Delta chief., 1883-09-26
Ball Pitchers Tricks.

D0h AilShss
The curve delivery in base ball pitch
ing was the greatest change ever intro
duced into the game, says the Philadel-
phia Press; and in these days, when an
old-time straight pitcher would be
knocked out of the box in an inning,
there are good many claimants for the
credit of originating it. College men,
with the exception of those from Har-
ward, always insist that Avery brorg
it to light at Yale; while the Harvard
men, who naturally would refuse to see
a curve of two feet in Yale pitchers
delivery. incline to the opinion that
Mann, of Princeton, was first on the di
amond with it. Harvard's men have
ground for their belief, from the fact
that the Harvard team first had prac-
tical sight of the curve at Princeton in
1874; but, as it did not have the effect
of winning the game from them then,
they regarded it more as curiosity
than anything of importance in the
game. The fact was that Mann was so
much excited about his new delivery
that he did not know when to quit, and
after the Harvard men had noticed that
the ball always turned about foot out
ward after leaving the pitchers hand,
they made their calculations and ham,
mered at it accordingly. The game, up
to the fifth inning, was right in the
hands CT Princeton's catcher, who cap
tured the men one after another as they
struck out. but when Harvard began to
bat the prospects changed at once, and
Princeton lost by three clear runs.
Mann had only one curve, and he did
not even vary it by straight balls, so it
failed of success against the straight
pitching and fine headwork of Ernst
and Tying. Avery, at Yale, came out
with his curve the same year, and many
OF the college mines of that time remem-
Der yet how he promised something new
for the Harvard batters as the result of
his winters practice in the gymnasium.
He did succeed in defeating them. and
next year. by his effective pitching,
helped his team to the championship.
Before that time, however, curve pitch
ing was practiced in professional
games, and. though its nature was not
much understood, everybody seemed to
know that peculiar kind Of ball could
be delivered, and that Mathews, the
present "curver" for the Athletics, was
the man that was doing it. Arthur
Cummings, who played in the Mutuals
in 1872. and in the Stars of Brooklyn in
the years proceeding. was also known
to pitch deceptive ball, but as he quit
playing professionally about 1874, his
work was gradually forgotten. and
Mathews given all the credit for the in
novation, Mathews himself says that
Cummings was curving the ball before
he knew anything about it, and he gives
further credit to Cummings by adding
that he got his first lessons in the art by
watching the Mutual pitchers delivery.
In those days, when the first profess
sional association was just getting on
its feet. there were no cast iron regula-
tons about where the players should
sit or stand. and very often q whole
team stood close around the batter. Civ
ing him points when they could, and
spending the remainder of the time in
.'chafiing" with the umpire or pitcher.
Cummings delivery was known to ev-
cry man in the profession IS very pc
culiar. and Mathews, whose straight
work was beginning TO give way before
It, made up his mind to take advantage
of position near the bat to
to learn the secret. He watched
Cummings hands carefully, noting how
he held the ball and how he let Il go.
and after few weeks careful prac-
tice in the same way could see the curve
in his own delivery. Then he began to
use il in matches. striking men out in q
way that none but Cummings had ever
done before. and in short time he was
known as one of the most effective
pitchers in the field. To-day he is pitch
ing the same old curve, with all the
tricks in the delivery that years on the
diamond have taught, and the batters
don't seem to hit him much better than
they used to.
Other pitchers had to take up the
curve or quit playing. just rs Mcbride
and Pratt did, and before the centennial
the regular craze for curve pitching had
set in. which finally forced both league
and association managers 10 abolish old
pitching rules and allow any throwing
delivery which would assist in puzzling
the batsmcn. Every pitcher was popu-
larly supposed to havea choice selection
of curves. which he sent in at pleasure,
aud his value was usually reckoned on
the number OF different ones he could
use. That idea, by the way, is still prev
alent. and there are many people who
believe in an "up' and down curve,
an "in" curve and an ''out" curve, a
"zig-zag" and a .'double" curve, and
"shoots" and ..iumps," and fast and
slow balls to match. . N.r
THAT is all a mistake" said Maht-
ews, while talking over some of his