Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 123, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1911 — FEW AGREE ON CLOSE PLAYS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FEW AGREE ON CLOSE PLAYS

Always Division of Opinion Among Players Sitting on Bench— Scorer is Criticised. Ball players will always find objections to the scorer who sits in the press box. No matter whether that scorer has a sublime knowledge of baseball or whether he is just tackling the rudiments of the game, he’ll draw the criticism just the same. The player says the scorer knows less than nothing about the game, and the scorer, a bit more charitable, says the players know nothing about scoring, so there you are.

Truth of the matter is that few men will agree on a close play. There is always a divided opinion. Just to show how ball players themselves are unable to agree with one another, although they blame the scorers for not agreeing with them, take an incident one day this spring at Memphis. The Tigers had an off day and attended a game between the Cubs and Memphis teams. Cobb and Moriarlty were seated In the front row with score cards. Some of the things that happened: In the first inning a Cub batter lined the ball into left. The outfielder hesitate a fraction of a Second, after which he tore in after the ball. It hit his gloved hand about a foot above the ground. “Hit,” said Cobb, “That was an error,” judged Moriarty. “Why was it?” “He ought to have had It.” “Nothing of the kind, ‘Morrie.’ That ball was a bad one and low, and he only got one hand on It anyway.” “He didn’t judge It quick, did he? He misjudged It, and he had time to get both hands on it If he had started

right away; which he didn’t. It*s aq error with me.” ' "Well It goes as a hit here.” Two or three other plays came up during the afternoon, and in only one Instance did the two scorers agree. Every other close play brought a division In opinion.

Capt. Moriarity of Detroit.