Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-28

/ CHICAGO. November 27.-"Base ball is
constantly changing said Clark Griffith
| a day or two ago, while discussing the
game with number of players who were
gathered in Chicago, preparatory to dis
persing for the winter. The willy manager
of the Cincinnati Reds and former boss
of the New York IIighlanders smiled as
lie continued: Why ] had almost as
much speed when ] quit pitching ever
in my career. / had more curves, far
better control aud, | think, more general
ship"
What put you out of it, them" in
CURED an interested bystander 1.-The
change in the game. answered Griffith
Take Il great pitcher Of today. for ex-
ample lie may have wonderful speed
and marvellous curves. But the batters
gee wise to him after a while Then his
day is over i remember in my own ex-
perience. ] always had jump on the
ball its life, in other words. But finally
that left. Ii happens all the time
Manager Chance OF the Cubs echoed
Grlfhths remark. THAT is true in the
case OF our club" he said. Take Carl
l-undSren. Carl was a bully fine pitcher
and had all the batters guessing. He
would go along and win a lot of games,
for they couldn't hit him much But final
ly they began hitting him. He had just
as much speed and that old pepper was
stu there but the game had changed.
The batterS We're beginning to like that
swift break III the bail that Lundy served.
50 ne was no more good to the Cubs.
Batters Changing ALI the Time.
1T was the same with Jack Taylor. He
was just as good when he left us as when
we got him. But the batters had solved
him entirely and hit him hard He had
somewhat the same kind of ball as
Lundgren. SO he was no longer val
liable for us. It's for that same reason
said that the spit ball pitchers were no
good for the Cubs. The other teams are
! beginning to hit them. and the end of a
| pitcher in the big leagues is at hand when
! he Is bumped hard by the batters.
| Just as Griffith has said, the game con-
| stantly changes. You have to be good all
| the time Or base ball will leave you far in
| the rear. The players OF today are twice
as versatile and as cunning they were
| eight years ago. For they have had to
learn more kinds of deliveries and solve
| more problems
Mordecai B own and 4Orval Overall, the
| two best pitchers of the Cubs, who were
| listening to the discussion, then broke in
and related some Of their own experiences
Overall and Brown are perhaps as great
| euiNc YAH pitcHeTS as lnele are IN the
| country. Didn't You often find that the
| Old jump on the ball was not there some
days." inquired overall of Griffith.
| Yes, it's the same with all pitchers
returned Griffith. Many a time you don't
! feel exactly right and. no matter how
hard you ty. the ball still goes straight
| or takes fine sweep. Nothing doing on
the break and jump however"
Lacked Weight for Break.
Brown chimed in at this moment Il
| always lose most in weight when the ball
don't jump said the three-fngered star
| Il remember one game in New York
against the Giants last year. l honestly
| believe it was the hottest day In my ca
| reer. The sun poured down and / was in
a perfect stream of sweat. OF course that
| jump on the ball wouldn't come that day
and the harder | tried the easier the
Giants hit the ball. 1t was an awful ex-
perience, knowing that | could put the old
| break in my delivery, but not being able
/ Honestly, without kidding, | lost ten
pounds in that game. / weighed before
| | left the hotel and also when 1 returned
| There was almost exactly ten pounds
| difference. and l bet there would have
| been eleven or twelve if L hadn't taken
big drink of watec right after the game"
/ Both Griffith, who. by the way, was
| one of the greatest twirlers of any day,
| and Overall agreed with Brown that loss
4 of weight follows such an experience.
| Both declared that they had passed
| through Identical experiences. 1t Is in
| deed Il fact that pitchers lose weight in
! every game they twirl. The constant
| change, worry and exercise wear far
| more on them than any other member of
| the team. And, moreover, they only work
once in every three or four days. Con-
| sequently they are not in the constant
razor edge" of condition that their
| mates boast of.
Griff's Cute Remark
Griffith wound up by saying that If he
had Overall and Brown on his team
Cincinnati would win the National
League pennant next year. Both of the
twirlers modestly grinned and Chance
laughed. But Griff doesn't stand much
chance of accomplishing his thought.
Have You ever noticed how scarce
really good catchers are? Great back
stops come few ard far between It's
great catchers OF the past forty years
can be counted the fingers of one
hand The last of them was Johnny
King. generally recognized as the peer
that he is out of the game and base bali
! lovers the nation over hope that he can
be induced to return to league ball
/ Charlie Bennett of the Old-time De-
troits is counted in the select few He
| was par excellence. So was Kelley The
after was SO magnificent that he gained
the sobriquet of King Kel." This title
has never gone to a player before nor
since. They were real ornaments to the
game. To see them play was an inspt-
ration. Lucky was the pitcher who
4 threw to them!
Why were they SO famous? The aues-
| ton is easily answered. They could
throw to bases. could hit, understood
every batter's failings. could run the
! bases themselves. lent absolute con-
| fidence to their pitchers, knew instinc-
lively just what the stealer was going to
do. and We're never caught in a trap.
| None of the present day catchers eoualed
them. But if Killing comes back the last
| giant of the race will still be playing
Every manager is constantly on the
outlook for a real catcher. Year after
year dozens are drafted from the minors
and generally the entire batch is return
| ed The scarcity of the good backstop
| is seen all sides in the major leagues
| 4 man of fair ability is never let go until
he grows too old. That is why so MANY
of the men catching today have seen
years and years of service. but are re-
| tanned The magnates are afraid tn
/ take chances with the younger men. II
seems a pity, but can't be helped.
Wholesale Drafting Foolish.