The Ogden standard. [volume], October 12, 1918, LAST EDITION - 3:30 P.M., Image 17

About The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1913-1920

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I Why Our Baseball Is Better Than British Cricket II
IE hb g H sK Baa a hsl
1 Pit (e f ir s ft
Press Up amid Baft
llta Ball 'for Hot&
WMtaMfc Eserftnoini of
Kuimsaiiinig Bases.
BAT J. B. SHERIDAN.
eErX mc why, for the love o Mike,
s I should thorn limeys want to play
cricket when they might as well
be playln' baseball?" prayed a "gob" to
a Y. M. C. A. man while watching some
Britlsn eailor3 playing the national
game of Old England at Portsmouth.
Americans nro broad-minded pcopk
a hey come into contact with more
I strangers than arty other people. They
I travel more. They aro of mixed breeds,
jfl They liovc a world view, but they can't
H . i rco why any man should play cricket.
It is all a maitor of taste. Cricket
n pleasant game to play if you have the
tcn'poramcnt and the time for It. Also
the climate. And the proper soil. Garnet,
( I think, spring from two things, tcmpcr-
r.mc-nt and soil. The financial condition
cf a people, their happlncs also, count3
n producing games.
Cricket Is suitable to the English for
many reasons:
It suits their somewhat alow tempera
ment, their stodgy but enduring ge
nius. It suits their social habits. They
have- more time for social J intercourse
than Americans have.
v. It suits their soil. You need ground
:oft enough and kept moist' enough to
produce good grass for cricket.
Cricket Not Good s
Game for A ustralia
s .y course they did not play cricket m
rjjr J Australia, where grass 13 burned up
In summer and where ground is hard as
Iron. Crlcjiot Is not a suitable gamo for,
Australia. It did not jrrow out of tho
soil there -as it . did In England and as
baseball grew out of American soil. It
was superimposed upon Australia by
British settlers. Therefoir- baseball, be
ing a more suitable game for the Aus
tralian climate and soil, should super
sede cricket in that country.
Australians are, like Americans, nerv
ous, highly strung people Baseball
should be their game. It probably will
bo In time to come.
When tho late King Edward of Eng
land, then Prince of Wales, saw tho
American teams play baseball, in. Eng- -"
' land during their tour in 1ST4. lie said:
"Baseball Is a great game but cricket
is a better one."
' Of course the tactful prince was say
ing the' right thing. He was courteous
to his visitors, loyal to his own people.
As to the relative merits of cricket
and baseball there can Le but one an
swer: 1
Baseball Is Immeasurably the superior
game. ,
I was brought up on cricket until I
was 10 years old. Then 1 took up base
ball, to which I hare been devoted' for
thirty years. Betimes 1 have played
vickct, golf, tennis, all Use games.
Baseball is. so superior to cricket as
) physical and mental exercise and as
i developer of morale that there can
be no real comparison mado between
but a pastime. Baseball is a game.
Cricket is a pink tea. Baseball is war.
A. G. Spalding Always
Liked Cricket
YET cricket has its merits. A. G.
Spalding-. In Ills book, "The Nar
tional Game," says, "There are somo
things about cricket that I Uko belter
than I like some things about base
ball." As part of a social function, cricket '
far excels baseball. You can tako a
party, a girl, a lot of friends to a
cricket match. If you aro well 'ac
quainted in the crowd you can have a
beautiful afternoon or day. You visit,
tako luncli. lea, flirt, mako love and
see come cricket on a perfect green Held
played by line looking men in beautiful
whlto flannela. As far as heauty goes,
crlckc-t has got baseball beaten miles.
Tho whlto trousers, white shirts, partl-
colored caps, green sward, striped tents
called marques, the yellow bats and red
ball give cricket a very pretty appear
ance. Chariio Fry, a famous athlete and
erlckotor. always held that he could not
I do himself justice In games unless he
had at least three hours' batting .prac
tice fivo days a week. That means that
Z4 was actually hitting the ball for
ono and a half hours a day.
. How tho lato Edward J. Delchanty or
(' Ping Podie Tould love that.
j Batting in all of crlckcL The man
t who does not make at least tlfty runs
and bat for an hour in a first-class
match feels that his day Is lost. They
do not go much on bowling, which is
Pitching, or on lidding, but they aro
bears on baiting.
The cricket 1bat Is, like the tennis
racket and tho golf club, a beautiful
Instrument. A good bat is made like
a violin and is highly valued. The
blade of the bat is of willow, tho handle
Is dovetailed into tho blade, is of cano
: aml 's wrapped with a thin waxed
twine. A good bat will last for years.
I The star players would not tako $1000
,' for their favorite bat
'. The ball Is n the stylo of the base-
ball, only covered with cowhide Instead
of horsehlde, and Is somo two ounces
; heavier though no larger than the
baseball 7t can be hit as far and as
bard as the baseball. llwill not float
't ',
MCVEY,R.F". LEONARD, L.F. SWEASY,2B. WATERMAN, 3B. 1.
h.wright.c.f; brainard.p. gould.ib. 'm
1 the air nor bound on the ground as
lightly as a baseball will. Ilcnco It is
not so easily fielded. Nor docs It giv
a fielder the opportunity to cover
ground that a baseball docs. Hence
fielding Is negligible in cricket. The
use of gloves Is forbidden to all fielders
savo the wicket kecp'er, who is tho
equivalent of tho catcher In baseball.
The cricket ball is hard to get under
and ugly to catch. It has great-scams
and edges and being heavy scars tho
hands when It hits them. It comes or
falls like a lump of iron. The baseball
Is much the finer and superior instru
ment for all purposes. Cricketers al
ways admire the quick, sure throwing
of baseball players. They do not know
that the baseball Is much easier to
throw than the cricket ball.
The Idea In cricket is for the bowlor
to knock over one of the wickets, as tho
three sticks stuck up behind the batter
Is called. The batter defends the
wickets .lust as the baseball batter de
fends the plate.
A batter may be caught out or thrown
out as in basoball. But he runs only
when he thinks lie can leach the base,
Ihc other wickets, safely. You can hit
all day In cricket but riJn only when
you feel that you can reach the baso
(wickets) safely.
As 'the bowlor must bound all balls on
the ground before they get to tho bat-
tcr, if he wishes them to hit the wicket,
most cricket batting 2s done below the
knee practically all of It below the
waist.
"Thus the batter, when he defends tho '
wickets, assumes a crouching position
with the end of his bat on the ground
in front of the wickets.
Bowler Often Takes
Run of 35 Yards
irIIEN" the bowler starts to deliver
"V the oall, he very ofln takes a
i.un of So yards to do ho, the batter
straightens up, as In baseball, but al
ways aims to hit at a ball below, tho
knee. The point is to hit Iho ball Just
after it starts Its bound.
Thus hitting in cricket Is done with
a vertical bat. while hlttln? in base
ball is done with a horizontal bat
Any stroke Is "fair" In cricket. FquIs
go llko any other batted hall. In fact
most balls hit off fast bowling arc what
wo would call fouls. Most of the tqu
u w.i ii iim k nuuiu tail
foul ground when a speedy bowler Is
working.
The vortical, as opposed to the hori
zontal bat. is one of the chief differences
between cricket and baseball batting.
There is another. As a .bowler can
gain nothing by pitching anything but
good balls, he means every pitch to bo
on the wickets, a strike. As a batter
is not penalized for "taking a strike"
or for bunting or hitting a foul ball or
a ball right to a fielder the good balls
aro generally blocked or "played,"
bunted, in front of the wickets, while
the bad balls, wide, not having a chanco
to hit tho wickets arc hit hard.
Now the bascD.-ll batters gain an
advantage by letting a wide ball go
unheeded. They aro penalized for lot
ting a good ball, a strike, go by unhit.
Therefore tho baseball player hits .
only at good balls, whilo tho cricketer
prefers to hit only bad balls.
When the American baseball pjaycrs
played cricket in England they sur
prised tho English by hitting at the
good balls and letting the bad one3
go as in baseball. Yet that baseball
team of 1S71 managed to win a lot of
cricket games from good teams in Eng
land. Let us visualize an English gentleman
going to play cricket: He leaves his
country house about S a. m. and is
drlvon to tho cricket grounds. In town,
by his chauffeur. Tho game begins
about 10 a. m. There are large stands
with plcuty of room, boxos, open tents,
prlvnto stands, stands under great um
brellas, all about tho grounds. The
wickets are pitched facing each other,
2'2 yards apart in the center of the
field.
Spectators Do Not Get
Near the Wickets
SPECTATORS arc usually not nearer
to the wickets than 100 yards. The
camo Js away out fn the lot. Automo
biles may be parked all about, tholr
owners remaining in them. Boxes are
owned by tho reat lords or rich men.
who fetch their own lunch, tea, liquor,
etc, to tho grounds, and, who have
their servants prepare the meals, which
aro aerved In the boxva cr tents or
cars, as may be. The great nabobs glvo
parties and hold receptions. They In
vito and entertain .their friends. People
visit li'om box to oox in lunch or to
. . Adrian c:ansois-' u-
THE GREATEST BATTEF? f jh W
THAT HAS EVER LIVED
tako tea or to gossip. Cilckct la part jj MW
of a great social function. People dress ' ffiyffi
up for cricket matches. Gossip is part Nif vct vZyi
of tho function. ( V. mfys t
Your English gentleman retires to tho V,vr
dressing room and arrays himself. for ' '.V I
tho game. He dons fine underwear, . V j&J
beautiful, clean flannel trousers, held - vf Bp
up with a parti-colored silk sash for a , , FfTftyl
belt, a while silk shirt, white canvas '. . ' II jjllWi '
shoes tipped with leather and spiked. . .. ' i ' '
and a sporly- parti-colored cap. . . ' , I (M
If .he is first batter up he dons a" ; '- " ' lul&li
pair of shin guards called "pads," such . ; j " rr
as catchers wear in baseball games, a - ' 1 J1
pair of battinGT glovec with the palms , ' I I
cut out and with great hollow cylinders - ' ii
of rubber on tho b'ack. These gloves
are used because many balls bound up
and hit tho batter on the hands and
fingers. Being hit by a fast-bowled,
ugly bounding cricket ball is not very;?
pleasant. Hence the armored glovea.
Professionals Arc
Hired by Season
tjAVJXG armored himself, cap a pl,
Tl curled his mustacho and slicked' his
hair, our Englishman takes his bat
from a green baize cover, or lias it
handed lo him by his valet. He primps
a little bit more for the girls, puts hla
bat under his arm, proceeds to button
his gloves and marches forth to give
tho ladies a treat. Clad in while on
green sward, with parti-colored sash
and cap, ho 13 a handsome and striking
figure.
Ho strides, slowly, Joking with tho
girls as he goes along, saluting the
kings, princes, lords and ladies, smil
ing Iito, bowing there, to get an hour's
batting practice beforo he goes in for
what he calls his "Innings."
The batting practice is done lo ono.
tide. Several professional bowlers
hired by the season, aro there, ready
to pitch lo the "gentlemen." After he
had batted for an hour or so play is
called and our hero goes to the wick
ets. We will leave him there. He may
be there for a week.
There is little about cricket that
calls for brain work. An Englishman
docs not caic for games that mako
any demand upon vhls mental facul
ties. At the bat he rarely figures
"what Is coming." If it is-a good
ball "on the wicket" liable to knock
tho wickets down. If he misses" it.
ho will carefully poke out hl3 bat
and Just stop the ball. A fielder picks
it up and returns it to the bowler.
N'o running. And so on.
If It Is a bad ball, "off the wicket,"
lie may take a "mulligan" at it and
knock It over the fence, "out -of -bounds"
they call it. In that case he
Is Credited with four runs by. the
scorer and doe3 not havo to movo an
inch. On halls hit within bounds he
may or may not run as 'he elects.
Ho may Ijc thrown out while running
if tho fielder returns the, ball to ' the
wickets and either hits them, "or the
wickets nrc hit by the ball held by
- ' : V
t
, POSITION OF WICKET KEEPER (CATCHER)
the fielder. He may be caught out as
in baseball or given out "leg before
wicket" if, in the Judgment of the
umpire, his leg or body interferes with
tho progress of tho ball to tho wicket.
AS A BATTER runs only when he
. wants to run and as most balls aro
hit below the knee, the great point of
cricket baiting is to keep the ball on
tho ground. So few men aro caught ,out
or run out or retired in any way "save
by being bowled, which is equivalent
to being struck out.
A bowler throws or pitches six balls
in an "over." Then tho ball goes to
the bowler at the opposito end who.
In his turn, bowls six balls. There
are always two batters in the game
In crickot. Hence, If the "over" ends
with the receiver at the wickets
which are taking tho "over," the other
bowlor proceeds to servo the ball
to the other batter. Either batter may
be caught running' between wickets
and put out as described above. Thcro
is no such thing as a doublo play,
though chances to make double plays
occur.
,
A'ery often the bowling is so good
that no runs aro scored" during an
over or during several "ovci'3.'' "Overs"
of which no runs are scored are called
"maiden overs."
Uoa'Ilts may be changed at any lime,
but it is" unusual, oven unheard of, to
call in a bowler from the bench. Tho
bowler. who Is. removed. takes the fiejd.
A fielder who can bowl comes In to
tako tho place of the superseded one.
FlOiding is superficial. With the fast
bowlers now prevalent .most of tho ten
fielders are placed fn "slips," y location
which in basoball corresponds to Ihc
ground between tlie plate and first baSo -
1 1
jjlL (Sreat Britain's I Imk if, x'1 -: I
and the players' bench for a right
handed batter and vice versa for a left
hander. Iicfncmber that anything; hit is "fair"
In crickot. So most of the fielders aro
behind tho wickets, on foul ground,
when :-. fast man Is bowling.
Tho howler runs lo deliver the ball
and gets great speed on it. Ho docs
not throw It, but US03 a sweeping, stiff
arm motion. He never gets a curve on
it but, at times, he docs get a sort of
a little swervo or "shoot" on it. It Is
when the ball hits the grass that the
bowler '.'gets work'' on it.
Bowlers Rely Little
Upon Fielding
TjE puts a twist on the ball so that
when It catches the grass It will
take a direction of variance lo that in
which it has been traveling, something
like "english" on a billiard ball or even
a masse shot. They call this a "break."
A skillful bowler can get a lot of Work
on n ball, but has to slow his pace to
do so. Ho wlil pitch a ball well off tho
wickets and mako "break In" and
hit the wickets if t lie batter docs not
fend It off. As the batter alms to hit'
the ball on the short bound, "'half vol
ley" they, call it, the bowler alms to
"break" the ball past the bat and read
the wickets. As with a curve ball, the
sharpst the "break" the more effective
It 1.
, Most good "breaks" como from the
oulsldo of the wlckots. The bowler can
got more work on the ball fron that
side. But a left-handed bowler gets n
terrific and puzzling "broak'' from tin?
Inside 'to a right-handed hitter. Tho
ball comes at you with a sort of wide,
round-house curve, hits the ground ami
"breaks" back at your wickot. Changes .
of pace are as essential in. cricket aa
Sn oaaeball and would be more effective
if fielding was as good as it Is in base
ball. f.t
As the fielding Is poor,; bowlers rely
, little upon it. They aim to overthrow
tho batter by knocking down his
wickets. The bowler is thus In the po
sition of having to strike out every
batter that comes up. As the plate
" (wickets) Is but 12'j Inches wide -and
IS inches high and is -defended by a
bat that Is four inches wide and is
(G feet away from tho bowler, who must
not bend his wriat to deliver tho ball,
tho difficulties aro obvious.
Cricketers never practice fielding. No
. files or grounders arc hit 10 them be
fore the game or at any other time.
Many fielders won't move a foot for a
fiy ball or may even let it drop un
touched at their feet, pick it up and
jerk it In with an underhand motion.
The cricket ball Is so heavy that throw
ing it with an overhand motion hurts
the arm. .
Ground balls aro rarely picked up
cleanly. Most of them are stopped with
shins or foot. Many fiy balls aro lot
drop untried for or missed when tried
for.
It takes tlmo lo play cricket. Two
"lot" teams may finish a yamo In eight
hours. Two crack teams will require
from 3 to 0 days. Five days Is tho
time allotted for what thoy call first
class matches, the big loaguo games.
As a rule the five days prove Inadequate
and the most of the "big league gapics,"
England vs. Australia, Gentlemen V3.
Players (professionals). North vs South.
England vs. Wales, Scotland or Ireland
are called "draws," left unfinished In
five days.
From all of the foregoing it may be
seen that ' brain work cute little figure
In cricket. A bowler may show crafti
ness now an then. That Is all. A
batter Just blocks tho good onos, bunts
them and whales away at the bad ones.
No one ever lakes a chance on running
a base. It is rarely tliat a fielder can
make a play, for runners need not run
- and at best there is but ono play in .
sight, never four or five playa as in
basoball. There are no dramatic situa
tions, no Intense moments In cricket.
Nover a homo run with thejjases full.
Never a great hitter up, tho call 0 and
J, two down and the winning run on
. third. Never the, dramatic throw from .
...... .. o;.v---...
LJ- 1
READY TO !I
RECEIVE A "BALL ;
the field lo the plate that wins or losct H
ball games. Rarely the great catch, f
ground ball -play or throw to a base. 1 1
It Is a case of Just' bat and bat and i j
tho Latting is little moro Interesting . Uj
thv.n practice batting In baseball. ; Ijj
Baseball Owes Great m
Deal to Cricket
YET there can bo Utile doubt that
baseball owes a good deal to crick"- jj
ot. Many of tho f:ret baseball stars wore ;B
originally cricketers. George Wright M
tho Ty Cobb of the 'UOs. was a crack jR
cricketer long before he became a ba30
ball player. So was his brother, Harry
Wright, . one of the first great man- jJB
agers of baseball. Scores of the first I
baseball stars about New York had i B
been cricketers. '
When tho Chicago and Boston base- ,j
ball teams visited England in 1SH. they '
engaged to play British crickot teams. I
The Wrights. McBrlde and several other , jj
baseball men wore expert cricketers. , 1
Yot, strange as it may seem, the baso- E
ball players, who had never played S
cricket before, did tho best work. A. Jj&
G. Spalding and A. C. Anson, from the
Mississippi Valley, ran up large scores, ffl
while the expert cricketers only did ,;o- m ,
so. Tho fact that the bowlers stuck to In
their custom of handing up only good ij
balls helped tho. baseball players a lot. jjl '
Tho Wrights tried to teach the Amer- M '
leans to bunt the good ones and to hit ;M
at the bad ones in true cricket fashion. jfj
In so much as tho Yanks had been ac- 1 In
customed to do the very opposite, they M
could not change overnight. So they
tried Wright's scheme and found it a i '
failure. Then they resorted to their , S
natural stylo of walloping tho good ones
nnd did finely. But they used eighteen ' B
nieii to ther eleven of the Britons, K
Charley Comlskcy, Owner of the Chi- M
cago American League team, once S
clearly defined the difference between 'VI
American and British character thus; 1H
"When an Englishman goes after a m
fly ball he never comes back with It. la
When ,an American goes after a fly
ball he always comes back with it." j
That is-why baseball is so much tha IX
better game than cricUcu 'p 1
.. - .iMtl .. .- .'." ,"" IIP