The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-19
SPORTING NEWS.
Wiley Piatt Discusses Baseball
Future.
Predicts Another Change in
Pitchers Box.
FROM SLAB TO HOME.
Twirlers Have Big Advantage
Over the Batters.
Placed Farther Away or q Few
Feet Nearer.
FROM SLAB TO HOME.

Pnlladelpnla, July ~ 4AS time -
not far distant when there will be an
other change in the distance OF the
pitchers box from the home plate" re-
marked Wiley Piatt. Comiskey's crack
southpaw, today. 'The time has to come
for the box artists are gradually get
ting the better of the batter again. and
to even up affairs some such change Will
be necessary.
Ever since the change making the
distance from the batters box to the
pitchers slab so feet the twirlers nave
slowly but steadily learned the new ais
lance and gained the control of the ball
that breaks the curves just before the
batter reaches for them, thereby fool1ng
him. This control has improved until
even now the pitcher has the long END
of it,
What this change will be ] cannot
tell, but a few feet either way would
make big difference to the pitcher he
has worked for years to gain the con-
troll necessary, to serve the ball to the
batter in such way that the curve
will break just at the proper moment
right at the plate. A slight change
few feet more in the distance-would
make the curve break too soon, and
trifle shorter would break it in the
catcher's mitt In either case the bat
ter would be benefited, for he would
know that the ball had finished it's
jumping and would be straight or that
he could get it before 1t broke at all
That would mean that the pitcher had
to learn his curves and slants all over
again. and it would take years before
the youngsters in the present game
could get the control they now possess,
and it would probably put most OF the
old timers out of the business.
II confidently believe that inside OF
the next ten years some pitcher Will
develop a curve that 1t will be pract1-
cally impossible to hit, for instance
nj inc 6Q yUh f.
ter will be unable to judge at all. Now
the hardest bah to hit, think, is the
fast ball, which sails. 1t is thrown d.
rectly overhead and sails to the batter,
when it takes sudden jump upward.
completely fooling the man with the
willow when delivered properly. This
sail ball is one of my best when 1 am
right, but of course I can't always get
it any more than I can all the other
curves when I don't feel right and
haven't good control. If such ball
is developed in the course of time the
necessity for a change in the pitchers
box will become still more apparent.
did you ever notice that first base
men muff more balls thrown them b.
left-handers than right-handers? Well.
it is a fact and is easily explained, too
Ir the first place, there is no such
thing as a fast ball that doesn't curve
or shoot to some extent. Some of the
infielders who throw to first get wonder
full curves, which if they could repro
duce from the pitchers box with proper
control would make them star slab ar
fists. Frank Shugart, VINO played short
for the White Stockings last season.
had the greatest curve 1 ever saw wheL
throwing fast to first.
with a right-hand pitcher, this shoot
of the fast ball. thrown quickly to first
to catch base runner mapping, curves
to the right, against the gloved hand
. of the baseman. Naturally, the fast
! ball of south paw shoots the other
way, or against the ungioved hand of
the man who covers the bag. Ror that
reason, if any speed is used by left
handler, it is almost a cinch that the
first baseman is going to miss the throw
or let it go through him. Then there
is another reason, and that is that the
majority of the pitchers are right
handed and the first baseman gets used
to catching their throws. Then when
the southpaw goes in to work and his
curves shoot the other way, he isn't
prepared to reach far enough to the
right with his gloved hand, and the
first thing he knows he gets a fast one
on his mitless hand and there's a
holler. I never use much speed throw
ing to first, for usually the base-runner
can be got with an easier throw, for
the man covering the sack can handle
the ball much faster then, and the
liability of his muffing the throw or
letting the ball get away from him is
greatly reduced