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fl§ MBS m Manager Bucky Harris isn't crossing his heart and hoping to die. He's giving a signal to Coach George Myatt at third base. What it means is a top-secret of Nats. Baseball’s Secret Language By Burton Hawkins GEORGE MYATT belly-flops Myatt tugs at his belt, touches his cap. WHENalong the third-base line, he isn’t wipes a hand on his leg, walks toward trying to add color to the contest. The the batter in the coach’s box, rubs his Nats’ coach has a penetrating voice fingers across thO “W” on his uniform which could be heard in the suburbs and shouts, “Come on, boy, give it a without benefit of an ear aid, but he ride.” learned long ago not to rely on it. When One of those signals is the key. When Myatt is hugging the turf, the Nat George touches his cap, that could be heading for third base knows the play the sign—or it could be a sign for the will be close—that Myatt is ordering batter to take the third action he makes him to slide. after touching his cap and act accord- Myatt’s maneuver is the direct result ingly. In other words, there are signs sign WtAVO OTADKItXS \ of a lost game. “I was managing Chat- which indicate the real is about to tanooga and coaching at third,” he be flashed. explains. “We had the tying run on One set of signals might be the same first base and the batter hit a single. for the first and fifth batters, the The runner on first hot-footed it for second and sixth, the third and seventh third and I could see it was going to and the fourth and eighth, with a sep- be close. arate set for pitchers. There may be “I motioned the runner to slide and a set of signs for right-hand hitters, yelled ‘Slide,’ too, but I had my hands another set for left-hand batters. extended over my head and was bend- There may be a series of signs for in- ing from the waist in a sort of ‘praise fielders and a different series for out- Allah’ routine. The runner caught me fielders. The possibilities are numerous. on the upbeat, when my hands were By “switching”—there’s a sign given raised toward heaven. He thought it to indicate the switch—a “hit”sign on was a signal to stay up. He was tagged one pitch may be a “take” sign on the out and we lost a game we should have next. If the batter is uncertain he’ll won. I decided that would never hap- step out of the box or give a “rub off" pen again, so I hit the dirt myself now.” sign and the coach starts all over.' That sign given by Myatt is evident There are many times when a batter to all the Nats’ followers, but in the is on his own. Myatt may give “signs" SUNNY STEPS course of a game he’ll give 70 to 100 throughout an inning without intending other signs which aren’t detected by any of them to mean anything. The fans. More important, they aren’t following inning, under a contrasting detected by the opposition. * set of circumstances, he may give a He’ll get a sign from Manager Bucky signal before every pitch and the batter Harris—Bucky sometimes gives ’em by wfio doesn’t heed him is defying the scratching an eyebrow or a leg. But manager’s orders and asking for a fine. sometimes, too, Bucky will scratch The catcher has signs with each in- merely because he itches. A slight fielder. If the first baseman thinks a movement by Harris may relay strategy runner is taking too much of a lead to Myatt which will determine out- off first, he signals for a “pickoff" at- AT BETTER SHOE AND DEPARTMENT STORES come of a game. Then, again, a slight tempt to the catcher, who in turn movement by Bucky may mean abso- signals the pitcher for a “pitchout”— lutely nothing. • a ball so wide of the plate that the 0 UNITED STATES RUBBER COMPANY Harris, for instance, may wish the batter can’t get his bat on it and foul .batter to '“take" the next pitch. He .the attempt. flicks an imaginary fly off his left ear. The second baseman and shortstop PAGE 6 —THE WASHINGTON STAB PICTORIAL MAGAZINE. APRIL SO. l».Vi