her. Perfect team work involves a perfect understanding
by each man of all the points of play of the others, and it is believed
that a battery will do better team-work where its two ends are always
the same. But to be able to work regularly with one pitcher through an
entire season, catching every day when he pitches, a catcher will more
than once find his powers of endurance strongly taxed; and if, for real
or fancied injuries, he is often obliged to lay off, then, no matter how
brilliant his work when he does catch, he will lose much of his value to
the team. Certain injuries are inevitable and necessitate a rest, but
there are others of minor importance to which some men will not give
way. I do not laud this as pure bravado, but because it sets an example
and infuses a spirit into a team that is worth many games in a long
race. I have the greatest respect and admiration for the Bennetts and
the Bushongs of base-ball.

But there are other features necessary before a person can hope to
become a first-class catcher. As before said, he has many chances
offered for the employment of judgment and skill; and to make the best
use of these he must be possessed of some brains. The ideal catcher not
only stops the ball and throws it well, but he is a man of quick wit, he
loses no time in deciding upon a play, he is never "rattled" in any
emergency, he gives and receives signals, and, in short, plays all the
points of his position, and accomplishes much that a player of less
ready perception would lose entirely. Two of the best catchers in the
country are neither of them remarkable back-stops nor particularly
strong and accurate throwers, and yet both, by their great generalship
and cleverness, are "winning" catchers. I refer to Kelly, of Boston, and
Snyder, of Cleveland. Ewing, of New York, combines with wonderful skill
and judgment the ability to stop a ball well and throw it quicker,
harder, and truer than any one else, and I therefore consider him the
"King" of all catchers--when he catches.

In learning to catch, the first thing, of course, is to acquire a
correct style, that is, an approved position of body, hands, and feet,
the best manner of catching a ball, the proper place to stand, how to
throw quickly, and the best motion for throwing. After this comes the
study of the different points of play. There are as many different
styles in detail as there are individual catchers, and yet, through all,
there run certain rese