Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-19
FAST FIELDING
IS AGAINST BATTING

NEW YORK, February 18.-"We want
more hitting, has been the cry OF base
ball experts from ali sections of the coun-
try But there will be no changes in the
rules which might Increase batting and
this comes from Clark Griffith
The manager of the Yanks is about the
best expert on anything pertaining to the
national game that can be found On the
base ball map. Here Is a man who has
the game studied down to a pin point. so
to speak. In his heydey he was among the
leading batters of the country. and when
he used to take his regular turn ON the fir
Ing line there was not a batter who did not
find his pitching troublesome.
''The people who are making such a loud
holler about the dearth Of base hits these
days don't know the game says Grit.
why, Will make the declaration now, and
you can't bring me base ball man who
can give me an argument against my dec
laration, when l say the men in the big
leagues are hitting the ball harder now
than at any time since base ball became q
profession.
What have I got to back up this declara-
tion?" snapped Grit.
Game Is Faster.
''Smply that the game has become some
thing Of a science. The fielding Is sharper
and faster, and it takes an exceptionally
fast man who can make a hit when the
pitcher is able to put the ball where he
wants to.
THE felders have got the game down to
such fine point that when the signal is
handler, he gave the signal for an incurve.
an outshoot. or any other kind of a shoot,
the ielders get into position for the play.
Indeed, they know about where the ball is
going to be hit.
Take a pitcher who can deliver the
goods. If the man at the bat Is a right
handler. he gives the signal for an incurce.
This is flashed to the fielders and every one
moves over toward the left fielder The
pitcher then feeds the batter an incurye.
To hit the ball he has to hook his bat, and
this naturally pulls the ball toward left
field. Ninety-nine times out Of a hundred
the right handler will bat an outcurve into
right field.
"Often pitcher feeds up a speedy
straight ball and the batter stings It, but
the fielders are so fast and proficient that
they get the leather all right.
THE last series we played with Cleve
land last year was heartbreaker for us
in the way Of sharp fielding. Our boys
stung the ball hard every time. but this
fellow Turner at shortstOp played about
the greatest fielding game can remember
1t wasn't chance work with him either. He
did this for three games. and his phe-
nomenal work Is what lost at least two
games for us.
No Falling OF in Batting.
Don't let any one tell you that there is
a falling OFF in batting. and that the pitcher
has too big an advantage. It's team work
in the field. with the pitcher knowing ex-
actly what to feed the batter.
TT is also said that the advantage the
pitcher has is illustrated by the fact that
there are more strike-Outs than usual
This, too, is all wrong. You take games
where there are four or five strike-outs and
you will see that the pitcher was the VIC
tim two or three times. Don't count the
pitcher. who is usually a weaker hitter.
and the average would not be more than
two strike-outs game. This. mind you.
Is big average. There are times when a
man gets a dozen strike-outs. But this Is
not often. Matty did 1t often two years
ago. but he is above the ordinary.
I'm the old days. say up to ten years
ago. the pitcher who couldn't average ten
or twelve strike-outs game was con-
today. and the pitchers are better than
they were ten years ago. All this shows
that the ball is hit oftener. and harder,
too, but as / said before, the fielding Is
faster-almost sensational"
What goes to make up the best pitchers
these days."
a batter the slow ones with the same mo-
ton as when he shoots EN- over hard and
he's the man for q winning team.
Its this change Of pace that makes
Matthewson about the greatest pitcher in
the country. He can hand up speedy or
slow ones with the same motion. and that's
what keeps the batter guessing.
IL wish | had little OF Matty's speed
and you would see me working pretty regu-
larly."