the catcher. Though the
negative pole of "the battery," his support of the pitcher will largely
influence the latter's efficiency, and he therefore becomes an important
factor in the attacking force. Were it not for the extreme liability to
injury, the position of catcher would be the most desirable on the
field; he has plenty of work of the prettiest kind to do, is given many
opportunities for the employment of judgment and skill, and, what is
clearer than all to the heart of every true ball player, he is always in
the thickest of the fight. Moreover, his work, unlike that of the
pitcher, always shows for itself, and is therefore always appreciated. A
pitcher's success depends upon many circumstances, some of which are
beyond his own control, so that, no matter how faithfully or
intelligently he may work, he must still suffer the annoyance and
mortification of defeat. But the catcher has almost complete control of
his own play, he is dependent upon no one but himself, and, in spite of
everything and everybody, the nature of his work remains the same.

There are some cases in which a steady, intelligent catcher is of more
worth to a team than even the pitcher, because such a man will make
pitchers out of almost any kind of material. Bennett, the grandest of
every-day catchers, has demonstrated this fact in many instances, and I
have no doubt that much of the success of the St. Louis pitchers has
been due to the steady support and judicious coaching of Bushong.

There are certain qualifications necessary to produce a good catcher,
and if a person has any ambition to play the position, he should first
examine himself to see whether he is the possessor of these. Here again
the size of the candidate seems not to be of vital importance, for there
are good catchers, from the little, sawed-off bantam, Hofford, of Jersey
City, to the tall, angular Mack, of Washington, and Ganzell, of Detroit.
Still, other things being equal, a tall, active man should have an
advantage because of his longer "reach" for widely pitched balls, and on
account of the confidence a big mark to pitch at inspires in the
pitcher. Besides, a heavier man is better able to stand against the
shocks of reckless runners to the home plate.

More important than size are pluck and stamina, especially if one
contemplates becoming a professional catcher. In every well-regulated
team nowadays the pitchers and catchers are paired, and the same pair
always work toget