Volume 7: Stories, 1871-1880 earneat any position. Peu.rce, or the Atlantica, Is an efll!otive oatoller for a abort man and has excelled. we eaw blm oatcb behind Creighton tn handsome style. Be IS especially keen In watching points. Dlcli: wUI play 1118 old position at sllort 11eld tn the Atllr.ntlc nine tbts Eeason. Here lie IS at home. E. Wbite, or the Forest City nine, or Oleveland, played In several games dnrJ.Dg 1810 as catcher, ·ana played well too. He~ tn fact, I! a verrpromlslog player fn the posi­ tion, ana mali:es an exoeuent change ca:cher now. Tile following are the batting averages ot 11rst base hits or the catchers or 1870, as tar as published:- 1' /ayerr. Club. .A•. Ptaverr. Club. .A#. THE PROFESSIONALS OF 1870. Pe•rce ••• AIIanllc •• •• ••••. •• (~ IAllison . C!nclnnall . •• . .••. '1-te 8. King ..Chicago •.••.•...•. IHIO E Whlle.For. 0111, Olevel'd.Z-63 REVIEW llrO 2. Hodea . ..•Chicago •• . , •.•. 9-H McGeary. Haymakers. ••••••• 2-28 collttnulng our review of the aatchers of 1870, we 11nd HeVey . •• Claclnnall ........ 9-J"I Hlcko .. Star •. .••• .........2-07 next on our ust of noted playere the name or David Bird· Malone . • Alhlellc .•••.••••• s-:16 0. Illlila . •:Mutual.. •. ,, ., •• 2-03 Fergw&'n.AUantlc . , ••.•••.. S-U51 Craver ... Haymakers ....•..2-{JO 11811 of ~he Unions, a model player In the position lor Rasi.lnga.For. Oily, Roctt'1rd.ll-ll8 Ewell .. Olymplc,Wash'lon.l~ tnVhiclble pluck. We never saw a catcher alnoe tb_e daye J. Whi!.B..For. Oily, Olevel'd.S-00 ot loe Leggett whG could tali:e p1;1nlsbment wltb the cour­ The etller catchers referred to have JIG\. had their aver- apous endurance of Birdsall. In Paborbe had a wild hiS movenlents and erratic pitcher, when Oharley put on his speed, and ages made out ye=t.==:::t::!At ballswtde conseqaeat!J Dave had to work ltli:e a Trojan to save a A cat after a mouse 1100re ofpaase<J balta; but lle stood the pressure as long as foul ball. A.s for pluck. he It waa poa,lble, and never gave out until he could not uee and stands dangerously close to 1118 arms or hsads. Tile only drawback to Blrdll&ll'll play fact Is, Wbite Is what W88 b1s temper. The ftiet 18, David must be cllll!lled player. He le yet young, among the growlers, and hence thiS weakness detracted lng still more slulful, and no trom hie strength u a oatcber. We hsve no record or hie We now oome to a rev1ew or the most noted or the pro­ Will see some model displays bebind the bat play, Hr. Lush, the IICOrer ofthe Unions, nOt ' having sent fessional pltobera of 187~j but before commenting on their His record tbis season shows a total of 170 --·----.·-.-·-:­ u Ul the batting and 11eldlng averages or tile Union nine respective merits we wtu br:eoy refer to the tlleory or In 86 games-an average of nearly 6. He I for 1870, 88 he should have done. We neverll&w & couple pitching, for the benefit of the pitchers of the coming sea­ pnttlng out S8 players-an averap:e ol a little over work toll'ether so well as Pabor and Birdsall. Indeed, son. The theory Of pltcbing ma{ be summed up In a few a general player, White Is a valuable man 'r for, aside wttbont David bebind Oharley doea not pltcb with halt words. It Is stmply that a bal sent to the bat at a me· his forte as catcher, he ran sUng In a w eked ball tile eftllCt. They knew each o~ber•• style, 01 play and when dlum pace In a curved line Is more dlftlcult to hit In Its the pitcher's position, and Is exceedingly elfecttve at they had good support Ut.ey could give the strongest nine centre than a ball sent In very swiftly and nebrly on a field. In batting be ranks among tile quick heavy tn the country a hard push for victory. Last fall BlrdJ&ll straight Une. The rule Is that the line or the swing or the who go In for tne "big licks ;11 but In this he wUI lm· ~mporartlyloa\ the use or b1s u.rm, besides havlllg a very bat Intersects the hne or a swiftly pitched ball at a tar Whits Is thoroughly American, a quiet workerL bad lland but he 18 now In nne trim for play and will be more acute anp:le than In tbe case of the curved Une of 1 qutck In perception, prompt In action, full or a stroq acquiSition to a prolesslonal nine; There 18 to a slow batr, and hence the chances for bitting the ball In endurance, all'S alive to the Interest~ of the Bill tor ·nave that he always plays "on the squu.re" and the centre u.re greater In tile former case than In the lat­ playa w.th ; and tbongh be has a sharp eye to the worll:llllke a be&ver to win. ter. Herein Ilea the wllole theory or pltcblng1 and the he always plays hls best to win, regardless of pti­ In our last we stated that we bad not A.ll!llon•e record, true art or doing eo oonslslrs of being able to change Tbls is the true policy !or all profess! •nat but the 11gures have stnoe tumeu up, anrl are 88 follows: iD delivery. and consequentlJ to alter the cnrve those who depart from 1t aot unwisely In Be played tn 60 games, put out 268 players-an average of the ball, so as to deceive the eye and alm or future profits for present small gains. of over 4-&nd asstet ed n t1mes. In striking at it. Much stress has been been made to secure the services of The Cblcago Club had three catchers last season. The tm1nm't.tu'"" of Imparting a btas or "twist" faithful to the club In wbich 11rst was Craver, who played In all tbe1rgamesfrom April In pltoblog; but experience bas shOwn the :dr~:~ :~:;;~:~~t"J:~il F!lltbful service and hOnest until the last or July. In addition, Bodes cangllt In 19 the tlitng very plainly an "twist" given to the n player's capttal, without games and Steve King In 16. Craver•eJ!)rtlftn oatohtng adding to the diOICuttles of the catcber•s post­ not benefit him mnch. White Is perfect fearlessness and quick movement, and he bas rendering the re-bOund or the ball as on­ nnd be Is therefore a New York a keen Bight tn playing up cloae behind the bat. .Aa a and eccentric as tn tbe case of a foul, the catcher for slow or medium paced pltcbing he ranls bemp: caused by the ~wiSt lnlparted \o the ball among the best, but with swift pltcbing has bis superiors. by the stroke of the bat tn bitting It below or above Like Ferguson, biB home position Is at short field. Craver the centre line or. Its diameter. The tact Is, tne r:rao­ was charged wltb dl8credllable conduct by the Chicago tlcal. results or a curved Une delivery, and good udg­ club and expelled without a fair tnal, he says. Tb1s ex­ ment Ill pitching, have hitherto been erroneously a trlb­ pulsion was made the basts of action taken by the profes­ uted to "twisting," and hence we see pitchers sacrt­ sional delegates In the late so-calleG-Niltlonat (f) <Jonven­ llclng accuracy of aim and command or the ball In ef. tlon, wbich IS null and void In etrect, because in direct forts to lnlpart a twist thereto, the only result of wblcb violation or the constitution. It wlll not change biB play­ Is to fattaue and annoy the catcher. The three Im­ Ing status and should not. It Is right and proper that portant elements or successful pltcb1ng, and without clubs should have the power of expelling members !or wbich no man can exoelm ~be poslt:on, are:-Flrst, com­ dishonorable conduct, but not unless It be done after a mand of toe ball; second, the pluck to tace the swiftest fair trial and proo! o! the charge be conclulilvety sho,.n. batted ballsi and third, the judgment to outwit your ad· Unless this be <lone tbe new rule ot the gatne prohibiting versary at tne bat. or course, the ability to pltob swi!Uyl expelled players from tali:lng part In contests thls season the endurance to stand ratume and the power to contro w1ll not be applicable. The second catcher o! the Ohlcago temper, With the nerve to tfght an up-hill battle, are also nine or 187q was Bodes, formerly of the Ecktords. Bodes essentials of success. But Without the three 1lrst named ts an easy and gracetul catober, can take sharp ny tips from qualities no p1tcber can be successful, Inasmuch as speed the bat and throws fairly to the bases, but he lacks energr .vltnout command or tile ball ts too costly, and wttnout some"bat. Hodes, however, Is an eaectlve catcller when pluck the judgment can never be brough~ tilto play, and a racing aoourate pltoblngr but taus to be equal to the man who does not use his brains In pitching becomes a talli: of attending to a' w ld dellnry as Birdsall ean. It mere machine, whom any sktlful batsman oan punish at matr.ea a wonder!Ul dUfereuce with a catcher's reputation wm. So much !or the theory of pltobtng, whether he faces au accurate line-ball pitcher, Ute zet­ The most Pxperlenced or the pitchers who were promi­ tleln, or a .wlld, ten-handed pltoller, like Ptnkllam· or Pa­ nent In the campaign or 1870 was DICk McBride, or the bor.