The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-03-01
YOUNG PITCHERS ARE TOO EAGER
When Trying Out With Big League
Teams They Are Prone to
Work Too Hard.

| NEW YORK, March Manager
Griffith, who handles the helm of the
greater New York baseball craft, is a
pretty good judge of basebai. timber
He has had the experience and any
thing pertaining to the national game
starts him thinking. Then when Griff
starts in talking about baseball he usu-
ally knows what he is talking about.
! The conversation drifted to young
| NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. who are ambi-
tious and want to make their mark
in fast company Now, as regards I'M
| developed pitching material, Griffith
| has his own ideas. He thinks he
| knows exactly now to handle these
youngsters. and if there is a future
| for any of those who come under his
supervision he is not long in learning
their value.
Take the average youngster when
he starts training says Griff. The
first thing he wants to do is to show
the manager what he has got. Well,
kill this idea right away. I'll tell him
to get to work and shape his arm. Cut
out all the fancy work. I'll tell him.
When l think his arm is strong and
well imbered up I'll get behind him
and tell him to cut loose. He is then
in condition to burn 'em over, and in
the - minutes that he will be asked
to pitch l can pretty near tell how
good he is
Youngsters Too Anxious.
We have a heap Of trouble with
these young minor leaguers. They want
to throw their arm out in five minutes
In this way many a promising young
ster is spoiled You got to give the
youngsters plenty of time to get the
arm working Then when they are
asked to deliver the goods their arm
will not be affected by the hard work.
Baseball fans throughout the coun-
try are wondering at the success of Al
Ortiz Several years ago Orth was
relegated to the baseball graveyard,
but since he joined the Yankees he
has been one of their winning pitch
ers. One of the secrets of Orth's sue
cess during the past three years is
that he resorts almost entirely to the
so called spit ball Some people will
say that the spit BALI will wear out
a mans arm in year or two.
Orth Has Easy Style.
I'm the case of Orth, why ne could
keep on pitching this style Of delivery
oic
his usefulness. | have studied Orth's
style as closely as any one in the
game; the curveless wonder pitches
the spit ball entirely different from
any other twirler. That is to say,
Orths spit BALI takes an entirely diff
ferent course than any one elses. In
other words, Orth pitches a slow spit
BALL Then, again, he does not re-
sort to a jerk movement when hurl- |
ing the pellet. Griff interprets Orth's |
delivery as sort of bunch movement |
1t does not wear heavily on the shout |
der or the arm. The ball is neither
speedy nor slow. Still it breaks with
the same eccentricityI of the speedy |
spit ball
Il have looked over the rules very
said Griffith. land l don't
see where there can be any improve
ments, aside from making the wording
more plain. AS regards the umpire, l
believe the suggestion that an official
should raise his right or left arm to
denote a strike as a change that will
he welcomed by the patrons of the
game Often during the game the -
is so great that the spectator cannot
hear what the umpire is calling. This
could be made plain to every one if
the umpire would raise, say his right
hand indicating a strike, and his left ;
10 indicate that a ball was called.
believe this change will be made" II