The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-09-03
BATTERS AND THEIR STYLES.
AS MANY STYLES AS BATTERS
IN BASEBALL.

AS MANY STYLES AS BATTERS
IN BASEBALL.
Awkwardness at the Plato Docs Not Imply
Inability to DO Things to the Horse
hide-Cases Proving This-Positions
OF Keeler, LaJoie, DOnlin and Others.
| There are as many styles in batting as
| there are batters in professional baseball.
They range from the graceful to the awk-
ward, from the easy to the constrained.
| And q graceful and easy style does not
necessarily imply good batter any more
| than an awkward and constrained style
necessarily implies a poor batter. Ex-
perts on batting have often remarked
that you cannot impart a style to man.
There are many little things about batting,
such as gripping his club, standing close
to the plate and swinging the bat, that
| can be acquired and which bring about
Improvement but in the main man will
adjust his body at the plate in a manner
that is natural to him and which suits him
best.
"Form" in batting is a somewhat vague
quality. Nobody worries much about what
a batter's form may be if he can hit over
300. Possibly batters could improve their
hitting by learning to follow throu gh,'
as the golfer and billiardist does, but II
batters stopped to follow through their
batting swing the chances are they would
he thrown out on what otherwise would
be base hits. It H. the batter's business
to get away from the plate as quickly as
possible after meeting the tall, and he has
little time to follow through. Besides,
the baseball batter IL not hitting at sta
tionary ball. He is hitting at a moving
ball, and . swiftly moving one. The i'm
pact Of bat and ball. II square drives the
ball with plenty Of force. Another thing:
The velocity with which the ball strikes
the bat will effectually slow up the forward
movement Of the bat. 80 az to prevent any
following through. II suoh thing were
practicable in baseball the fraction OF
second spent in following through with
the swing would be much more profitably
invested in sprinting for first base.
Among the top notch batters OF the
country can be found distinct illustrations
of the different batting types. Willie
Keller, one OF the most scientific batsmen
that ever put wood to leather has in the
ma tier OF natural grace and unconstrained
alertness an ideal position at bat Yet
he does not make any more base hits than
does big George Stone OF the st. Louis
Browns. whose ungainly position at the
bat tends to controvert tenets that stance"
may cut any figure in batting baseball.
Keller and Stone are two entirely OPP
posite types. Keller stands erect at the
bat, with his heels together. close to the
plate, his head bent slightly forward so
that It IL nearly over the plate, his face
toward the pitcher, but his body toward
the plate. Generally his bat rests quietly
on his left shoulder-he is lefthanded
INTERRUPT he often makes one or two
slight movements with the bat as the pitcher
is about to wind up. He is watchfulness
itself and thoroughly at ease. 30 placed
that he can pounce on pitched ball that
suits him and follow exactly the course
OF the pitched ball. always ready to hit.
Stone. too, Ia left handler at the bat, but
he has pronounced crouch and apparently
such position that he cannot recover.
once pulled out of his position by curve.
Yet he meets a ball squarely and with great
force. Keeler probably strikes out less
than any batter except Lajoie. but Stone
does not do go often. He is more Of a
swinger than Keller, whose motion Is
quicker and sharper. though sometimes
It consists Of simply short chop that meets
the ball. and nothing else.
The peerless batter. Napoleon Lajoie,
Is what may be described as three-quarter
face hitter. His whole body is turned
toward the pitcher, He stands very
erect. moves his bat little hut, like Keller
indu lges in very few false motions, Like
nearly every good batter. he is not far
from the plate. and Is not to be driven
back by balls close in. He is graceful.
easy and relaxed. He does not swing
hard. but his eye is SO true and he times
bat and hall 30 accurately that the solid
impact drives the ball on many long jour
neys when there has been no hard swing.
Iajoie ia turned toward the pitcher more
than most hatsmen, but his position in
that regard is not as pronounced as was
throughout his career on the diamond,
faced the pitcher squarely. Nevertheless.
he could pick them out high or low, inside
or outside the plate, just as Lajoe can
A story about Lajoie's batting will bear
what kind of ball do you like best?"
he was asked.
ANY kind l can reach" was the reply.
! ST Seymour Of the Cincinnatis, a crack
| ing good sticker, does not suggest good
form at the plate. He bends we'll over,
waves his bat around in nervous manner
and Is apt to create the very erroneous
impression that he Is mark G. tho bat.
All pitchers know better. Seymour is
natural hitter and very competent one,
but shy on style. A more ungainly batter
than Bradley Of the Clevelands does not
exist. yet he is terror. to pitchers. He
stoops and crouches and twists hi. head
and altogether appears to be a shining
example Of how not to bat; vet he stands
in the way that comes natural to him and
Is heavy hitter,
Wagner, the Pittsburg slugger. sugee ste
strength rather than grace. He bats in
no set style, but takes positions that be
THINKS arc suited TO the occasion. Some.