The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-08-03
BATSMEN TAKE
LESS OF 4 CHANCE
In Old Days Pitchers Would Go
Far to Gain Advantage.
IT'S VERY DIFFERENT NOW.
Even With the Change In Method the
Batter Is In Danser-Many Instances
Where Being Hit by Ball Affects
Playing Ability.

Flaying Ability.
When Frank Chance. manager of the
Chicago Nationals, WIS struck on the
head by a ball hurled by Pitcher Gas
per of Cincinnati recently it recalled
the fact that many star baseball play
ers have lost their effectiveness through
being hit by thrown balls.
That more batsmen are not injured
by being hit by pitched balls speaks
well for the skill of the present day
pitcher. In the Old days the pitcher
would not infrequently let one go
straight at the batters head in order
to drive him away from the Plate.
Such Il proceeding is rare NOWADAYS
Working the edges of the plate seems
to have proved more effective Never
gerouS
one of the worst cases of head hit
ting was that of Hugh Jennings. now
manager of the Detroit club, Ivy Amos
Rusie. Jennings. with Baltimore then.
was noted for his close hugging Of
the plate and his willingness to ac-
cept base by being hit by the pitch
err. He relied upon his quickness of
eye to minimize the effect of the blow
Rusie had wide, jumping curve ball
Jennings was willing to turn his
shoulder, accept detecting blow or
let il hit his shirt front or the slack
or bis knickerboekers. lie could do
this with pitc6ers of average curve,
but Rusic's curve was too sharp in the
break and too fast for him to avoid.
Jennings stood close and got one full
in the head. He fell fiat. For four
days his life was despaired of, bub a
powerful constitution pulled him
through. though he never was the
same nervy man again at the plate,
and it was months before he could
play. -~--~---- .-.-- No..
Jennings, by the way, is an extreme
~ durable person. While ut Cornell
he dived face first against the concrete
bottoill VI an tillplS SN ll'h'iilS ihilN'
The man is Il marvel Of Vitality and
energy He sustained two shocks that
would have killed the average man,
yet he is rs full Of energy today as n
dynamo.
frederick Wallace, the famous infcld
cheney seriously and permanently i'm
paired twelve years ago when he was
hit In the head by a ball thrown by
"Chick" Fraser, who was then with
the Louisville club, Wallace was
Knocked fiat, and it was many days
stitution OF iron enabled him to with
stand the shock. but he never was
quite the same hitter aftcrward.
Dan Hoffman. the center fielder of
the Browns. was the victim of a fear
full blow mt the hands of Jesse Tame
ago Hoffman was ut the time deemed
the most promising young player in
the American league. He was having
his first season. and a brilliant one it
was. One day he made a triple. a dou-
bic and Il single against Tannchill in
three trips TO the plate. The fourth
time up Tannchill hit him terrific
blow over the right eye. 1t almost
killed the trained and muscular young
athlete. Hoffman lay as If dead and
It was four days before he recovered
consciousness. Then his nerves were
ruined. From 10 pounds he declined
to 1913. He could not sleep or eat for
six months. and the following season
he had TO get along as best he could
with only one eye Hoffman says that
1t has taken him six years to get back
his full strength. He has never been
able to hit left handed pitchers since
the day he was hurt. Now. six years
after Hoffman Is at the mercy OF the
average left handed pitcher.
Johnnie Lush. the star pitcher Of the
Cardinals. was hit by Andy Coakley on
| the neck and all but killed. His neck
has never been straight since that
time. and for years his health was Sc
riously impaired.
! Roger Bresnahan was hit and severe
| ly hurt by Jack Taylor In 1904 For
long time after this injury Brcsna
han wore a semi-mask that protected
the exposed side OF his head against
the pitcher.
| Hundreds Of lesser lights have been
hit and injured to II degree less seri
Gus than those mentioned It all goes
to show that baseball is not without
its great dangers. especially to men al
the bat. Most of the injuries on the
| field have come about through COLI
sions between fielders. such as the one
that cost the life of Hub" Collins
Collins fatal collision was with Harry
Stovey at Boston many years ago.
| Batted balls injure very few play
ers. though the way men hit them
about in practice would often make
one wonder that accidents are NOS
more frequent. The most notable ac-
cident of this sort was when Schriver
OF Pittsburg hit William Hart Of the
same club on the chin with a ball bat
ted in practice. The drive shattered
Harris jaw. 1t was wired up again
Hart is now fifty years old and is rat
ed high among the pitchers Of the
Southern league