Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-12

inseon years ago. The situation came up
at the end Of q close game. Chicago hao
scored and. with one out. Washington mao
two men on bases, with Selbach. the best
with him, delayed, threw the ball around.
until he had "Kip'' wild with nervousness
They were kidding each other continually,
and finally Grit remarked:
Here you big stiff. hit this"
He turned his hand backward and Pitch
ed the ball with the old straight arm toss
AS the sphere foated up to the plate sell
BACH anxious to knock tho cover on IL.
knees. and the bail went over the plate
squarely above his back. The umpire called
him out on strikes. and Kip was so mad ne
wanted to assault Grif
Grit, always cool and calculating. caught
more runners on bases with less help from
his basemen than any other pitcher. He
would work a nervous base runner into
Mysteries by his tanta1izing throws. and
eventually he would snap the ball suddenly
to the baseman, catch the runner overbal-
anced, and nip him off the base. The bet
ter the base runner the oftener Grif caught
him, because the bum base runners simply
stood with one foot on the base. Nervous,
high-strung runners like Joe Kelley were
his marks, but he never could catch Wee
Willie Keeler, who was as cool and crafty
on Iu0 OAS6S dS ITu was III tAC OoAs
Everybody has a favorite pitcher. and,
while must admit that Grit and his tutor.
Radbourne, achieved the greatest fame as
brainy pitchers, there was another who
never rose to their heights, who, to my
way of thinking, was one Of the brainiest
and best that ever lived. Few even will
remember his name. He was waiter
Woods, the little Yankee who pitched
Springfield, Mass, into the pennant and
afterward achieved a record of pitching
more extra inning games and losing them
than any major league pitcher ever did
in one season.
woods, like Smiling AL Orth, didn't have
nothing" He had no curves to speak or,
little speed, not much change OF pace-but
he certainly knew how to use what he had
He was silent, modest little fellow, whose
chief ambition was to make enough money
out Of base ball to get out of the business
and buy grocery store down at Ports
mouth. N. H.
Woodie certainly did know how to pitch.
His arm was not strong during his last
year at Chicago, but his tantalizing twiss-
ers and his wonderful control kept the NIT
tiers at bay all year. He pitched some.
thing as Carl Lundgren does now, but mad
even less in the way Of speed and curves.
Noodle first called attention to his pow
ers of observation in a hotel at Phliadei-
phia one evening". few days AFTER ne
Joined the Chicago club He had seen PM.
adelphia for the first time that day ana
then from the bench. Some one was talk
ing about Ed Delehantys great hitting.
Woods suddenly remarked:
Hes a sucker after curved ball.
How do you know?" demanded the
other player.
II watched him. He can't hit it unless
he knows it's coming.
He pitched to Del two days later and
kept the big slugger breaking his back at
Jfflo curvea a cOuple of inches of the END
of his bat.
Tony Mullane was another scienrinc
pitcher. He had the art of wasting a Dali
down long before the other pitchers thought
of it. and. aside from his speed. Tony's
greatest success was in making batters hit
bad balls. Another point on which the
count insisted was that no player ever
should crowd the plate on him. 1t inter-
fered with his plans Of making them nit
bad balls To keep them proper dlstance
from the plate Tony tried system Wnlch
modern pitchers would do well TO 1oiioW.
When q batter got up on the edge OF the
plate Tony hit him with the ball. AFTER
he had wounded half dozen there was no
more crowding the plate.
+
Dad Clarke pitched scientifically and he
pitched differently against every team ne
faced. One night in Louisville came down
the street and found Dad in front OF the
hotel, his head bowed into his hand, and
deep in thought. Chicago-had beaten him
about 1s to 3 that afternoon and ham
mered his curves all over the lot.
whats the matter. Dad?" l inquired.
whats troubling you?'
Pm thinking up a new system u
slants," he replied.
He beat US with the new system In the
closing game Of the SERIES