The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-09-04
Ball-Pitchers' Tricks.
The Science OF Curves, with Notes on the
Noble Game.

The curve delivery in baseball pitching
was the greatest change ever introduced in
to the game, says the Philadelphia 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 brought 1t to
light at Yale; while the Harvard men, who
naturally would refuse to see curve Of two
feet in Yale pitchers delivery, incline to
the opinion that Mann of Princeton was frat
on the diamond with it. Harvard's men
have grounds for their belief, from the fact
that the Harvard team first had a practical
sight of the curve at Princeton In 1874; but,
as 1t did not have the effect of winning the
game from them then, they regarded 1t more
as curiosity than as anything of impor-
tance 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 af-
ter the Harvard men had noticed that the
ball always turned about foot outward af-
ter leaving the pitchers hand, they made
their calculations and hammered at it accor-
dinghy. The game, up to the fifth inning,
was right in the hands of Prineeton's catch
or, who captured the men one after another
as they struck out, but when Harvard began
20 bat the prospects changed at once, and
Princeton lost by clear three runs. Mann
had only one curve, and he did not even
vary 1t by straight balls, so it failed of sue
cess against the straight pitching and fine
headwork of Ernest and Tying. Avery, at
Yale, came out with his curve the same
year, and many of the college mines of that
time remember yet how he promised some
thing new for the Harvard batters as the re-
suit of his winters practice in the gymnasi-
um. He did succeed in defeating them, and
next year, by his effective pitching, helped
his team to the championship. Before that
time, however, curve pitching was practiced
in professional games, and, though its ma
ture was not much understood, everybody
seemed to know that peculiar kind of ball
could be delivered, and that Mathews, the
present "eurver' for the Athletics, was the
man who was doing it. Arthur Cummings,
who played in the Mutuals in 1872 and in
the Stars of Brooklyn in the years proceed
ing, also was known to pitch deceptive
ball, but, as he quit playing professionally
about 1874, his work was gradually forgot
ten, and Mathews given all the credit for the
innovation. Mathews himself says that Cum
miDgs was curving he ball before he knew
anything about it, and he gives further cred
it to Cummings by adding that he got bis
first lessons in the art by watching the 1su-
tual pitchers delivery. In those days, when
the first professional association was just
getting on its feet, there were no cast-iron
regulations about where the players should
cit Stand and uprv 0ffan whole team
stood close around the batter, giving him
points when they could, and spending the
remainder of the time in "chati.ng" with
the umpire or pitcher. Cummings delivery
was known TO every man in the profession
as very peculiar, and Mathews, whose
straight work was beginning 20 give way be-
fore it, made up his mind to take advantage
of position near the bat to learn the secret.
He watched Cummings hands carefully,
noting how he held the ball and how he let
it go, and after few weeks careful practice
in the same way could see the curve in bis
own delivery. Then he began to use 1t In
matches, striking men out III way that no
one but Cummings had ever done before,
and in a short time he was known as one of
the most effective pitchers in the field. To-
day he is pitching the same old curve, with
all the tricks in delivery that years on the
diamond have taught, and the batters don't
oOOAA W hAe AAhA AAuSA SObsSA IMAM NhOJ 6ec4
to.
Other pitchers bad to take up the curve or
quit playing, just as 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
to abolish oil pitching rules and allow any
throwing delivery which would assist in
puzzling the batsman. Every pitcher was
popularly supposed to have a choice selec-
Of xrh ha in Of ria
and his value was usually reckoned on the
number of different ones he could use.
That idea, by the way, is still prevalent, and
there are many people who believe 1t an
"up' curve and down" curve, an Gin"
curve and an 'out" curve, "zig-zag" and
a "double" curve, and "shoots" and
"jumps," and fast and slow balls to match.
"That's all mistake" said Matthews,
while talking over some of his experiences.
II never saw but one curve, and never made
any more. OF course ball will shoot in
little distance, but you can't call it a curve,
because you can't hold that kind of ball so
as to make curve out of it. The only gen.
uine curve is the one which turns out from
the batsman, but after two or three Of that
kind a straight Eall, If it is properly pitched,
looks as if it were tlrning the other way.
Drop balls or balls which apparently shoot
or curve downward, are all deceptive work,
and are thrown from the highest start the
rules allow. Rising balls are the same
thing, started from as near the ground as
possible, and pitched upward. Slowed
balls are started slow, with an apparently
last flourish, for if they were ever started
fast 1 don't know what skill could hold them
back, and, as to the balls which go both in
aud out, why that is manifest impossibili-
ty. i know there have been several tests
made of that, one particularly at Cincinnati,
where four posts were put up, and the pitch
er required to make the ball go on one side
of one and the other side of the next, but
don't think he did it. If he did, it was
through some deception in regard to the
place where he was standing. No, sir.
Good, straight pitching, thorough command
over the ball, good out curve and good
in Shoot are what the great pitchers are
working with today, and l, for my part,
don't believe in ANYTHING else"