitz having failed to do so. In fact, the only first basemen in the two big leagues who are peérfectly sat- isfactory to their 'managers are Mc- Innis of the Athletics, Hoblitzel of the Red Sox, Burns of the Tigers, Saler of the ' Cubs, Daubert of Brooklyn .and Schmidt of the Braves. WHAT MAKES SOME BATTERS ACT PECULIARLY AT PLATE|Eddie Plank Now Pitching ATTERS have thelr peculiar notions about taking their positions at bat, and most of them have some little odditles they indulge in just before stepping to the swat station. A few really believe that by going through a certain set of motions and imbecilic didos it will bring good luck. Others do it for effect, a grand stand play or for .their own amusement. However, the great batsmen of the game rarely indulge in any of this fancy' stuff either before or after getting to the plate. Sam Crawford, Lajole, Honus Wagner, Hopme Run Baker and a few others of our famous batsmen have a very busi- nesslike air about them when taking their position before the hurler. The fact they are there is sufficlent to worry any well balanced hurler. ‘Whitle Lewee, who used -to play with Kansas City, had a stunt he al- ways pulled off before hitting at a ball that reminded one of an Indian medicine man going through his mys- terious incantations, invoking ald from the fathers of the great waters. Just before his turn came to face the pitch- er Lewee would take his cap in his left hand, then, swinging it slowly around, would face the sun—that is, if it was visible—then walk slowly to the plate, step on it with both feet, care- fully turn around twice, step back and then strike. Ty Cobb makes a great fuss before going to the plate and generally creates a great fuss after reaching it. Ty swings an armful of bats for a real long time before he stalks to the plate, but he only uses one, although many hurlers imagine he still has the arm- ful by the way in which he lambasts the pill. Cobb has some very annoy- ing stunts, annoying to the pitchers, that he pulls off in between balls and strikes, whichever the case might be. He will pose 'as if ready for the on- slaught, then suddenly stoop down and grab a handful of dirt just as pitcher is about to pitch. ' Ty doesn't seem to worry whether the ball goes over the plate or not, for Cobb takes a strike about as meek as any man in the league. But he can afford to. Lefty Davis, formerly of Columbus, in the American association, is another player who goes through some mysti- tying motions. Lefty stalks to the plate, turns his back to the pitcher, all right before the: catcher, and proceeds to put a large quantity of tobacco juice on the trade mark of his walloping willow. After this performance Mr. Davis is ready for anything the pitch- er may have to offer, for Lefty is a hard man to fool, for he uses the spit- ter hitter. Both the famous Mike Kelly and the noted Arlie Latham are given credit for being the first players to take their bats -and draw a line indicating his position or where he would stand and dare the hurler to put the ball within a mile of it. Sometimes after drawing the line Latham would pull his cap over one eye, cross his legs and lean on his bat and chalienge the pitcher to stick three out of eight over (eight chances. those days), Cap Anson never sald much before coming to bat or when at bat, for he, like Cobb, had very little regard for balls or strikes, for he knew he could hit when he was ready. But after hitting, if the um- pire’s decision robbed him of what he thought was a safe drive or a decision at first went against him, then you would hear your Uncle Adrian roar a mile away. A great. many batsmen give their little exhibition after they are through batting or trying to bat. It is always amusing to watch a batsman after he takes three healthy swings at the ball and misses. Very few take it grace- fully or without a murmur. The poor manager has to sit on the bench and hear the alibis. POINTERS FOR GUIDANCE OF . ATHLETES WHO HAVE NO TRAINERS NEVER before in the history of track and fleld sports have so many of the younger generation been interested in athletic feats as at this time. The athletic season opening everywhere is heralded by the numerous requests for advice ‘about training for athletic events, and for the benefit of the many who are not fortunate enough to have the advice of competent trainers a few cinder path don’ts gathered from ex- perience are appended. Don’t run hard the first time out. If you are a sprinter prance up and down the course a few times; if a distance race, Tun about two-thirds your regu- lar distance at a very slow gait. Don’t attempt to live onja regular training diet. Wholesome home food is better for the athlete in training than a lot of.so called predigested stuff. Eat in_moderatfon. Don’t run in shoes that fit. poorly. . A running shoe should fit the foot so tightly as to cause slight pain at first wearing. It .will gradually stretch out tg the shape of he foot. ‘Never practice “beating the. gun.” 1y a fast starter has been spoiled in this way. You may get away with it a few, times, but in the long run it's a losing game, Besides, it is not 8 fair way to win a race. Training for the hurdles should con- sist of a few racing starts and dashfs over one or two hurdles at the most. The best timber toppers never go over the full course except in a race. Distance runners should not neglect speed work. The half miler should do his fast 220 yard runs, and the miler his brisk quarters twice a week at least. Speed is vital in both of these races. In training for the high jump a lad must try to cultivate “spring.” Do short sprints and practice running up to the bar, jumping well; three or four leaps are enough to keep your jump- ing form. If you go out and jump all the afternoon your muscles will lose their snap. Don't make races of your practice runs. This habit uses up too much vitality, thereby weakening the run- ner for the real race. This does not apply to sprinters, who gain much by practicing short dashes in company with each other. In the broad jump “hitting the take- off board” is the most important thing. Practice running up to it repeatedly without making the leap. From three to six jumps are plenty each time out. Gain speed by sprinting forty to sixty Ten minutes’ work each morning with a pair of light dumbbells will greatly aid in conditioning a runner's arms and do away with that awful “dead feeling” in the arms during s hard race. Don't bring your arms up until you are ready to sprint in the homestretch. Swing them as naturally and freely as possible until you are called upon to “fight” in the stretch; arms to work up your sprint for tho tape. The best time to train is in the aft- ernoon between 4 and 6 o'clock. Three times out and a race on Saturday is plenty of work for the average youth. When waliting for your event whether it be a run or a jump, keep your legs covered and protected from the wind. The least chill will stiffen the muscles and put ‘you out of the contest. HOBEY BAKER IS NOW TO TRY SWIMMING. HOBE’Y BAKER, 'the ex-Princeton athlete, who has established a rep- utation as a football and hockey play- er, will take up. swimming this summer angd represent the New York A. A jn the Picture shows Jennings Dovelop L HEAR Hughey Ji Harland Rush. the coach: “I've never met Rush, heard a lot about him, he has the right sort of stuff. | at first that Rush had never’ football, but I understand that —that is, he played in prep, s¢ on scrub teams at college. and baseball are alike in some 1 don’t think a man could ball well if he Bad never game, but I doubt if it is him to have played on & college team. “If be has the right kind of and is a good leader he ought Where a lot of these colleges mistake, it strikes me, is in men without sizing up their ability. They look for a played last season or fifteen perhaps, and think just c ? could get over the ground or throw all his opponents out of the he ought to be a good coach. “A baseball maniger and & coach have to know the game f to bottom and must have m of imparting that \ Bl and, in the bargain, mu 1 lot about human’ nattre,” Hd' to have the sort of a. will convince his boys that l- what he is doing and’ ! You can't get away from i is that type, I hear, and if ¢ at he certainly ought to make at Princeton. “The college boys, however, let him alone, There's the big ‘with lots of these football The boys never give a © to make good. If he oan- winning team he is all rigl he’s down and out, e “A coach, if he is the right should get a good lengthy . with the college he is going to; he will have to make good. sticks to his job Princeton h get out of its bad rut—that is, is the type they say he is.” WHY PITY THE UMPIRE GRATULATE THIS ONE. you ever hear of a league an umpire as a drawing Well, that's what happened to Ryan who used to guess them t American assoclation. Gerald play ball in the Texas m and made quite a rep. This season he's going back - Texas league as chief umpire at | highest salary the league ever because at a recent meesting of league magnates it was decided Gerald is well known among league fans and is well liked, would be an added attraction a8 drawing card. Can you beat that? B In His Old Time Fo then use the | P, Photo by American Press Assoclation. EDDIE PLANK. EDD!E PLANK, the veteran pitcher, who was cast aside by Connle Mack is now twirling great ball for the St. Louis Federals. Anxious to Bring Back the Davis Cu][‘ A. VAILE, author of “Modern Ten- nis,” “Modern Golf,” etc., is now on a visit to this country. Mr. Valle sprang into fame in London in 1908, when he boldly asserted that the form of the famous brothers R. F. and H. L. Doherty, who were at that time beat- ing the world, was wrong for anybody except themselves and would undoubt- edly land those who followed it in the “mud”—of tennis. How completely his prediction was verified is now ten- nis history. No player using the Eng- lish strokes has won the champion- ship at Wimbledon in ten years, and the championship of the world, as it is now called, has been held by New Zealand and Australia—Wilding 4 and Brookes 2—six times during that period and is now held by Brookes. Mr. Vaile declares that we have here the most wonderful young tennis play- in the warld. He connndu that R i America lost the Davis'cdp s be- cause United States tives were lacking in knowledge true form and of the technique of the game. It is hinted that he might place his own extraordinary knowledge of the game at the disposal of America and to this end would appear before our univer- sity, college or other-tennis clubs and lecture with practical examples of tl. strokes and sclence of the game. would undoubtedly miake for improvement in American tennis ers if Mr. Vaile could give these tures on the platform or m larly alongside the ‘and \fll could step from tb-ory demanstrate with force and value of what he has to say. Since Mr. Valle's arrival in this coun- A try he has been playing regularly af {the West Side Tennis club, NewgYork, of which club he is now a mem