The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-11-14
HOW TO BECOME
A GOOD BATTER
BY NAPOLEON LAJoIE

| It has often been said that hatters are
born, not made; and, while there is
more or less truth in this assertion,
there is not the least doubt in my mind
/ that poor batsman can become a good
one by consistent practice.
An improper stand at the plate will
affect the batting of a player yet there
is no rule to be lived up to in this, for
the reason that no two men in the busi-
ness stand exactly alike. Every man
must suit himself, but, while doing So
he must always bear in mind that he
must be in a position to get a fair
swing at the ball.
Many batters just toe the batters
line; that is, they get as close to the
plate as the rule will allow. At times
this is a good trick, for it makes it
difficult for the pitcher to get the ball
out of the way of the bat.
Billy Hamilton, of the Bostons. is the
only player 1 ever saw who stands al
most three feet away from the plate
He is an exception to the rule, yet one
of the best hitters.
: have always found it policy to so
place myself at the plate that my eyes
are over the side corner. This makes
it necessary for me to lean back and
over. Being a left handler. I place my
left hand over the right when gra sping
the bat This is reversed for right
handlers. Take firm hold on the bat
and let the foot facing the pitcher
barely touch the ground, SO that you
can step forward as you hit. Be sure
to have a free swing of the arms.
ward step as you swing you will get
many a hit, even when you do not
meet the ball square1y on the nostril.
That the left handed batsman has a
big advantage over the right handed
man when it comes to getting down
to first base is plainly shown in the
accompanying illustrations. His swing
throws him directly into his stride, and
he is running as soon as the bat meets
the ball. The right handed man, when
he swings, throws himself out of his
stride, must recover and then start.
Furthermore, the left handler is always
nearer first base than the right handler,
and in a close shave every inch counts.
Though bunting has been one of the
features of the game for many years,
IT seems strange that there are so few
players expert at the art of laying the
ball down. The bat should not be held
firmly, and the ball should be allowed
to hit it.
The most essentialthing to watch when
desiring to bunt is that the ball be over
the plate. Don't go after it unless it
Is waist high until you are forced to.
Trying to hunt wild pitches is failing
which many players have and they are
the ones who never learn to bunt When
a pitcher expects bunt he keeps the
bah high, for it is almost impossible
to bunt a high ball. When it comes
to bunting, the left handed batsman
has so much the better of the right
handler that it is seldom, indeed, that
right handed man beats out a bunt.
The left handler can place his bat a.
ga1nst the ball and be away from the
plate before it has hit the ground. The
right handler can hardly do this with
out making a failure of his efforts to
bunt
1t is not a bit harder to hit a curved
ball than a straight one, if you know
it is coming. The pitcher always tries
to deliver just what the batsman does
not expect. Some batsmen are good at
guessing. batter should study the
pitcher always. BY keeping his eye
Wen peeled he can often detect a curve
Just as it breaks in its course and in
plenty of time to land on it.
> Batting requires lots of practice.
Confidence is half the battle