Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 214, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 September 1914 — FEW PLAYERS FOLLOW KEELER’S ADVICE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FEW PLAYERS FOLLOW KEELER’S ADVICE

"Hit ’em where they ain’t,” said "Wee Willie” Keeler. Ambitious ball players have been, trying to do it ever since. As a matter of fact, they were trying to do it before “Willie” tipped them off to what they were trying to do."It’s just as simple as doing a "Brodie” over Niagara Falls and still feeling healthy and strong afterward. “Willie’* said it as if that’s all any batter has to know to cut into any pitcher’s pitching for about .400 worth. And to “Willie” it was just like reciting the alphabet But all batters are not Keelers. That’s why some pitchers draw big salaries. There are a lot of players who personally believe “Wilj|e” didn’t know -what he was talking about. They call themselves "hard luck hitters” (be-cause-fielders move out of their usual positions to play in the right spots to stonewall the near hits. They mumble something about "Hit ’em where they ain't, is all right enough, but there ain’t no such place. Just as a fellow thinks he’s picked an opening big enough for a baseball to slide through without having the trade mark rubbed off, some fielder pulls a ’bone,' leaves his position and is just lucky enough to wander in front of the ball.”

Most of these players are "lucked* out of the big leagues. But in at least one instance some of these disgruntled batters are right The four young men who do business for “Connie" Mack on his lawn are as near to being a net without being a net as anything or things could be. There seems to be only one kind of a hit they cannot stop—something going so fast they cannot see it ' That Infield has won two pennants for him in the last three years, and is guiding the Athletics along the straight and narrow path again. Last season Mack’s pitching staff was anything but a championship contrivance. Yet the young pitchers could be pounded for various quantities of runs and the games still be saved, because Baker; Barry, Collins and Mclnnis took it upon themselves to manufacture more runs than the other fellows could. , It is up to the infield to pull the club through to the top if it -is to mingle in another world series next autumn. It makes no difference what the tally sheet shows, Baker, Barry, Collink and Mclnnis are always on the job, looking for something to keep them busy. And they cap be depended upon to find it

"Stuffy” Mclnnis of Champion Athletics.