Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-07-28
BATTING PRACTICE
IS MOST ESSENTIAL
HITTING NOT DEVELOPED AFTER
I REACHING FAST COMPANY BUT
MUST BE ACQUIRED EARLY.
CONFIDENCE IS NECESSARY
Player Who Can Hold His Nerve While
Facing the Pitcher Is Successful
Batsman-No Set Law Regarding
Position at the Plate; Most Natural
One the Best.

One the Best.
A good hitter is the combination OF
confidence, a good eye and a knowl-
edge of how to land on the ball.
Not many poor hitters are turned
into good hitters after they come up
into the big league. If they haven't
developed the skill by that time in
struction doesn't help them much. But
with boys it's different. They are just
starting. They haven't faults to COR
rect; that is, no faults that have be-
come second nature. And while every
boy can't become a slugger, neverthe-
less such a one, if he works intelli-
gently, can get enough hits so that he
will be able to maintain his place and
turn his Unfolding or outfielding abili-
ties to advantage.
Teams do not get enough batting
practice. This is one reason why we
don't see more good hitters. Watch
lot of boys getting in shape for the sea-
son. The infield is handling ground
ers and throwing the ball around. The
OutfielderS are catching flies. Pitchers
and catchers are working together.
But how often do you see the boys
taking turns at hitting, while the pitch
ers send up the best speed and curves
they have, and the other members of
the team in the regular positions chase
the balls?
It isn't much fun to practice this
way. There is a whole lot of waiting.
The men in the infeld and Outfield
have to wait long while for ball to
come their way. There is lots more
fun in other kinds of practice, but it is
this batting work that wins games.
You can't hit without practice, all
the time, early and late. If you don't
get this kind of work when you go up
against good pitching, it is new to you.
You don't know what to do, and before
you get accustomed to the speed and
curves the pitcher has you beaten.
The worst batters in the world are
pitchers. They are jokes, as a rule,
and the reason is easy to see. They
get virtually no batting practice. If
you want to hit the ball, get out and
practice doing it.
First of all, you must have conf
dence. Never let the pitcher think he
has anything on you. Make up your
mind that he is nothing more than any
other twirler and that he has to put
the bali within your reach to get
strike. Let him do the worrying, es-
pecially if there are men on bases.
The man who feels comfortable at
the plate, cool and collected, no matter
who he faces, has made big start in
the right direction.
The man who pulls away, who
lodges from every ball that threatens
to come anywhere near him, has the
worst of any faults. Unless he can cor
rect it, he never will bat well.
Because a ball is coming straight at
you is no reason for pulling away. Per
hapS it may be a curve ball that may
break and go straight over the plate.
You pull and it is a strike, or even
If you manage to hit it when you are
pulling away, you are not in a position
to get any power on the drive, and are
an easy out.
The habit of pulling away can be
remedied, but it takes nerve. Teach
yourself to step into the ball before it
reaches the plate.
There is no law for position. Bat
tiers stand in all kinds of ways. Men
like Keller and Stone bend way over
the plate. Lajoie stands almost
straight. There are all kinds of varia-
TONS The thing to do is to take the
position that seems natural and COM
Portable to ySu. Then don't let the
pitcher scars you out of it.
Many foxy twirlers will shoot ball
close to EOu every once in while to
make y9d get away from the plate.
Don't ISt them get away with it. Wait
to the very last second before lodging.
Don't use too heavy bat. 1t is
mistaken nation that only heavy club
VIII drive ball out. A pitcher with a
good change of pace can make a joke
OF batsman who is swinging bat too
heavy for him. Use a bat of medium
weight, one that you can handle easily.
You don't have to swing so hard either.
All that is needed is to meet the ball
fairly, to get the weight of your body
back of it the moment you land.
Player Traded for Ball Uniforms.
IF he al IN 10