Connecticut western news., 1909-02-04
CANAAN, CONN. THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 4, 1909.

The attack of base ballitis which has fastened itself upon Walter Lawrence of Sheffield appears to be incurable He was vice-president of last vear's league and is preparing to take an active part, during the coming season. in base ball matters.
 Samuel Fox of Sheffield will go a long way to attend chicken show but he will go further to witness a ball game. It was largely due to the influence of MT. Fox and Stanley Hill that the Shelf both are enthusiastically favoring league in 1909.
 We understand that Turner is the only pitcher the Lakevills team now has.
 With Traver and Chapin on the pitch ing staff, and Charley Mover capable of going into the pitcher box if necessary, the hyphsns will have a great trio of fingers in 1909
 The consensus of opinion is that if Sharon enters the league, they should provide better grounds than those on which last years games were played, And we understand they have another location in sight.
 "Dug" Ostrander of Salisbury is anxious to see the last of the beautiful snow and the opening of the base ball season. Dug" had the honor of being on the firing line when Salisbury won its first game of last season from the hyphens and he's proud of it. That peculiar double back action, corkscrew delivery of his fools 'em. The batter never knows when he sees Dug" going through his gyrations previous to de- livering the ball, whether the pill will come over the plate or knock the tail 1 feathers off the rooster on the weather vaue on the city hall over in Chapinville.
 Here is a good one told by Darby O'Brien Connecticut league player, ac- cording to The Courant.
 i've had day off at Duluth last sum- mer and the manager asked me to take a run down to a neighboring town to look over promising batter, one that had the reputation of being a second Huns Wagner. saw mighty good game, but when they got along to the eighth inning they certainly showed me a new one. The score was 1 to in favor of the visitors, but the home club had the bases filled with the mighty bat ter up. 1 don't remember just how many balls or strikes he had, but l do TO. member the awful clout he gave the ball which had seen several days service be. fore this game. In fact, the seams had begun to part and when the town hero hit it. it simply broke in two. One half went over the right fielder's head, while the othe: half, the top portion, went al. most straight up in the air and came down on top of the dinky grand stand.
 Everyone on the bases came home aud the batter went around. too. Finally the right fielder came iu.with that half of the ball and the visitors pointed to the other half on top of grand stand and insisted that the hit was a foul. Both teams crowded around the umpire and I thought sure he would be torn apart bat he was equal to the occasion. He had small boy climb up aud rescue the foul portion of the ball. Then he brought in pair of sea es from nearby grocery and weighed the parts. They balanced to a hundredth of an ounce and he yelled: I declare the hit two -bsgRer. With that he sent the batter and one other man back and called the score q tie. Then they went on and played uu- til dark without changing the result But signed my man for next season.
 The following pitching rule will be considered by the rules committee of the National league this month: When the bases are unoccupied, the pitcher shall be required to deliver the first two balls pitched to each batter perfectly straight, no curve or spit ball to be allowed, and same to be judged by the umpire. For any infringement of this rule the umpire is. to penalize the pitcher delivering a curve or spit ball by calling slme ball regardless of going over the plate.