The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1908-06-04
SOUTHPAWS NOW
HAVING THEIR DAY
MORE BEING DEVELOPED AT
PRESENT THAN AT ANY TIME
IN GAMES HISTORY.
LEE RICHMOND FIRST STAR
Baldwin, Ramsey and kllroy Were
Also Great Lett.Hand Twirlers--
Some Who Acquired Fame in the
Nlnetles--south SINGERS lnstrumen.
tai In Landing remnants.

More left-handed pitchers have been
developed in the last seven or eight
years than during all the seasons prior
TO the last decade.
The baseball patron of to-day
thinks that left-handed pitchers have
always been as prominently identified
with the game as at present but they
have not. In fact. during the early
SOS they were looked upon almost as
freaks
Lee Richmond of.Brown university
was really the first southpaw to attain
prominence He had the goods and
his success with the Worcester team
caused other managers to try to dig
up offside' throwers. Their efforts,
however. were unavailing, as 1t was
not until several seasons later that
Lady" Baldwin, "Toad" Ramsey and
Mat Kilroy sprang into prominence on
the diamond.
Richmond was particularly effec-
tive against the left.handed batsmen.
The three real stars after Richmond
were Baldwin. Ramsey and kilroy.
Many think that Ramsey was the
greatest southpaw that ever pitched.
He was almost unhittable, but had one
great fault--he could not field his posi-
ton. His first baseman, knowing that
his control was good. often begged him
to pitch the ball instead of throwing
II to first, but Ramsay failed to do SO,
and SO was as likely to throw the ball
ten feet over the first sacker's head as
he was to get 1t anywhere near where
he could catch It,
He was the star pitcher for the
Louisville team. and created a big
league strikeout record for a nine
inning game that has never been
equaled He whitfield % men,. Once
when working against Cleveland In
that city be struck out II men In
nine innings. They had four strikes
in those days.
Kilroy was tower of strength
| for the old Baltimore team. and in
addition to being great puzzler,
was a grand fielder and one of the
most skilled men that ever lived In
holding tae runner close to first
base. In fact 1t was almost impos.
! sible TO steal second on him. so care
fully did he watch the sack. and
SO cleverly did he shoot the bail
over. He was finally so much feared
that the opposition players would
wait on the bases to be batted
around. or course, the balk rules
left-hander had a bigger advan-
tage than at the present time.
Then Theodore 1.-THE" BreitensteiD
began to attract attention In st
Louis. He proved to be the real
goods" and pitched for nearly a dec
AIDE at Cincinnati. after being sold
by st. Louis Later he drifted into
the Southern league. pitching FIRST
for Memphis and later for New Or
leans. Last year he was used more
In the outfield than in the box, bui
this year he expects to be ON the
rubber again. His record for service
is better than that of any Other
southpaw, few of whom last as
long as do the righthanders.
Others who acquired more or less
fame back In the nineties were Ed
Cushman, "Wee Willie McGill Will
lie Demmann, Pete Bowling, Jerry
Nops, Esper and Kiobedanz Then
there were Noodles Hahn. Cy Sey,
mour Eddie Dohany, Doc" Newton
and Wiley Piatt, who bring the game
up TO the present century.
Nowadays every club has It's quota
of left-handed pitchers, which consists
of anywhere from one to three. The
American league has the greatest mum
Der, and the more famous. In fact
only two American league pennants
have been won without assistance oil
southpaws. Chicago got along with
only righthanders in 1900, but in the
following year Wiley Piatt helped out
little, but not much. The Ath
letics had Plank and Waddellin 1902, bu
in 1903 Boston took down the pen
nant by means of five right-handerl
Young, Dineen, Hughes, Winters
and Gibson. Jesse Tannehill was add
ed in 1904 and led the Boston pitchers
in victories that year.
Plank and Waddell were on tn
Job in Philadelphia the next year
, while in 1905 DOC" White and Mic
Altrock delivered the goods for Oh
cago. Last season the Detroit chan
pions had pair of left-handers 4
Killian and Siever.
Take the National league rosie
OF champions since 1900. In tina
, year Brooklyn won out withou
a southpaw of note. The next yea
Pittsburg took off the championshi
with Tannehill helping, while in tn
year following the Pirates had tw
strong southpaws, Tannehill an
! Doheny. Tannehill then went to tn
, American league, but Pittsburg wo
!. again.