The evening times., 1896-09-12
TERRY TALKS aviTW|R[|NG
Chicago's Veteran Pitcher
Says a Thing Or Two.
IT Is HARD WORK NOWADAYS
Fielders AreNow Protecting the Man
on the Rubber, aving Learned the
Batters' Weakness-Curves Neces-
sarily Wider and slower Than W hen
the Distance Was Five Feet Less.

Pitching today" said Will Terry, the
Adonis who has been Iwirling since the
memory OF man knew not the contrary,
during his recent stay in this city, lis a
reryl different job from what it was tw cnty
years ago, or ien or even five Rules have
been changed and tinkered with; distances
nave been lengthened, and myriad of
tricks, calculated to embarrass the pitcher,
have been yainly tried. Unless the rule
makers take it into their heads to so fix
the rules that the pitcher will simply have
TO stand up and lob the ball over the plate.
the pitcher will remain autocrat of the
game, and batting averages Will continue
10 he under 800.
mo matter what the changes in rules
one style, remained pitchers under the next
arrangement. Some OF them have been
driven out OF the business by the changes
from time TO time. but the pitchers who sur
vived mad been pitchers before, ard they
have never succeeded in inventing rules
which would make twirlers out of short
stops, or great box ST ars out OF fieiders
''Pitching under the ancient round-slrin
ttliNCls " dS a pIO1k-SS, anu IaDtN
that only the short distance prevented the
pitchers from being hiteven harder han they
were, and some of the old-tine games had
scores large enough 10 satisfy any crank
on baIing. Then the pitchers were al
lowed to get their arms higher and higher,
until all restrictions We're done away with,
and they could throw where and W hen they
wanted
WHENBATTER CALLED HIS BALL.
The system under which the Chicago team
won its glory was til at which allowed the
batter TO call for a bah where he wanted
il high or 10 W, aad the command which this
necessitated from the pitcher was marvel
Gus. Seven balls were called before Il ba tier
could take his base, aud the Dumbcr was
none too great under such circumstances.
During the period of the call -for-y our ball
rule an idiocy requiring the pitcher TO keep
both feet on the ground while throwing the
bah was perpetrated. -
"If you don't think that rule was a strain
Just take ban ami try 20 throw II, etreD
with moderate, speed, and ksrp both feet
fixed to the ground. II requires gyration
OF arm and body that's worse than seven
Dclsarte lessons. II
with the three-s.rike and lour-ball rule
originally four strikes and five balls-thc
pitchers began to develop great speed and
fine control. Then tie howl, about pitcher
domination began 10 be rais sesi, and the bat
ting cranSs commenced loscream about the
advantage given the pitchers Ev.u so. THE
science of batting aud the art Of fielding
were advancing Just as rapidly as the talent
of the pitcher.
There were fewer strike outs 10 the game
in 1892, last year of the fifty-feet distance.
than used to be the rule in 1857. The ball
was coming in faster no doubt, bot 1.-The keen
eyed fellows at the rubber weren't missing
it to any great degree. 1t was the work OF
the fellows in the field that as killing the
batting.
PITCHERS BOX ABOLISHED.
There were games where only one
bit would be cbalked up for a team, and
yet the winning pitcher would have only
four or five strike-outs. The fieiders had
taken care of all the rest Something had
to be done, however, to still the popular
ciamor for more batting, and, of course,
the poor pitcher had to suffer.
so the box was. abolished, a small
strip of rubber substituted, science and
change of place and pace were discour-
aged by compelling the pitcher to keep
his foot on that slab aud the slab itself
was set far back in the diamond. That
worked pretty well. The sluggers had
fraction more time to judge the bail. As
/ said, they could hit 1t before, but they
had 10 make quick baphazard snaps at
the ball; now they had time to at least
make an attempt to place it. The result
was most satisfactory increase in the
slugging.
But all the rules ever invented TO
hamper the pitcher couldn't kill his field
ers, and the men behind the pitcher have
now learned to play for men under thenew
rules Just as under the old. Batting aver
ages were a shade lower in 1895 than
in 1894, aud are quite little smaller
SO far this season. The fielders have
gauged their men, that is all. a
SHOULD PITCH EVERY FOUR DAYS.
Formerly pitcher could go in every
of least two days between gamesis neces-
sary, and many pitchers cannot be worked
more than one day in four. The extra dis
lance makes a man Work that much harder
to send the bail up the way he used to do.
There has been a. change, too. in the
tricks OF the trade. We used to rely large
ly upon great speed, with short, fast curves,
alternated with slow ball. You can all
.A.A.N.N.A'E n