Evening star., 1909-03-07
HIGH BALL HAS
ALMOST DISAPPEARED
Clever Pitchers Are Keeping
Sphere Low and on
the Inside.

The day Of successful high ball pitch
ing is a thing of the past. There was q
time when it was the accepted theory
that one Of the requisites of the success
full twirler was to keep the ball high and
around the batter's neck
For long time it proved successful.
but when the batters became accustomed
to this style Of pitching and learned to
himself up against It every time he re-
sorted to the high fast one.
With the advent Of the "spit ball. 1t
became apparent that the low tall was
harder to hit. and naturally the pres
this delivery.
The one great reason for the inability to
hit the low ball successfully. as given by
players OF experience, is the fact that 1t
is harder to gauge properly.
This Is true when the man at bat is
trying to pull Off the hit-and-run play.
Formerly. when the twirlers kept their
fast balls high. II was pie for the batter
to either step back or in. as the occasion
required. and push or pull the ball in the
direction he wished it to 60
With the low bali It is different. as the
odtteT CdHlol gauge tnc D6 III any too we'll
and finds 1t difficult matter to place it,
1t is particularly hard for the batter to
follow low ball on a dark day, as was
shown in the second game of the first
worlds series between New York and the
Athletics on the Polo Grounds.
Chief Bender, who was on the mound
Tor Connie Mack's men, Is a pitcher who
when right has a tremendous amount Of
speed. Philadelphia managed to score a
few runs for Bender early in the game.
~, xr-itt
for the Giants to catch up
Bender had the advantage OF the gath
erinE gloom, and this, coupled with his
ability to keep his fast ball low, proved
a>stuMbling block for the aggressive G!-
ants.
Members OF both teams say the big fel-
low was unhittable on account of this
which goes TO show how much harder
1t is to hit the low ball than the high
ones.
idea OF what pitchers control really
means The usual impression is that
the fewer bases on balls a twirler hands
out during a season the better is his con-
troll.
While in a certain measure this IS the
truth. still there is something else than
merely the ability of getting the ball over
the plate between the shoulders and knees
of the batter
The successful twirler Of the present
u
must be able to not only get the ball over
the plate but must also be able to put
it where the batter Is least liable to hit it
safely.
Some hitters are weak on high ball
close to the handle. while others cannot
hit low. fast one pit tched inside. The
same is true of balls pitched on the out
side, high or low. as may suit the occa-
sion.
In order to get the ball in the places
where the batter~is weak the pitcher must
possess great accuracy. which Is the true
lest of control.
Again there are many occasions when
the catcher has called for a waste ball.
in order to stop a base runner from steal
ing a base. If the pitcher has not enough
command OF the ball to be able to hand it
out where the batter cannot hit 1t and
where the backstop can readily handle
the sphere. it's going to be pretty tough
for the pad artist to make his end Of the
play right.
Many pitcher who gives quite a few
bases on balls during a season really has
better control than the averages show.
That is, ne will sometimes pitch up
three bad balls in an endeavor to land
his man before he sees that he will not
swing at bad ones, and then rather than
give him a chance to hit a Cripple" :"
meaning one which the batter is reasona
bly, sure will be right over. he will walk
the batter to take chance with the next
one.
OF course a walk at the beginning of
an inning or when there is no one on the
bases is just as good as a base hit. still
the pitcher who is always trying to make
a man hit at q bad ball gets away with
they are the ones who are usually there
with the control