Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-13
MOST D|AMONDSTARS
ACCURATE THROWERS
Some of the Everyday Feats
of Big Leaguers-Long's
Great Heave Of go
Feet.

One thing about base ball that aston
tshes foreigners more than anything else
is the remarka BILE accuracy OF the throw
ing. This is especially true OF those who
have played cricket. The batting and the
catching and stopping of balls is not
nearly so impressive to them as the way
the players shoot the ball around the dia-
Inond with the unerring aim OF a rife
shot.
The reason for this is probably because
the foreigners cannot get the knack of
accurate throwing down as the Americans
do. An instance OF this is given in the
following story in recent Issue OF Tit
Bits. a London publication.
THE other day an amusing incident &C.
CURED at Rosall, when a hare dashed In
among the players. J. T. Hearne, who
was about to bowl, tried to hit the hare
instead Of the opposition wicket A. "
Horribly threw his bat at the animal. bur
it was too sharp for him and ran to cover
point. Horribly. Spooner and Frank Harry
made desperate efforts to secure a hare
tie, but in vain. The hare escaped from
all the players
Would Make Players Sore.
professional base ball player would be
disgraced for life if he got within throw
ing range of an animal as big as a hare
and failed to bring him down with throw
Of base ball. AS against this failure by
the English cricketer there was an Incl
dent at Philadelphia Park a few years Ago
which will illustrate what a base ball
player can do in the throwing line.
One afternoon the Philles were playing
the Boston team. BILLY" Hamilton was
in 3ol6 fnr
Long was at shortstop. During the game
there came cry from Hamilton, who
was seen excitedly pointing to an object
which was dashing across the ground to-
ward the hagpoie in deep center field. The
scooting object was rat. Long was
standing In his position at shortstop with
the ball in his hand Herman heard
Hamiton's cry. wheeled around, took one
glance at the rat running across the field.
gagged the direction of its flight without
the loss of second and let the ball go.
The ball hit the rat and there was one
less rodent in the world.
Throw Was Great One.
Longs throw was fully 200 feet. but
he hit the flying animal as if it were a
stationary object. No sportsman ever
made a prettier shot at a bird on the
wing that Long did that afternoon. When
it is considered that shortstops usually
thAo" CT HAL SldHulUS OH Il DdSe,
Longs Judgment in gauging just how far
ahead of the animal he was to throw in
order to make the kill" was really Won
derful.
Throwing at an object in the air is one
of the hardest feats. for looking up at
the sky when taking aim Is much harder
than when the player has the grandstand
or the bleachars for background. Last
spring Jim Delehanty gave an exhibition
of clever throwing at Columbia Park In
PhiladelDhia
A foul ball wedged into the screen on
top of the grandstand over the visiting
players bench. Delehanty picked up an
old ball and threw it against the SCREEN
missing the object aimed at by yard
This one test, though, was enough for
him to get the gauge. On the second at
tempt Delehanty let the ball go with all
his might. and it not only struck the
imprisoned 'horsehide." but also landed
with such force that the latter was driven
clean through the screen.
Low Peg Is the Best.
One thing about the throwing in base
ball that foreigners can't understand is
why the players. in getting the ball to
the plate from the outfield. almost in
variably throw it low and make 1t strike
the ground a yard or SO in front of the
plate. The base ball players claim that
a ball thrown on the line and made to
shoot off the ground will reach the
catcher quicker than a ball thrown to him
on the fly.
Some years ago there was DISPOSE
ton to dispute this theory. but the gem
eral practice of the Strong-arm players
in making the ball shoot off the ground
proves that they believe their idea is cor
rect. Round house" throws. those loop
the-loop affairs which weak-armed out
fielders have to resort to, seldom catch
base runner, while the low, ground
humping throws do SO in almost every
game.
Callahan Fooled Cubans.
Last season a team of real Cubans came
to this country. and this subject was
widely discussed by them and the home
players. According to ST. Sanborn Of
the Chicago-Tribune, the Cubans could
not be made to believe a low-thrOwn ball.
which hit the ground before reaching the
catcher was the fastest method of get
ting it in from the outfield. They simply
wouldn't believe but that the round
house method was the best. even when
again.
One day the Cubans played Jimmy Call
lahan's Logan Square team. During the
game Callahan, who was playing left
field had a chance to throw on: slow
runner who tried to score from third base
on the fly. Callahan Thought he would
guy the foreigners and ne made round
mouse" throw and caught the runner at
the plate.
even with the tongue of an orator, could
convince the Cubans that the round
house throw was not the best."