Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 204, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 August 1915 — COMISKEY IS PRAISED [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COMISKEY IS PRAISED

inventor of Means of Defense That Shocked Old-Timers. •* . Owner of Chicago Whits Sox Taught Pitchers and Second Basemen to Be Ready to Cover First Base —Tactics Now Used. If we look back a few years, says a St Louis baseball scribe, we will agree that no department of the game has changed like the playing of first base unless possibly it is the pitching. There was a time In baseball when hitting superseded everything else in connection with playing the game. A heavy hitter was the first player selected. It did not matter much if he could handle grounders or catch a fly, if he could only do execution with a hickory Btick he was "the best boy wanted” and considered the best player In the bunch. Roger Connor, Captain Anson, Dan Brouthere, Dave Orr, A 1 McKinnon and John Morrill were all sluggers of the old school and were hired for their ability to hit the ball. Fielding was made a second consideration. A first baseman was simply expected to catch what balls were thrown Into his hands, but as to the idea of his covering ground around first base, that was not considered at all. If the jball was not thrown directly into hiß hands the other fellow got the error. He was needed to make home runs and in a number 6t other ways make

himself useful by knocking the cover off the ball. As for running bases, that was not to be thought of. To see a first baseman steal a base caused the most utter surprise and the fact was commented on for many moons. As the game progressed, it was seen that the fielding had about as much to do with winning games as batting. Charles Comiskey showed this to perfection while a member of the Browns. He began to play deep and teach both his pitchers and second baßeman to be ready to cover first. It was an every day sight to see a pitcher, be it Caruthers, Foltz, King or Hudson, taking the throw from Comiskey on the bags; the same can be said of Yankee Robinson, the second baseman. I have at this day and age yet to see the team work pulled off like the old Browns had working for hits toward right field. As the pitching improved in skill, batting deteriorated and fielding came to the front.

President Charies Comiskey.