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Show Charge Ste&ls to Pitchers, Not Catchers j 73ASE runners do not steal bases on H the catcher That's tho contention K of several big league catchers They H aru backed up In this statement by B Barney Pclty, a pltchor. now of tho H Washington Americans H Whenever a baxa runner steals, with HI ' a feu exceptions. It is tho fault of the Hj pltchor Tho pitcher generally glvcB Hi ' the runner such u large lead that no HI catcher, no matter how good tho peg, H ' has a chnnco of nailing his man. Hj Fur uxnmpli take tho Giants They HI stole more bases than any club In Hi cither league last season, but look what Hi happened to them In the world's series, HI Most people picked tho National lea- H gucrs to beat the Americans on this HI one thing alone With such pltchors aa Hi Bender. Plank nnd Coombs, who keep Hi the runners glued to tho baes, they It have llitlu chance, Tho Giants, It will I ' be remembered, stole Just four bases in tho world'o series. There was one game last season In St Louis where these sarao Giants stole fourteen bases on Bliss and Win-go Win-go of tho St Louis Cardinals. People blamed tho catcher for not cutting down the runners, but It was not his fault; It was the man In the middle who was at fault Then there was a game In New York last season In which tho St Louis Browns participated. When the game was over New York had something like eighteen runs and a like number of stolen bases to Its credit This all came about becauso tho pitcher eavu tho runner too much of a lead. TIiIh Is tho contention of a catcher as well as a pitcher, and they ought to know "No man can run down to second sec-ond as fast as a catcher can throw to tho middle cushion Is the way Pelty puts It "and no matter how good a peg the catcher makes, he has no chance to get the runner If ho Is halfway down to second before the pitcher lets go of the bait "Of course thero are some exceptions to this rule. Take, for Instance, an Inexperienced In-experienced catcher, who falls to get the ball away quickly or makes a bad peg to the bag In this case It could hardly bo charged to the pitcher." |