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Show SHIFT IN TACTICS WINS FOR PIRATES When Sacrifice Was Logical Play Glenn Wright Hits Out Homer. When the Giants were In Pittsburgh recently, the Pirates beat them in a ten-inning game in a manner which was such a change in tactics from what would have been pursued with the then subdued ball that it made veteran vet-eran players wonder. 'Twas tactics revolutionary. The Giants made two runs in the j tenth and led 11 to 9. Nehf passed the first Pirate up in the eleventh and he scored on a hit by Barnhart. Trny-nor Trny-nor made an infield hit, putting men on first and second with none out. One run was needed to tie, two to win, Wright was up. What would be the orthodox, natural and rational thing to do? To sacrifice, of course, and advance the tying run to third base and the winning run to second. Then a hit would win the game. Wright never made an effort to bunt. No bunt was ordered. The way he sacrificed was to take a toe hold and drive the ball into the right field stand for a home run. Effective beyond be-yond the question of a doubt, beautifully beauti-fully elemental and effective, better than all the finesse in the world the way it worked out. Even in these hit 'er out days of the lively ball it was a departure from tactics approved by the soundest baseball base-ball minds from time immemorial. Can it be that the ball this year Is so virile that the slam-bang course gives percentage over science? |