Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1886-08-05
The Art Of PItchiag in ljsIsse bali

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Journal. ,a 81
ail The Art of PItchiag in1ssse ball.
8 In these days of remarkably exhibitions
of skillin playing baseball by profession
al exemplars of the game, one cannot look
back to the early period in The hi4iory of
baseball without being struck with the
great contrast between the work done on
the diamond fields, in the Miles" and
that which marks the playvtsthe leading
professional teams of the1 1Ils ent era.
The game has been wonderfully improv.
ed since its boyhood days, and In nothing
so much as in the great degree of skill
now shown in the pitching department.
In fact, the pitching of the Bfesent day is
marked by an amount OF skin dexterity,
and the accurate performance of the
work experience has taught, which
Webster defines as characteristic of an
art. Without writing aneessay on the
subject, / win merely refer TO what this
art consists Of in its application to the
pitching Of the period. In the first place
modern pitching Of the old method Of de.
llvering the ball To the bat in one special
feature, and that is in the horizontal
curve of the ball through the air, some
thing practically unknown IN the days of
old. 1t is in this one respect, in fact,
that its advance has been 40 noteworthy;
for in some other esscntinlsof suecess Ia
pitching, the veterans ofthe old school
were not so far behind tisppwork OF the
present day, for they were skillful strate.
gists in the position. Blu. The old pitch
ers of the period in question literally
pitched the ball to thesbat, they not being
allowed the advantage Of Throwing the
ball as our modern pitchers are, the term
pitcher" as applied to the occupant of
the "box' in our professional teams of
to-day, being misnomer This curving
of the ball in the horizontal line of its dc.
livery from the hand Of the pitcher to the
catcher behind the batsmap is the great
feature of the modern art OF pitching. 1t
is not many years ago when the curying
Of the ball in question was regarded as d
physical impossibility; and even now
some people question Its boing done.
The theory is rs simple in its rules as II
is easy Of demonstration practically. 1t
is as follows The ball, in its horizontal
flight through the air from the hand of
the thrower-technically Known as the
pitcher-is retarded in its forward mo.
tlon by the resistance Of the air, which
not only eXerts a pressure on the face OF
the ball, but also resisting force on its
sides by friction. Now, If the ball is
simply thrown forward without any spc.
cial bias being given 1t, the friction Of the
air is equal on each side Of it; but if it be
made to rotate on its own axis from right
to left or left to right. the conditions arc
at once materially changed. ,inasmuch as
IN the latter case one sidc.0f the balls
surface Is made to nlyvc forward through
the air with twice the rapidity Of the 9th.
cr side, and to the extent OF this increas.
cd lateral friction isthe ball retarded in
its progress on the side on which the in,
creased friction bears. The result Of this
changed relation is naturally curve in
the line of its delivery in the direction of
the side on which its progress has been
retarded. This is the simple philosophy
of the curve of modern baseball pitching
The application of the theory In practice
is to learn to give the necessary bias OF
rotary motion to the right or left-in or.
der TO produce the "in curve" or the
"out curve.' The bias'to the right or the
left is impaired by quick motion Of the
wrist. the ball being clasped by the fing.
ers in such way as to givcit the requir.
ed twist. T19v . iaie srs& 9'IaH
1t is almost impossible to fully illus.
trate the notion of the wrist and fingers
in imparting the bias TO the ball which
produces the curves in question, but q
curve pitcher gives the appended illustra-
tion of his method of holding the ball
when he first takes his position to- throw,
and when the ball leaves his hand.
lie says that in order to produce the
out curve, you secure tho ball in the
hand by pressing IL firmly between the
first two fingers closed in tina palm Of the
hand. In delivering the ballot the bats
man, throw the arm forward midway be
tween the shoulder and waist, and at tht
moment of releasing the ball turn or twis
the hand quickly to the left. E 7li*
In producing the incurve. the pitcher
should grasp the ball securely with oil
the fingers, and with the thumb pressed
firmly against the opposite side. Throw
the ball at height equal to the shoulder
and at the instant Of releasing it,from
the hand twist quickly outward, allowing
the ball to twist off the ends OF the first
two fingers. '4f is'F 'o s''
There are other important essentials Of
success in the art Of pitching outside o.
the power to curve the ball TO the righ
or the left, and the first Of these is thor
ough control Of the ball delivery, without
which strategic skill in pitching Is mex
TO impossible; besides which, even thu
curving of the ball is robbed of its ad
vantages. OF what use is the power L
curvo the bah in sending il to the bats
man unless you can control It's direction
SO as TO make 1t pass over the home plate
and at the height called for by the bats
man, at willY Speed in delivery is an
other essential which is comparatively
useless as an element Of success unless &C
companied by thorough command Of The
ball. But suppose you POSSESS these cs
scntials of the curve and Of speed il
delivery, in combination with the requir
ed command of the ball, so as to secure
accuracy of aim in your pitching, you
will still be wanting int "a Thorough
knowledge OF the "artof pitching unless
you can bring skillful strategy into play
in your work in the box, tecnically term
ed "headwork." - ~ (. =. s7''',y.. z
1t may naturally be asked, "What Il
strategy, or 'hcadwork.' in pitchingg
and its elements may be summed up al
follows Primarily, 1t is to deceive th,
eye and the Judgment Of the batsmai
who faces you as to the character Of tn,
ball sent in TO the bat; such as making l
appear that you are sending in q ycrl
swift ball, when, in fact. the pace of TIL
ball Is lessened by well disguised meth
cd of delivery. Also TO suddenly chang
the line Of the balls direction through
the medium of the "curve" after sendin,
ina straight ball. To these strategic
points are to be added that Of Watching
the action OF the batsman, so as to catcl
him standing out of good "form" for Of
fpciiva battinp. and lastly In tom M hin