The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-23

WHY TEE BATTERY HAS GROWN SUPERIOR 10
THE SKILLED FOUNDERS.


The curve delivery In baseball pitching
was the greatest change ever introduced
into the game, and in these days, when an
oid.time straight pitcher would be Knocked
out Of the box In one inning, there are a
good many claimants for the credit OF
originating Il. College-men, with the ex-
ception Of those from Harvard, always In
sist that Avery brought IL TO light Mt
Yale, while the Harvard men, who natu-
rally would refuse TO see o curve OF two
feet in Yale pitchers delivery, incline 10
the opinion that Mann, OF Princeton, was
first on the diamond with 1t. Harvard's
men have grounds for their belief from the
fact that the Harvard team first had prac-
tical sight OF the curve at Princeton IN
1874: but as il did not have the effect oil
winning the game from them then, they
regarded Il more as a curiosity than any
thing OF importance in the game. The
fact was that Mann was so much excited
about his new delivery that he did not
know when 10 quit, aud after the Har-
ward men had noticed that the ball always
turned about foot outward after leay-
ing the pitchers hand they made their cal
cuiations and hammered ut it accord
ingly. The game up to the fifth innin" was
right in the hands OF Princeton's catcher,
who captured the men one after another as
they struck out, but when Harvard began
10 bat the prospects changed at once, and
Princeton lost by clear three runs. Mann
had only one curve. and he did not even
vary IL by straight balls, so IL failed OF sue
cess against the straight pitching ana hne
hcad-work OF Ernst and Tying. Avery, at
Yale. came ont with his curve the same
wear. and many OF the college mines OF that
time remember vet how he promised some
thing new for the Harvard b1tters as the
result OF his winters practice in the gym
nasium. lie did succeed in defeating them,
and next year, by his effective pitching,
helped his team to the championship.
Before that time, however, curvc-pitch-
ing was practiced in professional games,
and though its nature was not much I'M
derstood, everybody seemed TO know that
a peculiar kind OF ball could be delivered,
and that Matthews, the present "curver d"
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 preceding. also was
known to pitch deceptive ball, but As he
quit playing professionally about 1874. his
work was gradually forgotten, and Mat
thcws given all the credit for the innova-
ton. Matthews himself says that Cum
mings was curving the ball before he knew
ANYTHING about 1t, 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 professional
association was Just getting on its feet.
IL. iron ranIlofinns about
where the players should sit or stand. and
very often whole team stood close around
the batter, giving him points when they
could and spending the remainder of the
time i'm "chafiing" with the umpire or
pitcher. Cummings delivery was known
TO every man in the profession rs very Pc
culiar. and Matthews, whose straight work
was beginning TO give way before IL, made
ND his mind to take advantage OF position
near the bat 60 learn the secret. He watched
hand 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 his own
delivery. Then he began TO use it in
striking men out in way that no
one 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 pitching the same old curve
with all the tricks in delivery that years on
the diamond have taught, and the batters
don't seem to Int 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 to abolish old pitching rules and
allow any throwing delivery which would
assist In puzzling the batsmen. Every
pitcher was popularity supposed to have
choice selection of curves which he sent in
at pleasure, and his value was usually reck-
oned OH the number OF different ones he
could use. That idea, by the way, is still
prevalent. and there are many people who
believe in an cup" curve and down"
curve, an Gin" curve and an "out "
curve, a zigzag and "double curve,
and "shoots" and "iumps," and fast and
slow balls to match.
That's all mistake" said Matthews,
while talking over some OF his experiences.
/" never saw but one curve, and never
made any more. OF course ball will
shoot In a little distance. but you can't call
il a curve. because you can't hold that kind
OF a ball so as TO make curve ont Of it.
The only genuine curve is the one which
turns out from the batsman; but after two
or three OF that kind straight ball, if 1t is
properly pitched, looks rs II it was turning
the other way. Drop balls, or balls
which apparently shoot or curve down.
ward, 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 fast flourish, for II they
were ever started fast don't know what
skill; could hold them back. and as to balls
which go both in and out, why that is a
manifest impossibility. know there have
been several tests made OF that, one par.
ticularly at Cincinnati, where four posts
were put up and the pitcher required 10
make the ball go on one side OF one aud the
other side of the next, but don't think hC
did il. II he did, it was through some de-
ceptlon in regard TO the place where h'
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
Win tO-uays anu l, iol NY p'i'' "on Do
lieve In anything else."
Matthews has had enough experience :,
know all about pitching, but there are othe
players who disagree with him ane beliey,
in balls which change their course down
ward or upward. Orr, OF the Metropoli
tans, who was hit in the eye the otl er da,
by bah which he had struck at. is said Il
have strong belief in a delivery whicl
gives the bali power TO make suddcr
jumps.
The reason for the curve is something
that professional players have never trou
bled themselves about, and though Mat
thews aud Coleman, and, in fact, any OF
them, can tell exactly how ball will 90 If
II leaves the hand in a certain way, with q
certain amount Of force, why or how Il
does IL they decline TO explain. Tyng. OF