Show THINKS THIRD IS EASY TO PLAY PUY Charlie Hickman Says This Sacker Has Snap Catch Catchers Catchers ers Job Is Hardest Macon Jaco Ga April Charley Hick Hickman hickman man h has s played every position on the diamond and he says that next to the outfield third base is the easiest The catcher has to do the most work says as Happy lappy Hick luck The pitcher runs rU l him a close clo c second The first baseman and shortstop have hac about the same samo amount of playing to do and should al almost almost almost most work as one man But the third baseman has a snap in a way wa compared with the other Infielders and battery In the old days the first baseman must have had a picnic From what I have heard henri and read road up to the time that Char Charley CharIe Icy ley Ie Comiskey kc became a famous player the first baseman did not cover covel mue muc ground round They The were up to catch the ball when it was thrown to them and anO an to grab what grounders they the could and beat the runners to first with the ball When hen hena a player pl yer got too slow for any other po position position position on the team or when ihen his arm went back on him they the would still think him good enough for first base bae providing that he was as a rood od sticker First Baseman Must Be Quick k But now a first baseman must be he as quick fJ as any an other of ot the infielders II lie has haj ha got to be able to play pia bunts just juit like a third baseman but where a third baseman in handling bunts rarely throws anywhere except to first base the first sack r In making a pick up u has all three bases to watch on many man occasions He may ma have to shoot it to third or second or again he may ma have hae to turn around and toss It to either the pitcher or second baseman whichever one is covering first Irs The first baseman has to be on the watch for snap throws from pitcher and ami catcher atcher he must have an understanding with the t pitcher her on fielding bunts anti ami grounders between them and in addition he ho Is to cover more ground than he used to and to catch every thrown ball that comes within ten feet of him Hickman Has Caught Hickman has never caught a profession professional al game of ball bail but was the regular catcher for the University of ot West Vir Virginia Virginia Virginia ginia team prior to going to Newcastle as a j Boston used him as ax a pitch pitcher er and outfielder out and he pitched one game for that club In the Temple cup series against Baltimore losing It by the score of 12 I to 11 II Then he went vent to the Giants and actually played in every po position position position on oil the th team except behind the bat batin batin batin in a single year He was at short for nearly three months and George Davis who was managing the team at ut that time wanted him to catch also but Happy declined with thanks While with Cleveland he played every everywhere ever everywhere where but behind the bat short and cen ecu center center ter field He played neaily neally all the po positions positions positions for Washington but did his best work at third base when Lave Cosa C was hurt That Is ia when Hick made up his hl mind that third was as such an easy place to fill He says that ho he did not aver average average average age over one error a week and claims claim that he lie did not shirk any difficult ones at that thaL George G orge Stovall also thinks that third is the easiest and first the most difficult of all the infield positions to play pIa and George ought to know for he had hail been all the way around the infield and bac again |