The St. Louis Republic., 1904-02-21

;,bort the spring series. as not one of tn,
players have been seen in act.on so far
tiliS scar
on paper the ,cerns look evenly bal.
ancsd. bat what they will DO on the field
remains 10 be SsSn-
CLARNSON ON ToUL-STRIkE RULE.
81 don't know that | can speak inteiii-
gently about tie foui-strik. rule. as ]
know little about i.'' said John q. Clark
son, the old Chicago pitcher. to-day.
Generally speaking should think 1t was
a great benefit 10 the game If the practice
OF spelling good halls that was indulged
in SO much in MY day was done away
with Some o: the batters were so pro-
ficient in that trick that they would delay
the game for twenty minutes sometimes
and disgust the patrons. Arlie Latham
and Kelly were about the first OF the bat
ters TO get that trick down fine. l pitched
fully twenty minutes TO Latham one time
before l got him to strike out. and then
did it by a little trick.
'RatteTs to-day have more chance in the
game than they used 70 have. II used to
he more OF pitchers battle in my day.
because the pitchers box was so close on
the batter that he didn't have the chance
to swing on the ball as he has now. The
outfeiiers have more show to disriay
their fielding ability now tran formerly.
In my Gay the batting was more 10
right field. because the pitcher was up
SO Close 10 the batter that when he swung
on the ball he sent ii 20 right field. wille
now II is the third baseman and the short
stop who get most OF the plays.
Il had jump ball that used 10 do good
service. and | have never seen any piISaer DnP
oran OF Detroit has il partly and tnnR
that I could do him a lot OF good hy coacfi.
ing him a little. Ee looks IKE great
pitcher to me- and with a little finishing
he would make one of the greatest ever
knew. A pitcher has to study his batter:
and tire man who has al the weakness OF
the opposing slabrner down has half OF his
battle won before the game beeins.
When Germany Smith was Baltimore
tWirIer 4 batter faced him whose weak
ness he had forgotten Smith seemed IN a
brown study for some moments. and then
turney halfway round so that the crowd
could not see him and pulled little book
halfway from his pocket: then. facing the
halter. re said: Aha. / have you now
The batter was retired without a hit.
Pitchers have to have some natural
ability but sometimes they do not know
for some other person TO discover it; When
l was coaching Yale l was ridiculed for
taking Dutch Carter of first base and
making him pitch Carter had world or
speed but he did not know how TO use
IT, NV Judgment was good regarding him,
though. and he made one Of the greatest
pitchers Of that day. and undoubtedly
would have rnde good In fast company II
he had had q chance. He hurt his arm
one cav in practice and was out of the
game forever"
: Considerable trouble is experienced by
Manager McAleer os the ST. Louis Browns
in getting his high-saiaried men OF last
vear to accept cut In salary for the COM
ing year Jack Powell and Suhhof are two
Of those who object to a reduction.
WHY PITCHERS ARE POOR EATERS.
THE reason pitchers are rot harder bat
ters Is because o: the lack OF practice"
said Deacon Philippe to a Pitts5urg Ga
zette man. It can speak for myself, and
know that II I had the opportunity, as
the other hatters on the team. I think I
would have just as good a batting aver
age at the close of the season as the ma
jority of the players
This declaration on the part Of Philippe