The evening times., 1896-07-17


ways of sending in the bail," said u veteran
OF the national game to a Times reporter
the other day, has ever BEEN to me, as to
most other ballplayers and bail cranks,
source Of endless interest and pleasure. 1t
used 10 Come in handy, whenI was player,
for batter who knows the wea knesscs of a
pitcher, has almost as much advantage as
the pitcher who knows all the weak points
OF his Datsman.
"Of course, there are conditions in the
game now that did not exist III SSS, when
L was pla ying ball, but even the changes i'll
rules and in the personnel Of the pitching
starfs, cannot alter certain fixed and un-
changing things. Thus, the heady pitcher
is just as valuable now as ever; the speedy
pitcher has the same bulge Oh timid batters,
and the man who can mix speed ard science
is still the winner in the long run.
''In 1888 the star pitchers were keefe,
Calvin, Ramsey, BuffiDton, Caruthers, Clark
son and others now departed from the dia-
mond. Now the stars are Rusic, Mich OILS,
Mercer, Ehret, Dwyer, Young Cuppy, Brett
enstein, Griffith and others. Contra ST these
men. and note the individual peculiarities
of ca ch.
Tim keefe used to send in nice fast
ball and slow curve tina t dislocated your
back when you reached for it. He had good
control, slendid head, and neat curves.
Never did he have half the speed of Rusie or
such curves as Ramsey. Yet lie won pen
nants, and for fifteen years pitched winning
ball. Tim could not bat a stroke on earth
and so could not help himself to win games
as a hard-ihtting pitcher can.
FAT JIMMY CALVIN.
Jimmy Calvin, fat and pudgy, had none
OF keefe's grace. He slung the ball up to
the plate like a hired man getting rid of a
basket OF coal, and had an alternate over
and underhand delivery. Jimmy had con-
siderable speed and q fair slow ball, with
few curves. In but Que point of the game
Gould he compare with Keefe, and yet that
one thing won Jimmy many game. That
was his alf-balk, by which he caught run
ners off the bases again and again. Jimmy
pitched about eighteen years, i believe,
before adipose tissue and the batting eve
OF the younger generation forced him from
the field.
Ramsey had only his terrible drop ball,
had little head or science, was as poor a
batter S keefe or Calvin, and man of the
most dissipated habits. But that wonder
lul drop brought him through in winning
style. 1t would, think, be almost impos-
siblc to pitch the Ramsey drop at the pres
ent distance, as it would strain the pitch
er'sback and arm TOO much. Ramsey la sted
but few years, and is now remembered
only for his drop ball. and not for any pleas
ing personal attributes.
"Buffinton likewise threw a drop ball,
ls,S.
and pitched some ten years before lie quit
the business. Buff was good pitcher
With fair control, some headwork and good
speed.
John Garrison, in his prime, was
dazzling winner. He pitched on q reverse
system from Tim keefe. Tim believed in
getting batters out OF the way ON strikes
and not in trusting the field too much. In
those days of short-range pitching Tim
would roll up ten strike-outs to a game. but
John would have only two or three John
thought it too hard on the arm to pitch
strike-out ball, and went on the principle
that eight other men We're paid to catch
whut might be hit at them. And he won his
games. So did Keefe. and the records of
the two will show that there was little
difference in their glory. John had curves
speed. a noble head, and yet lasted only
about eight years. He left name in base
ball, however, which will never be for
gotten.
KEEFE AND GARRISON.
''keefe and Clarkson were models of
grace-pictures for a panter-when twir--
ing. Nowadays there is very little posing
Any painter would have gone wild in the
oil do ,Ia,
OF Mulane. Look at that fellow Wilson out
there and judge if he wouldn't be enough
to make i painter get out in he woods and
draw cows. lie stands in a hideous position,
his arms are long and skinny, his hands are
oversized, his figure is like u lath. In his
street clothes the man is good looking, but
it will be years before he will fall INTO
the graceful attitudes Of the uld-time
boxmep.
.'Rusie, who is the hottest pitcher Of the
present day So far as speed and fast curves
are concerned, is a big, fat but powerful
boy who ought to settle down int future
OF steady, honest twirling as Jim Calvin
did, and be coed for ten years more. Nichols
has some Of the style of John Clarkson and
had the old distance been retained would
have been as good as John used to be.
Griffith is pitcher who catches my fancy.
He has more Of the ways OF Tim Keefe than
any other man of the present time and Will
be good for years TO come.
This man Young Of Cleveland is a big
farmer, who hurls the ball through the air
with all his rail splitting strength and is
backed up by red hot team. remember
Young in 1890 and ne was sight. He
used TO tie himself up In the weirdcst
knots and the Small boys would Shrek
with merriment, but he has got over that
long al 60.
How do the pitchers Of ftoda Y match those
of years ago? Why, the change in he pitch
ing distance has ruined comparison. fan
cy Rusie and others would have been as
good as Clarkson and Keefe at the old
distance, but the cranks of the old time
will never be induced to believe so.''