The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-07-19
DEPLORES CRY OF
take HIM OUT"
Christy Mathewson Says 1t
Would Be Good Thing if
Fans Cut 1t Out.
BY CLARENCE L. CULLEN.

Christy Mathewson. the star pitcher Eyes.
ne is still a starr for the Giants was
talking the other day about that take
him OUT howl of the fans when a
pitcher is showing signs of weakening in
his work. Mathewson in addition to be-
ing collegian is naturally one of the
most intelligent men in baseball.
i don't suppose the fans ever will give
up that Take him out cry of theirs" he
said. but II would be d mighty good
thing If they could be induced to toss that
demand into the discard. Ii would be a
great help to the young pitchers Just
breaking into quick company. any way.
the old-timers get used To it, as rule
though ! could mention even a few of
the veterans who get TO balloonng the
minute the gang in the stand and bleach
ors begin To bawl that Take him out
stuff.
But the Take him out howl certainly
does knock all of the gimp out of the
young fellows. a mans physical Prov
esS and ability are more or less regulated
by the state of his mind of course. and
a mentally disturbed baseball pitcher is
or Just about as much use as an auto
mobile without a carbu:Tetter. The de-
mand that he be tinnzd is a thing that
affects this pitcher one way and that
pitcher another way. but il cant help
but get the wheels. either of fear or of
defiance. or, at any rate. of stubbornness,
to revolving i'm the going-up pitchers
head.
Young Pitchers Warned.
THE young pitcher getting his first
try-out in the big company is always
warned in advance by the old-timers how
to behave in case he slackenS for a min
ute and then has 20 listen to that tanta-
liking Take him out yell. He's told to
close his ears TO it, not to mind it. to
go right ahead pitching as IL there was
nobody in the stand, and so on. But it's
generally good advice wasted. Pitchers
are human. despite an occasionally con
trary Impression. and it's a human trait
10 feel shriveled and withered and meas
ley under-hard-roared criticism. | know
plenty of pitchers, perfectly competent to
make good in fast company. who. when
they got the Take him out goad at their
first try-out. made such a mess of it
that they were permanently relegated to
the minors. Their hearts worked their
way into their mouths when they heard
the gang bawlins at them and they
simply could not by any effort of will.
throw off the feeling of humiliation and
get the skill and the power into their
arms that their arms normally possessed
1t takes long time for d pitcher To
develop sufficient pOise TO be able to
steady himself against the Take him
out cry. Tney pulled that howl on me
teveral times early this season. and. as
hadn't heard it as applied to myself for
quite number of years, ii sure did put
a hinge in my arm, and did have to be
taken out every time the demand was
fectly incompetent to so ahead and
work
Gets Pig-headed.
Il finally got piS-headed about it,
though. and one day when | started To
pitch against Pittsburs after having been
yanked from the box only two days be
fore. l made IN my mind To heat EN-
out on their cry somehow. | DIDN'T have
much on this day at that. and was some
wild in the bargain. so that In the VERY
first inning ! walked two men and hit
another. filling the bases.
Then they slipped me the big. big
hOller. Take him out. and ! felt ugly
and desperate. Ii was during that spring
period when ! had my bad slump, and
! really was beginning to believe that
| Was more or less TO the bad With
those three men on the bases and the
gang bowling for my timing, McGraw
trudSed Down the lot and motioned me
TO go ger my drink of water. ] shook
my head at him. He came closer and
told me 10 beat IL. | gave him the nix
good and strong and told him that | was
there to pitch and that pitch / intended
To DO. Muggsy looked me over picked up
a blade of grass and chewed il. and told
me to so ahead then and blow the game
If / was going to he 50 p.ug-ugly about
it.
MatheWson Fooled Crowd.