Hide Article Text (OCR)
Leader of the New Yorks Also Says the One Best Bet Is That His Team Will Remain There—Base Running the Big Factor. BY W. A. PHELON. “When you are way out in front,” says John McGraw, manager of the Giants, “and you happen to lose two or three games, an alarm is sounded, and everybody cries ‘Slumped!’ A de feat looks so much larger when you are a leader than when you are back in the ruck, that’s all. Why shouldn't we fall down now and then? If we won all the time, what sort of a farce s would the season be? There are seven pretty good ball clubs for us to beat, and we're not counting on beating all of them all of the time. As to the finish—well, why shouldn't we be con fident? Out this far ahead, season more than half over, men in good con dition, everything going all right— what's to stop us, now? I should worry! “I’ve got the boys playing, the hit and run, the run and hit, the lay ‘em down, and every other kind of game that seems to fit each particular code. Seems to win, too, doesn't it? Nothing to be gained by this idea of limiting yourself to one system or one form of attack. Put them all in use. Situa tions continually arise, where every style of game will be of use—so why not use them? “We are credited with an immense number of stolen bases—nearly twice as many as even this team used to have at this time of the year. The re sult speaks for itself in the runs we've scored. How do we get so many steals? Partly on speed, of course, but very largely because the batsmen try to show plain common sense in behalf of the base-runners. There are several teams in this league that think a base runner should never go down the line without the batsman cracking at the ball. Soon as a base-runner is off, no matter how big his lead, bang goes the bat. Helps the man to go clear to third? Like ducks it does. Maybe he’s caught on a double play; maybe he has just time to scuttle back to first on a pop fly; only once in a great while can he get any farther than second. “The hit and run is all right, and we play it often—but we try to insert it at the proper time If one of our fast men has a big lead on the pitcher, and anybody can see that he already has the base stolen, our batsmen have brains enough to let him alone and let him have his steal. Then you have several other chances to hit, and the man on second won't have so far to travel on ‘your drive. “We have some 100 runs more than any other club. How many of the extra runs were gained by extra stolen bases? Probably three-quarters. That’s the answer! “Understand, I don't bark right out and say: ‘That flag is cinched ‘and you can send in your world’s series or ders.’ Nothing is sure in baseball. Still, we look pretty safe, ‘don't we? Look like the one best bet, yea? Well, I should worry!
Newspaper Details
Cincinnati Times Star
Cincinnati, Ohio, US
Mon, Jul 22, 1912
Page 10
Full Page
Clipped by
Dan L.
