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Show j ONE-BASE HITS I By Jack Simpson. Sliding Into First Base. The old habit of sliding Into first base to guln a close decision on an infield hit Is slowly but surely dying out. Most of the modern ball players were taught or schooled the Idea that this Is a pluy that passed out of existence ex-istence when the game became more speedy. There are two faults to find with this pluy that did more to cast It Into discard than anything else, First is the danger of a player becoming Injured In-jured by the spikes of the baseman. First base Is the only one that must be touched by the baseman In order that the runner be retired unless It Is a force play at some other base. The action around the base at so close a pluy Is fust and players nre not so careful of where they plant their spikes. If the ankle of a base runner and the shoe of a bnseman reach the base at the same time It Is very rarely that the runner will not receive an ugly spike wound thnt may put him on the hospital list for weeks. Besides the danger Involved there Is ti possibility that the throw may be wild. The runner hitting the dirt Is In no position to advance because he must regain his feet and get a standing stand-ing start nnd Is very often thrown out at second bnse by only a foot or so. The player who refuses to slide Into first base will be working at a dlsadvantnce over the one who slides, not only for the value he will be to the team In advancing an extra base on the overthrow but the fact that he Is cautious and refuses to let himself him-self open to Injury by making a useless use-less slide to the Initial sack. |