March 26, 1911 - The Washington Post - McBride Goes to Front In the Infielder Debate
McBride Goes to Front In the Infielder Debate
Holds That All Players Who Guard Cushions Should Be Big Men. Elberfeld and Bush Exceptions That Merely Prove the Rule, He Says.
"For mine, all other things being equal, give me big men for every infield position all the time. Of course, I would rather have a good little man either at short or third or second than a big player who was also a poor one. The big fellows can cover ground as well as the little ones. And they can handle inaccurate throws, as all hurried ones are likely to be, better than little fellows. Bad throwing loses more games than fumbles or missed grounders, and a poor throw or a poorly handled one will upset a team more quickly than anything excepting the case of a pitcher going wild.
McBride prior to this oration had been on the winning team in a debate on the old proposition as to which position on a team is most difficult to play. Third base and shortstop are the positions always picked, and third base frequently wins. Here it went the other way and an extremely competent jury - Messrs. Elberfeld, Schaefer, and Conroy, all of whom have played both positions in pennant races, and one of whom has played third base in a world's series - made the decision. Elberfeld, at present the team's third sacker, was loudest in the claim for shortstop.
"You have harder-hit balls at closer range at third base." says Elberfeld. "but they come so fast that if you knock them down you have time to get your man. If they're not hit right at you, you can't get them anyway and are not expected to. There's only one play that's really difficult, and that is with second base occupied and no one out, and a smart batter up, making you guess, and possibly crossing you. Otherwise, with a good fielding pitcher in, the position isn't a hard one to play."
Holds That All Players Who Guard Cushions Should Be Big Men. Elberfeld and Bush Exceptions That Merely Prove the Rule, He Says.
"For mine, all other things being equal, give me big men for every infield position all the time. Of course, I would rather have a good little man either at short or third or second than a big player who was also a poor one. The big fellows can cover ground as well as the little ones. And they can handle inaccurate throws, as all hurried ones are likely to be, better than little fellows. Bad throwing loses more games than fumbles or missed grounders, and a poor throw or a poorly handled one will upset a team more quickly than anything excepting the case of a pitcher going wild.
McBride prior to this oration had been on the winning team in a debate on the old proposition as to which position on a team is most difficult to play. Third base and shortstop are the positions always picked, and third base frequently wins. Here it went the other way and an extremely competent jury - Messrs. Elberfeld, Schaefer, and Conroy, all of whom have played both positions in pennant races, and one of whom has played third base in a world's series - made the decision. Elberfeld, at present the team's third sacker, was loudest in the claim for shortstop.
"You have harder-hit balls at closer range at third base." says Elberfeld. "but they come so fast that if you knock them down you have time to get your man. If they're not hit right at you, you can't get them anyway and are not expected to. There's only one play that's really difficult, and that is with second base occupied and no one out, and a smart batter up, making you guess, and possibly crossing you. Otherwise, with a good fielding pitcher in, the position isn't a hard one to play."