Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 85, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 April 1913 — CHASE IS VERSATILE PLAYER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CHASE IS VERSATILE PLAYER

Maqk Says Npw Yorker Can Play Any Position on Diamond, With Exception of Battery. It is not at all surprising that there should be a big difference of opinion among all players and wise baseball managers as to whether a left hander can play second base. The debate has been going on for some time. In fact, since Hal Chase expressed his desire to play that bag, and now that Chance has said that he is going to put Chase on second base if he can get in the game, and he says he will, the debate has become all the warmer. Connie Mack, Willie Keeler, Clark Griffith and mapy other ball players declare that Chase will have no trou-

ble in playing that sack, while there are some who were of the opinion that a second baseman could not make the plays which came around tnat cushion if he bad to throw with his left hand. “I think Hal Chase can play any position on the diamond with the exceptipn of the battery work," says Connie Mack, manager of the Athletes. •"The reason he will be able to play second base is that he is the quickest

man with his hands I have seen on the ball field in my time. He may be a trifle weak in that position, but then, again, he wjll make some plays down there that a right hander can not make. ‘T think that he would be much better than some of the right handed second basemen we have in the game right now. I saw him play that bag in Philadelphia, and my players said that they thought he could play anything on the ball lot. There have not been many men who have made a success of playing the infield who have been left handers. But then, again, there have been exceptions. I think Chase is one of them. He will shift with the players, and I think he can touch base runners. “If Chance finds that he can play there is-no doubt in my mind that he will have another good Infielder and will not have to worry about his second base trouble. Chance could not go through the country and pick up a man who could play as well as Chase at second base, could be? If Chance finds that he cannot, play, why Chase could do just as well in the outfield, but 1 look for him the regular second-sacker."

Hal Chase.