Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-06-09
STRAIGHT THROWING
IS LOST ART
Best Ball Players Of Country
So Accustomed to Cuving
They Couldn't Do Anything
Else # They Tried

Hardest of all kinds of deliveries
Tor a bah player is the pure ana sim
pic straight hall. The box on the
vacant lot who frets and fumes be-
cause he can not learn how TO curve
on ia diop when he is trying To- pitch
already possesses something which
the seasoned hall sta longs for. but
has lost-the ability to throw true ON
a line. He probably could once. but
il becomes second nature To him "a
curve the BAN. and he never can get
away from il.
or course it's a great good thing
for the pitcher to thtoW curves and
drops and shoots. That's what he is
paid Ior and what ne is expected to
deliver, with The added facility OF
control. But the infielder who throws
around the bases would be much bet
ter off II he could send them 'in d
line. For example, Steinfeldt of the
Chicago Cubs hats q magnificent
wing So has Taunehill of the
White SoX. who now the
bench while younger Purtcll is decor
ating third base. It 10 probable that
.'Steiny' and fanny can get the
bail over 10 first as quickly as any
one in the game.
They both throw a wide in-curve.
however. The side-arm motion which
they both employ when throwing and
the fact hat they grin the BAH with
two fingers and the thumb makes it
curve With q Tremendous sweep be-
fore 1t reaches the FIRST haseman's
glove. Sometimes they are in such
a hurry to get the ball away that
thy do. not have time 10 make allow
ance for the curve, and the first
sacker is either drawn off the bag
or has to extend himself to the limit
10 reach the sphere.
This same thing is true OF any in
fielder 81 outfielder, for that matter.
All throws curve. Any first baseman
will tell You that. This Is the reason
why an eN-catcher makes the best
kind OF % fielding first sacker. Take
Chance or "Jiggs' Donahue for ex-
amples. Nobody living has anything
on them when 1t comes to Judging
thrown balls. They learned the course
Of the balls flight while stationed be-
hind the bat.
There Is one good thine about the
side-alm throw from third or short
to fiist, according 10 men Who play
the initial bag. They claim hat the
wide in-curve, which seems to land in
the glove like n cannon bah, Is really
Nv AAkAA'NA hlilN vi Il litl0M 10 nan
die. They argue that the spin on tho
ball enables il to stick ANA also that
the sphere does not seem To have the
weight witch is SO noticeable in the
out-curve or eve the straight ball,
s%o-called, from n short distance.
You often read I'm the account Of
games II "a Drown sent IL fast
straight II over the plate or "Joss
let go OF ~ slow straight ball which
cut The pan. In both eases the re-
porter probably hit as near the truth
as The average writer, but ban play
ers themselves viii tell YOU that their
fast straight pitch has something on
IT, IT may be a quick in-shoot or
oVen Il slight drop. But itNdocs not
go as the o flies. It's a so to 1
bet that the slow. straight one WAS
either II slow ~out-curve or a mild
diop. The straight bah is practically
an impossibility Tor the bah player.
except at short distance. where it.
does not have time to break.
Then the outfielders. Just stand
bchind the catcher some day, if You
have a chance, and see men like Cobb
or Lord or schultz throw in. The
BAN takes a big curve before II FIN
ally lands in front Of the baokstop
with the desired first bound or comes
direct into his glove 1t may take
only a fraction OF a second, on it may
instinct, but the fielders always
try to make allowance for the curve.