The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-09-09
HOW TO CURVETHE BALL
n FxMOCs PITCHER GIVES AWAr
1HE SkCRBT or Success.
II Ton Would Be Successful Twirier
You Must Have Nerve-Iasy TO Curve
and Shoot. Hut Control of speed Beat

great ball players line IannehiIl and NJ
IarKcy. by studying tohc hints here given.
VIII be able. with year OF two practice.
20 earn a biz salary.
Tho first aud most important qualihca-
ton CT pitcher Is nerve says Mr..
JsrCitonsleiu. 4 man may have the speed
81 a c.uinOn-l,all and curves ike Hogdrth
lines OF beauty, out If nc lacks nerve 10
wont 90 Tor pitcher. The man wh)
sets "a Dig. dusty feeling up ia his throat
when has opponents begin 90 hammer his
curves all over the neld had better give
NJ baseball and take 10 some other bus
lnyss. At the start a young pitcher
should ordeasor TO obtain perfect control
o. the bali and a free. easy delivery. ilc
should practice and practice until ne cas-
put the ban over the plate SLOW or i"o'.
nigh OF low just as he picdses fOr
this reason yCung puchc: should al
ways pitch over some object that Will 10
Cuty Tor 81 plate. Throwing 10 catcher
IS rCt the best method OF obtaining con-
troll. No matter low long IL takes a
young pitcher he should master this point
Like an lcft-handed pitchers, j was WIZ
when i began pracuced until can
row put tho ball wherever 1 want II. 10
qhls faculty more than any other i owe
whatever success 4 may have earned az
n
troll OF your straight bah. low and high.
you can begin trying a change OF pace.
mis- is also "a most important point, as
more batsmon arc fooled by change Of
pace than by all the speed. curves. OF
shoots m tne world.
CHANGE OF PACE.
A good change of pace rs the most val
liable faculty "a pitcher can possess. II
layos his wing as b. obyiates his hay-
INK 10 pitch curves. which are so wear
fng on the arm. Well used. 10 rs fully
as effective. It is not necessary 10 describe
all the variations used Ga a. change OF
pace. 10 slfhccs TO say that ~ embraces
every ball from the fastest 10 the slowest.
Ia can be- used with curves or without,
just as the pitcher ploases. The most
important thing about change OF pace IS
that a slow ball must De pitched "i;h ok
acty the same motion as fast one. The
batter must not bc able to tel from tho
motion of your arm what kind Of
lal is coming. You must put just as
much force into the delivery Of slow
ban as fast one. In order TO pitch
slow bail with the same motion as fast
one il Is Orly necessary 20 slightly
change TIE position of the fingers on the
bali Tie ball is held between the thumb
aud two first fingers. The tips Of the
fingers grasp the sphere firmly. Now,
/ generally throw slow ball with almost
tie same grip. Inc position Of the bah
s. changed slightly. IL is Irsned back
closer 10 the palm and the two FIRST
Joints OF tie fingers do not touch II. 1t
is impossible TO detect the difference 10
the grip while the hand is In motion.
Another IS q ful-hand grip for SLOW
ban. In this all five finger tips grasp
the sphere tightly. but ii does not res
ir the palm The beauty Of this hal IS
t.at the harder you throw it the slower
a. goes. Ii also takes very nice curve
81 the proper twist OF the wrist Is gwen
al the right moment
NV fast han is what most PEOPLE call
m "inshoot" II will curve away from
a richt-handed batter and in to left
h1rdsd enc. II is my best and most ell
fectivo ball. when 1 have good speed and
q slight wind against me this ball takes
"A raise" or jump that renders ii very
hard TO hit. The way in which the
ban is held has everything u do with
its speed To throw a fast ball grasp
Il firmly between the thumb and point
Of the two forenrr'rs. Let 1t roll over
the finger tips with an outward centri-
fugal motion. This will cause 1t TO
shoot IN to the batter. ! use this ball
<
nut on let's OF speed and keep the ball
id,h up and close to their bodies. il is
ncxt 20 impossible for a left-hander 10
nit this hall safely. lie may foul IL
several times but eventually II will hit
his bat handle ard go for eaten. AS
-ule lcft-handcrs hit .ow balls better
than high ones. Thompson. Ercuthers
and Eurkett are cases in point. All
these men are great htters, yet they ma
81 hard 10 land ball that shoots along
thc.- shoulder lire IN close. in tight
Mace | Invariably use this ball. An out
curve is not hard 20 pitch. ! use II on
-irht-handers IN the same way as / %
the in-curve on left handlers. only not so
much. believe I'm keeping the ball
close TO the batter's person. lie IS less
liable TO II Get 1t with che thick part OF
1he hat ard when IL strikes near the han
III. nv s the result OF course. we
sometifes try To fool a man by giving
Inn bah apparently just where he
wants IL. but in reality just beyond the
roach OF his bat. lie hits At Il ana
misses. But it is very hard 10 fool good
ha:i-rsi aud we are forced ITO PIT II
over"
THE VARIOUS CURVES.
70 MITCH an cont curve" the hall should
.et rather deeper in the hand than Tor
the in curve" Just at the moment thS
hall IS let go. the wrist should be given
a sharp snap Of twist towards the body
ana the bail should be caused 10 roll over
that mart OF the hand h.tWecnt the thumb
ard second jont % the torenuger. To
q rirht-handcd man this will cause the
hail TO take rotary motion from right 10
left II the ball IS meant 70 curve over
tho plate 10 should be thrown almost di-
ret al a richt-handcd batter; II II IS
meant to "fo0" him. right at the plate.
A 6rop curve Is the hardest Of an ON the
arm IL is thrown by the same grip as an
ou, but the back Of The hand should face
directly towards the batter as the ban is
delivered. A swift downward snap must
bc given tho wrist and elbow and the
hail should hc Jet roll out just like the ont
curve The ball comes higher than the
haffer's head and is seemingly a ball just
as II reaches the. plate IL shoots towards
the ground and crosses 10 knee-high /
1yorld earnestly advise young pitchers not
~ use this curve very often While 70 is
ehowv and effective. II IS severe on the
arm and will ruin a weak elbow. Many
a good pitcher has been ruined by using
ae well ae taking drop too frequently.
Although curves arc sometimes valuahle.
would advise against their use Change
q, race and good Judgment are the things
What help pitchers 10 win. study your
natters. II Won know he likes a high ball
give him n low one and vice versa. Not
I'm tho time OF coiirse. for n they know
what &c coming they are liable 20 lay for
s.. Mix them up 40 unexpected moments
~ you see a batter get back in the box