Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-17
H|LLEBRAND HAD
GREATEST CURVE
Princeton's Famous Athlete
Played Professional Ball
in Pacific League.

Speaking Of pitchers" said Russ
Hall. formerly owner of the Butte base
ball team and a player who is known
by all the fraternity from Maysville.
Ky, to the north and south end of the
Pacific coast reminds me of the days
when / was playing second base for the
Los Angeles club in the Pacific Coast
League | guess everybody in the Unit
ed States who reads the papers has heard
of Doc Hillebraifd. the most famous of
all the athletes old Princeton has ever
turned out. Well. take it from me. Hille-
brand has the greatest curve ball that
ever was pitched 1 don't bar any of
them.
II suppose that Doc would be pitch
ing in the big league today if he had
not got his dander up when he was
signed by the Washington club in the
American League. l don't exactly re-
member what the trouble was. but l
knew well enough when he bolted that
it would take an inch steel cable to
haul him back. They have never sue
ceeded in roping him and / guess he
is contented his ranch near Web
Ster. S. d. Seems to me. Washington
passed her claim on to the New York
club, and l should not be surprised if
Hillebrand's name was still kept on the
reserve list just to prevent other clubs
grabbing him.
Brother a Catcher.
Homer Hillebrand, a brother Of the
Princeton athlete, was with Los Angeles.
and 1 suppose it was his influence that
had something to do with getting the
Doc to join our team. Homer was a
catcher, a left-hander at that, and
mighty good one. After he left the coast
he joined the Pittsburg club. and In ad-
dition to catching, did some work in the
box. I guess the Pacific coast cities are
the only ones that ever saw the Doc
pitching ball in a duly organized profess
sional league. They certainly enjoyed
treat.
'He was a six-footer and would weigh
close to 200 pounds. He had terrific
speed when he wanted to use it. and
his control was almost perfect But 1t
was his curve ball that always caught
my fancy. Ii would come sailing up to
the batter as if it were going to hit him
OH The head and then suddenly change
it's mind and sweep into his boot. When
he had that tWister working right il was
all off with the wilow-wielders. They
might just as well pack up and hike for
the hotel He had them tagged and put
away in their pigeonholes.
Curved Over Third Strike.
Il remember one day in Tacoma, when
Hillebrand was pitching, I had hurt my
thumb and was on the bench. The UNI
pire did not show up and was finally
forced III to do the work. 1t was a close
game and the bases were full with two
out. The count was three-two on the
batter. When Hille let the next ball go
thought it was going over the head
of the club manager but when it got
near the plate it suddenly took break
and swung down and across the rubber
as pretty anything ] ever saw.
called the man out.
The crowd behind the catcher didn't
know whether to applaud or kick. They
saw the curve and 1t had them guessing
The Tacoma players thought. for mo-
n.ent. they had got the worst of il, but
the batter knew ] was right and things
quoted down.
1T takes nerve to curve Il ball over
the plate with the seeks bulSing and
the count three ami two. but Hillebrand
could do it most any time he tried. When
he refused TO Join the Washington club
the game lost one of its greatest pitchers
and the king pin curve artist OF them
all
Hilebrand enjoys the distinction of hav-
ing been the captain of both base ball
and foot kali teams at Princeton. He
led the base bail aggregation in 1909
and the foot hal, eleven in isbS. He
PLAYED tackle on the foot bal! team from
lS.'.; 10 49, inclusive. He has coached
both in foot Ian and base bah nearly
every wear since he was graduated