Norwich bulletin., 1910-02-19
WHITE sox MAINTAIN
 A PITCHING SCHOOL
Billy Sullivan, the Catcher, Has Made the Twirlers of Chicago Team Stars.


 Billy Sullivan, White Sox catches and king of all baclSstops in the Am erican league, earned his title by sheer pluck There has been no path of roses along the line to fame for Comislcey's knight of the big mftt. On the con trary he has been driven harder dur ing the last ten seasons than any other catcher in the circuit presided over by B. K. Johnson. The heavy work lies in the fact that Sullivan has been ask ed to handle some of the greatest spit ball pitchers the game has ever pro- duced.
 Ask any baclcstop in any league what he thinks about the sfalbmen Who fling the elusive slant with its deft ap- plication of saliva. Then drop a line to Billy for the narrowing particulars. In Ed Walsh, rated the most sensation al splitter in the annals of baseball Sul- livan is asked to double up with the master hand of the whole circuit. There's only one Walsh. And 1t takes man like Sullivan to handle the big twirler. A few seasons ago Walsh was a mere butter-in on the American league color scheme Nobody thought he could pitch for sour apples.
 Sullivan Taught Walsh.
 Sullivan peered beyond the outlying mist and touted the big, red-neclced athlete budding hopeful. He fought for Walsh as if realizing that some distant day might see the hard work ing, ambitious pitcher a. real con tender for slab fame. Sullivan guessed right, and at the very frs ttime, for a. few seasons later Walsh was moving 'em down with startling regularity. Ask Walsh where he learned his les sons. He'll tell you Sullivan turned the trick.
 Then thtre is Frank Smith, who so frequently is labeled The Iron Man Prior to his debut as a white leg Smith scarcely knew the fine points of that grand old game entitled high-loW. Bus he learned rapidly under the tutelago ano juggler stacks up second only to Big Ed. Then there's Jimmy Scott the Wyoming terror, who bounded to thu front with ponderous strides after join ing the South Slders last srins. Scotti0 is young in the big circle, but Suhy says another year with Comislsey's crew will boost Jim to the top of tho heap.
 Teaches Twiriers SpitbaI.
 It has been known all along that Sul- hVan encouraged the use of the moiad ball by all pitchers wearing tho inn maculate toggery but the advent oa Freddie Omstead, coming from the Mlllers last fall added a fourth discl-- pie to the list. Olnl1e lost no time iu hunting out Sullivan in order to study up on the peculiaTities of the splitter. Why, Sully has that bunch so we'll tanned that even G. Harris White, rated ordinarily as slow curve ball eXpOn- ent often finds himseH unconsciougly dallying with the saliVated slant. Sully says IF ne naQ ten pllCHeIS ne h iAiAg LN see them all using the style of delivery that made E. Walsh famous.
 Sptters Easy to Handle.
 'Tts much easier to handle a splitter" said Sullivan, "than a plain. everyday curve ball Tn all the years that I have caught the spitters I have never suffer- ed any injury to my hands. Tn facts most of my hurts have come from curve balls lobbed across the plate bY Doc White"
 And lest the anxious fan should suspect SulIy of being anything other than a brilliant backstoD, his fielding averages for the last ten summers ara herewith chronicled. In 1900 he caught in GA games for an average of .938. The next year he played in 9S games for s precentage of .967. In 1902 he caught 73 games for mark of .970. The high figures came Tn 1903, when Sully caught 31 games for standing of .9S7. The following year Iul officiated In lOA battles, getting %l average of .97O. I'm 19O5-a total of 54 games netted a per- centag ge of .974. Working in lls games the following season, SullY scored the same mark. Tn 1O9 games during l9Ol Che veteran rolled up q percentage oa 9S3, when the Sox came within In nn ace of copping the league bacon, ana set a figure of 9s5. Last season SullN caught 9i games for an average or ,8baa Take q peek around the circuit and loo cate another catcher handling three spitball artists and see how che othe4 baclSstops' figures tally with those oa the sturdy Sullivan