Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-05-03
DAN MURPHYs ADVICE
ON HOW TO BAT.
Tells Youngsters Nerve and a Quick
Eye Are Needed.

With a two-column cut of Dan Muir
ply, whom it styles the best hitter
of the Athletics and particularly val
liable because of the timeliness of his
work with the willow the Philadel-
phia North American last week featur-
ed Dams advice to young ball players
on how to hit. AS Murphy started at
an 500 clip in his first game this sea-
son, and for his eight years with the
Athletics has held his average steadily
up towards the 300 mark, the Nor
WITCH man is a recognized authority on
how telling work with the bat can be
done. This is the way Dan dopes it
out:
A good hitter is the combination of
confidence, a good eye and knowledge
o. how to land on the bali.
Not many poor hitters are turned
into good hitters after they come into
the big league. If they haven't devel-
oped the skill by that time, instruc-
ton 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 ev
cry boy can't become a slugger, new
ertheless, each one. if he works intel
ligently, can get enough hits so that
A1sf Will UG cblO " Ul1AANoAAA lis PAtlNC
ard turn his Unfolding or outfielding
abilities to advantage.
1 don't think teams get enough bat
ting practice. This is one reason why
we don't see more good hitters.
Watch lot OF boys getting in shape
for the season. The infield is hand
ling grounders and throwing the ball
around. The outielders are catching
flies. Pitchers and catchers are work.
ing together.
But how often do you see the boys
taking turns at hitting, while the
pitchers send up the best speed and
curves they have and the other mem
bers of the team in the regular posi-
tons chase the ballsI
1 know it isn't much fun to prac-
tice this way. There is a whole lot of
waiting. The men in the infeld and
outfield have to wait a long while for
a ball to come their way. There is
lets more fun in other kind of prac-
tice. 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 beat
Ell.
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 twirier and that he has to put
the ball within your reach to get a
strike. Let him do the worrying. es-
pecially if there are men on base.
The man who feels comfortable at
the plate, cool and collected, no mat
ter whom he faces, has made a big
start in the right direction.
Should Never Pull Away.
The man who pulls away, who dodg-
es from every ball that threatens to
come anywhere near him, has the
worst of all 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.
Perhaps it may be a curve ball that
may break and go straight over the
plate. You pull and it is a strike, or
even IL you manage to hit it when
you are pulling away you are not in
a position to get any power on the
OIINeJ ana ORE an easy OUT
The habit Of pulling away can be
remedled, but it takes nerve. Teach
yourself to step into the tall before it
reaches the plate. In this way it will
always be In front of you, and you
get wallop at 1t before it breaks.
There is no law for position. Bat
tiers stand IN all kinds OF ways. Men
like Keller and Stone bend way over
tho plate. Lajoie stands almost
straight. There are all kinds of vari-
aIions. The thing to do is to take
the position that seems natural and
comfortable to you. Then don't let the
pitchers scare you out of It.
Many foxy pitchers will shoot a ball
close to you every once in a while to
make you get away from the plate.
Don't let them get away with it. Wait
until the very last second before dodg-
ing.
Don't use too heavy a bat. 1t is
mistaken notion that only heavy club