Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-07-17

S8z@
WEIGH ON BASEBALL.
"smiIing Mickey" Talks OF the Prog
ress of the Game.

"Smtling Mickey" Talks OF the Prog.
resz OF the Game.
Smiling Mickey" Welch, who help.
ed pitch the New Works to the pennant
In 1883 and 1889. has interesting ideas
regarding the progress Of the game
since he was n Of its stars. The fact
is he does not think there has been
much progress since then, aud as he
was a player Of intelligence as well as
Of mechanical ability his opinions are
entitled TO weight. however much they
may be differed from. Welch lives at
Holyoke, Mass, and comes to New
York now and then to see a game, SO
he is not criticislng from heresay.
"The pitchers nowadays have not got
anything on the pitchers in the eighties,
and the players nowadays have not got
anything on the players OF those days."
said Welch a day or two ago. The
same tactics were used when | was
playing ball that are used now. and
the only way in which the game has
improved that | can see Is that there
are more good players. There are more
good pitchers, too, a larger number Of
scientific batters and more fast felders,
That is natural in the development Of
the game, as 1t would be in any other
business, but the first class players OF
the present are no better than the first
class players 10 and 20 years ago.
81 know the pitcher has to stand
back farther from the plate now, but
this does not make pitching any harder
for him except that it gives the batter
more chance TO time the ball. But look
at the new foul strike rule that bat
tiers have to go against now. Why, the
first thing they know the very best hit.
tiers have two strikes on them and are
In a hole.
"They played the hit and run game
In the eighties; but, as | said. did not
have as many players who could work
it as now. / don't believe there ever was
n better hitter than Arson; in fact, |
think lie was the best batter the game
ever saw. Talk about place hitting,
there was one man who could do it.
Show me any pitchers of the present
time who were better than Clarkson,
Keefe and Radbourn. Those men not
only had the arms, but the head. They
were pitchers of fine judgment. | be-
lleye GARRISON was the greatest pitcher
that ever threw a ball. Nobody was
in it with him in the knowledge of how
TO use a slow ball. Lady Baldwin was
the only great left handler / eyer saw.
"As an argument Of what | say about
old timers is the fact that the cham.
pions of today are instructed by one Of
the old timers. Ned Hanlon. He, by the
way, was the best base runner on the
diamond in those days and the only one
that gave Buck Ewing any trouble
when the latter was In his prime.
Speaking of Ewing, l believe he vas
the greatest ball player that ever lived.
There may have been better catchers,
but for knowledge of the game, know
ing just what TO do and all around
ability he had them all beat. Why,
when | was pitching to him We used
to waste three balls on such a good
base runner as Kelly in order to get
him to run TO second, aud then Buck
would civ him n start and nail him bv
20 feet. We always knew when a base
runner was going down. We simply
watched him, used our heads, aud he
would tell us himself. Ewing certain.
ly was the King of them all, aud I've
yet to see his equal."-New York Sun.