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Show ; Babe Hollocher, Former Coaster, Major Star be able to bat after roarifng so :r.ucii about myself, and look how I found the combination. "There is a big; reward In baseball and the major league magnates always are looking for promising youngsters. Give yourself a fnir ti -a!. It. isn't such a difficult art that it cannot be mastered.. I was a sem'.pro leacuer. lust a kid tosser, a couple of years aco." Hollocher has a s;y.e ail his own !:i smothering liners and bounders. lie stands hunched -up and stoop-shouldered when in position. When running for a ball he runs low. with head down and actually seems to ski in over the infield. He has oonie in fast on siov. grounders, snatched them ana pegged to f:rs: while both feet were in the air. He takes even- chance imaginable when fielding and this accounts for the size of his error column. Hollocher was born in St. Ixutis, June II, IS'Jl. a nd is just over the i'2-year mark. Playing semlpro ball In 191?, his friends urged the St. Louis clubs to give him a trial, but the scouts who looked at him said : "What, a midget like that? No!" In the Pacific Coast league in IP" T he had a batting average of ,27t for 200 games and he was away below Morris Rath, who batted .341 ; Johnrtv Tobm. .331: Art Griggs, .311; Charley Pick, .302: Hannah, .292. Rath. Tobin, rick and Hannah graduated. like Hollocher. but without developing Into .300 major league hitters. (Copyright, bv Sid C. Keener, 1PW.) DO DREAMS come true? ir--ars roll in wealth while they are snor-ir.s". They come out of their Kip Van Winkle fpe:l. rub their eyes and find thnisc-'.ves wrapped in straw in a shed instead of sitting in the golden chair in a palace. The Chi-cairo Chi-cairo Cubs trailed yhonst'jpperp fr.r vcars 1 after Joe Tinker tironped out from the fa mo us championship nmciiine. Ti-.ev hauled in one recruit after armther. paid fancy prices for the j.jek of th-- minor l-'-apue field, but without finuii;g their phf nom. P.ruliing through the entire fit-id but one favorable candidate remained. He was Charley J. Holl-icher, bounding youngster with a good arm, who hopned on a bounder liko a tiger, snapped the bail around the ini'i'.-ld and made throws on the run from any position. Minor ieaguers saw Hollocher as another an-other fielding sensation. Ho came out of the Pacific Coast league after the lf'17 season, but the Pacific Coast league had sent up many fielding fiends before Hollocher. Hol-locher. They could field, but to become a major leaguer batting must be added to fielding. With the Cubs featuring in winter publicity pub-licity the name of Charley Hollocher was flashed around the baseball circuit. "The pick of the west," they said. Manager McCredie ehiimed he was far superior to Dave Bancroft, Roy Covha n, Ivan Ulson, Roger I'eckinpaugh, Zcb Terry and other Coast league graduates as a shorts topper, top-per, as a fielder, No one questioned Hol-locher's Hol-locher's fielding ability the minor league magnates nor the major league scouts. A big question u.irk followed when they said, "Will ho hit?" He was still in his teens when he w.-s with P'ortland, he was in the midget class, about 5 feet 7 inches, weight 1-15 ' 1 1 1 - . - s 1 ! V ' 'vl l ' " - v I , ' i f Basrbnll's prize the world's series is not shared by all stars. Such I; distinguished athletes as Napoleon Lajoie and Walter Johnson have not been ;! on a pennant club. Charley Hollocher was known as a " jirass-eater, " slan I for corner-lot player, in St. Louis three years ago. After a course of two ; years in tlie minors he played in a world's series. 1 ? Hollocher never would make a bi league hitter, so they said when he ! S repoi'ted to the Chicago Cubs in the spring of .1918. "He'll never hit!" ; c iust burned in his ears. Scribes waited for his release because " he couldn 't '! hit." s How did Hollocher develop into a ,31fi hitter for the Cubs last season? ', "I had a dream one night," relates Hollocher. "I couldn't get batting off my mind, because all I read was: 'Hollocher great fielder, but weaK ly.tter. ' In a dream I changed my stride at the plate and used a two-step ; tjnvard the ball. I hit two home runs in that dream." I Hollocher told Hanager jMitchell about that dream. He tried a new ; ) batting pose a double step at the plate. That's how he became a .300 hitter in the National league. i He Vocame a ball player because a bully on his high school team tried to run him off the club. . ; pounds, and did not carry the appearance of a fence buster at the plate. There was a short, choppy swing at ihe plate, one forward step to meet the ball and anything but the type of a swatter to the fences. Offered in Trade. But the Cubs were looking for batters terrific batters, and they bid for Roger Hornsby during the winter season before the 1!U8 campaign opened. They went high for Hornsby up to $50,000. with four players to boot. Hollocher was one offered of-fered to the St. Louis club. Their advance ad-vance information on Hollocher he could field but he wouldn't hit his weight caused them to bid for a shortstop who could hit in the .300 class. The columns of the Chicago sport pages were filled with the necessity of a fence-busting shortstop for 1U IS before the Cubs would be in the pennant class, even after purchasing pur-chasing Alexander and Kiilefer from the Phillies. A hitter, a hitter, a hitter, for short they cried foi The Cubs were on the spring training trip. The St. Louis Cardinals refused the .offer from Chicago. Why should they give up Hornsby, who batted .'621, for Hollocner, a minor leaguer who only batted .276 in the Pacific Coast league? Day after day Hollocher read about himself a brilliant little fielder, but that's a-U. It was in front of his eyes continually hit, hit, hit! Do dreams come true? Hollocher had a dream. In this dream he hit two over the right-field fence for the Cubs with the new position at the plate. As a high school player, minor leaguer and in his major league trial he used one forward step in going in for the ball. ln his dream he added a step, stood on the rear chaFk line of the batter's box and then moved in with two steps. He put two out of the lot in the dream. The news was carried to Manager Mitchell and the new batting position was tried out. Tw,o line drives to right field sailed off the bat in the first game. Where pop fl.ies were sent up with the one step Hollocher was delivering whistling whis-tling liners to the outfield, he was hitting aga.nst the fences, he was driving out sizzling singles, doubles and triples. Played in Every Game. The 1918 season opened with Hollocher at short. In the first game against St. Louis, Hollocher poled a single and a double. In the second game he counted a single and a triple. From then on he hit hit m the pinch, drove in winning runs and finished the season in fourth place in the batting averages. He averaged aver-aged .31 'i for thirty-one Karnes,, had twentv-throe doubles, six triples and two home runs, while Hornsby, who was wanted bv the Cubs, averaged !. Hollocher in his first year as a major leaguer plaved every game with the cubs. He became such a sharp batter that ho was dropped from the lead-off position posi-tion to second place, the position fir thfi hit-and-run bailer. H( fm.shed ahead of such famous drivers driv-ers as Bonnv Kauff, Jake l:nibert. FrM M'Tklc. George Burns, Kog Tlornsby. Cy Willmms. Max Carey, Heine Zimmerman, J ,n rrv I ovle, r. nd others lb is kid who wouldn't be a .20 hitter in the majors. And all because he followed the tip in a drrmn. Hollocher is what they call a "grnss-eriifr-" a product of the rornr-r biisbH'l lns m St. Louis ihe same corner where T.cftv Lcil.eld, Arthur Hifmnn, Max Cnrev Jnhm.y Tobin. Muddy Ruel, Kay S.-hm.md; ami oihor St. Luuis players in the bur Ipntruo received their e;irly ti;un-intr. ti;un-intr. To hop from corner lots to a world's periea m three yenrs is quite a jump. K Hollo. -her could make Mich a leap, why not f'iner voungsters who are "n hi-:h school te;i ms and in amateur leagues? Hodocher's suggestions. which follow, nutv help: "I wasn't forced into hnsebj-r- not ex-qr-"v b-, .'iii. I played in the allcvs when Die officers on the beat ch.'isrd us of! the iots. hut a buiiy at school f.-r'd me l r i re ii-a n m the game. A nd Maua v-r V't'mH! was the r.pr- who tnneht me how I to piav it. That dream wan he funni'-st : tldc I know r.f r-d if I im-! in a world's i serifs fa-am I'd bke to if-.-' an ins'.de tip : ..n how tn bit home runs with evei y j sv:ng. i Aimed to Win Regular Job. j "I.:le t housarrts ai.d :ho-i.nds of i .-.-irr M r-rp. I p:av.-d w: h k:d t-m :- Tr.-t,T - u a third b-i s"::a n. Tn my '.im : .-.-: r -' hit::: s.-h'-"' W': had a f:Oel; of Hi-I Hi-I f-e'drs. Two bit; fe'.'.'.-VS pieked o it I third bae a:d o;;e b;p fe,io-,v -s lb" one ; t'nank f--r pn;:::,g rn"- in th- pan.'-. i vh-i "r I w.-rt to rh;rd ba.-p h p. :-'. d ; jt. e aside and pick el t c ro:; :i'J ers. j ': ,; v.e..: nr. I'-r .'-v r;n v."--cki-. w:h the I bi;,.v p, .m p.. I "f i-.-'ked at h':n and T knew :ha?. re ; w':! I"- lb- b- '-er f.L-b:-r, "tv:t i fi"--; r-i'b" d t o h-a t h ir.-j r.-;:. ;m a ha .( y-r. I dair.'f about --! - .--ba ". f:-.r---r r To cA'-haT -'.T-i-la,'- fro-', ,:'v ; hi- h- )'"' fr: r.O. I ;,r;.e- .-. ,;i:C ;ams rn.inai.-er i.:1' at n.y r;vai and myself for a week I won the regular job. "The game ail ractett me and 1 kept at it, playing scmipro ball In St. Louis. I couldn't see where I was much better than other infieiders in the league unless 1 had an edge on them in getting the ball away in a hurry. Playing with Keokuk ln the Central association, Garnett Bush, an umpire from St. Louis, took a fancy to me, liked the way 1 fielded, and I think pasted out the first important tip on me. He told Walter McCredie about me, and I was ordered to report to Portland in the spring of 1916. "Traveling to tho coast I contracted a sore arm, and I knew that I wouldn't last long in that league. I played a few games and was released to the Rock Island club of the Three-1 league. Close to Missouri again 1 felt more at home, and with this chance of getting- In a fast league I never overlooked an opportunity to get plenty of practice. 'Playing shortstop simply is a question of watching jour batters. "This was drilled into me by Manager Mitchell, who gave me many important points about tho big leaguers when I joined the Cubs a year ago. "Some youngsters may believe Jt Is easier to play on high school teams than in the major leagues. I don't think so. "Tho high school player does not receive re-ceive the careful training the youngster gets in the big league. .Such a thing as coming in close for a left-handed batter who is fast and moving around for different differ-ent batters ts not found on the corner lots. "Tho amateur player, as I remember, thinks more about his batting than his fielding especially Infieiders. He can't wait until the inning is closed and it Is his turn to bat. He forgets entirely about plays in front of him. If you will profit by my experience you may get up before 1 did. Think out plays in advance. Waits for Swing. "When you find runners on first and third and you expect the other team to try the double steal, figure what you're going to do whether you want to play for the one going to second on a long throw or make it a short throw. See that the entire infield, the pitcher and the catcher, understand what is going to be played. "The hit and run play is another to he watched closely. You will fall In the trap frequently of moving over to second with the batter putting t he ball through the spot you have vacated, but when I see the runner coming down to second I wait for some action at the plate. "You don't have to be standing on second sec-ond base wa iting fur the runner to get him. You can get over there after the batter has missed tho pitch and get the throw from the catcher In time to atop your runner. "The hit a nd run play is one of the most important in baseball, and the shortstop short-stop can rni i ke or brea k it frequently. "On grounders do not hold the bah too long. "1 like the underha nd throw and developed de-veloped it because It is possible to throw from almost any angle. "The intielder with an overhand toss has to straighten and frequently lie loses hi;; man when he has to waste this time to get In a throwing position. "They say the good team wing the clof-e gam-s, the 1 to n. 2 to 1 and :i to 0 name.-;. The piteher get the credit for pitching- such games, and k!v? the pitcher pitch-er all the ere-lit coming to hi in, hut don't forget t hat the doff-use plays an ; important part in winning the el""-sanies. el""-sanies. What do they say about the ifoslon R'-d Sox? 'A hard club to seorb j on !' We found that out In our world's 1 series. "They had ex'-cllent pitching, bM don't former that their fielders study every hatter hat-ter closely. "Tii ere is nothing mysterious about In-sid'' In-sid'' ha Kf ha M. In Side !.a-eh:i ; nier-lv if studying baseball on the inside, and nooliH I of it were taught me by Manager Mitchell la.-t season. " I : j : i ir Into the big h-ague reminds m of I '-a ming to driv. -,. n a u to mobile. You're .a f raid to take the wr" el. You're af:aid to put your foot on the ga and you don't l:i;o-.v how to go a .out it. A'er you've ma.-1 erM th poir.rn you woi;it a yourejf wny it took you ho 1 .ng to b-ain. Confidence, Is Advice. "Tha J "y my i P-a of br'-a king into the big . '"oire- w:rh ' -ii f jdenco. 1 'on't ,'- af.-ai'j. Ta'-y m-- u? v.-.me rjien as 1. do .n tbe minors. p,- free -.vita yo:;r.-'-;f. ar d if you ' ould j-'eal jnto the ni :.o:s. don't be afraid of tr ,ng to aia.-in'o aia.-in'o i ,v ma ':ors. "ii'-j bell,.-.-, j E'dder bv the s-T;d" arid the ma '.:; of the hatter. 1 I dV-' o ': ed thai yo'i don't have to put f-.i-T : l a .; out of the in! to g't a ha r. : ' . ( m 'be h i ' - a ;! - ru n piav I pra c-tyed c-tyed I '-k:r i 1 n-rs to t a h-fr f-ld in-.'''.v in-.'''.v or s-.'.-,; r;i,g trro mo-TP out to rignt I f.- h. If vo ; '-tri '"it t.'iern along the j f-i.i l:r,-. ; o- I ha-'- yo.ir rmr,r on i :h- I ba:. a;,d a gro-;r i ' ' 'T U short or ! "! -if f -I e!,,s--',y, should I ; .r. r-a - --. V'"r j , '.;: up t oo short, I rr. v i ': '' )':' g. rn a v :e the bat doe 1 n't 1 f.!.' I was -onvlr.ee, that T wouldn't |
