Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-08-31 | Page 28 | Third Base Job Less Difficult

THIRD BlUfB1 LESSKICIILT Hot Corner Now Second in Importance to Keystone Position. By I. E. SANBORN. (Chicago Tribune.) They used to call third base tho torch' spot on tho infield fifteen or twenty vuara rko, barring the pitcher's job, of 'course And that reminds us that a lot of (oiks forget tho slabmau is an Infielder as well as a pitcher. . Once a week or so all summer lonp; thu ' inquisitive fan conies to hat with a ' problem." He wants to know why aii I umpire permitted the other team u .(! ; its pitcher into the outfield in the third i inning, lor instance, and then put him 1 back on the slab in the eighth, tor In stance. There is no more reason why a man- ager should not do that than there Is why ! a pitcher cannot field a bunt or cover : first base. The Instant he steps off th.it slab he is mi Infielder and subject to alii the rules governing inf ieldera, and 1 ),0 covers first base for an out there Is no ) reason why he cannot resume his job as pitcher, any more than if he had filled ' in as right fielder for an inning or 80. Third Base Not So Hard. No player is out of the game as long rS ho stays in it, and the manager has tho : right to post players anywhere he pleases on fair ground, tho catcher being tho only ' man who can stanrl on foul territory when the ball is pitched. Getting hack to third base, there used -to be a general belief it was the hardest 1 position to play because the hottest. Hut conditions have changed in recent years and the development of team play has : made the last sack on the trianRle the : easiest except in purely mechanical plays 1 It is true the hits come to the third base- : man faster than to any other infielder except the pitcher, but it is also true that the third baseman has little else to : think about except the hits that come to ' him. : Gets It or Misses It. ) Tho balls either come so fast that tho player has to make a stab at them or they come so slow he has to make a run-nlng run-nlng pickup and throw, provided tlie : pitcher doesn't beat him to it. When : a batsman hits to third, as a rule the fielder sticks down one or two hands, according to the speed of the hit. If he comes up with the ball it is an easy -throw to third, and if he doesn't it Is a ; base hit. The throw from third is shorter ' than the average throw from shortstop ; to first, because the third baseman stands" closer to the plate. A Jot of the spectacular infield plays1 are made by third basemen because it' often is a blind stab on a fast hit. but' the hard task on the infield Is guarding' the keystone sack, either at short or second sec-ond base. In the matter of brains, liie second baseman probably has the harder-' task of the two. At least one usually' , sees the veterans and quick thinkers stick' around second base after they have j slowed down with the advance of years. Many Things to Think About. At' either short or second base there are a lot of things to think of besides what comes from the batsman. If there are runners on the bags the keystone job is, manifold. With a man on first the two. 1 keystone men have to watch the catch-, er's signs to know which Is to cover second in case of a steal. Many folks believe the two players " settle that between themselves, but hi" i modern baseball the catcher's sign gov-i : ems it. A fast ball pitched by a right- 1 handed pitcher to a right-handed bats-: man means the shortstop will take a throw to second. A fast ball pitched by-a by-a right-hander to a left-handed batsman -means the second baseman will cover-second cover-second if a throw comes there. Curve-balls Curve-balls and left-handed pitchers reverse " the system. Key to Home Defense. So anyone can see the shortstops and;, second, basemen have to keep their eyes. open. The third baseman doesn't care; what is pitched or whether the man at-! at-! bat is right or left-handed. He merely keeps his eyes peeled for an attempt at a bunt, and if the ball is hit his way he-gets he-gets it if he can. In the matter of double plays, the two keystone men can make or unmake a de- . fense. Speed is the solution of a double, play, and the shortstop or second base-; man must be able to handle a fast throw; at extremelv short range at times, so as to enable him to relay the ball to first , ahead of the man who hit It. The third; baseman has none of that stuff to worry ; about. The shortest throw he has to handle is from the pitcher occasionally And his double plays are almost always made by the long throw route via second : base.