Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-18

Griffith has always been pitcher, and
one of the very best, simply because he Il
brainy pitcher, and uses his head as well
as the physical ability with which he Is SC
eminently supplied. Griffith has lasted az
pitcher as long as he has because he has
used his BRAIN
There you have 1t, in the words OF q
leading base ball authority. pitcher must
be man of head as well as ARM pitcher
Is living refutation of the old charge that
base ball is game requiring only ninble
legs and sharp eyes to play 1t.
And that's right.
McGinnity of the Champion Giants was
pitching against the Cincinnati Reds. Miller
Hugglns got in a scratch hit over to end
field. The next time Higgins came to the
pat McGinnity gave the sign for an out
curve. The ball was knocked into the left
neider's hands; he did not have to move
for the third time. McGinnity again signed
Tor an outcUrve. and again the ball soa red
into the left fielders hands.
II takes brains to control the ball in this
iasnlon for control of the sphere means
knowledge of cause and effect. and arm
alone cannot impart this knowledge.
Smiling Mickey Welsh will always be
remembered In New York as one of the
Two men who won the pennant for the me-
tropoiis In 1889. Tim" Keefe being The
other. Mickey had slow ball that was
almost unhittable. In addition, he had a
way of ceaselessly smiling while in box :
deliberate delivery and studied grin so tam
tal1Zed the batsmen that most Of them
would lose their patience and temper and
hit at the sphere too soon or too late, with
the customary fatal results.
Here were head and arm combined.
Talk to any old ball player about the
man in the box. and before long he will
be telling you of pitchers who have lost
their mechanical ability long since. but are
still in the game. Express establishment at
this revelation. and the reply will come
forth:
Yes. their delivery is dinky, but theyve
kept their places through head work
They don't depend on their arms alone
They couldn't. But they win victories
where pitchers equipped with splendid
arms only couldn't, simply because they
study the situation and act in the light
Of it,
Methods Of "Heady" Pitchers.
Quite frequently these men of head find
recourse In displaying immaculate gall, to
the disgust. anger and, finally and logically,
discontinue of their opponents Right
along they do not pitch single ball with
out having certain purpose in mind In
this they are like the brainy pitcher with
tip-top mechanical ability. who, If there is
man on first and another on second, Will
not send toward the batsman the same
sort of ball that he would If third held
runner.
1t takes a head to know how different
kinds Of balls will act under constant vary
ing circumstances, and which kind to throw,
ana where to throw, at the psychological
moment. 1t takes head to realize the effect
of each different sort of ball on the arm:
it takes head SO to vary delivery that the
arm Will not become glass at critical mo-
ment. The ball cannot be controlled with
out study, any more than book learning
can be got without it; and study takes
brains. Not practice alone will make per
1t t.,I
nifty, who holds the secret of the under
hand raised ball spent the greater part of
four years in acquiring 1t. He says that
he consumed more gray matter over the
problem than he has over any other one
thing to date. Billy" Rhnes of Cincin-
natl, who partially mastered this ball ten
years ago. wrinked his brows over it con-
stantly. and finally had to give up the
task because, he confessed. he could
not study it out. And billy had won
derful arm.
Practically every ball other than the
straight ball has been brought forth as a
result of diligent study: If accident mas
partially led to its discovery, study alone
has developed it; the spit ball. for exam
pie.
Where the Catcher Comes In.
"The pitcher is the most important factor
in the actual game of base ball. says
high authority He is 50 per cent of the
team. A star pitcher can win with
mediocre team back of him."
1t is head as well arm that makes this
true to great extent. But not altogether;
for TO matter how wonderful arm
pitcher may be blessed with, or how ACTIVE
q head, he is always dependent, to q GER
tain degree the catcher for his reputa-
ton.
1t is this way: A pitcher. by reason of
his position. has the greater part of the dia-
rnond at his back most of the time. But
the entire field Is spread out constantly be-
fore the catcher's eyes; il is a map unroled
before him. lie knows the positions of the
various players at all times; he is able to