The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-07-19
"StoHes Of the Diamond"
Mo. XIV.
BY TY COlB.
copyright. 1870. by American Press Asxo-

BY II COJb.
fcopyrisht. 1910, by American Press Asxo-
ciatian-l
To what do owe my success as
baii player: There are TWO answers
to this question. The first is that ! am
heart and soul In the game and. sec.
ond. because I am always trying TO
improve on my playing AIN always
practicins. aud. you know, practice
makes perfect. Take. for Instance
when ! have batting slump, ! don,
worry about It, just get out in the
mornings NJ the ball park and prac-
tice hitting against all kinds OF twir-
ing. like to stand up to the plate
and whale away NJ every old kind OF
pitching Some Of the boys are easy
to hit. while Gf.iers are not. 1t all
helps me to recover my batting eye.
Southpaw pitchers gave me consid-
cradle trouble 81 one time. but that
was before entered the big league,
They never even bother me nowadays,
Just watch me at the plate and you'll
learn the reason IN Il minute Against
a right handed twirier | crowd the
rubber and step into Il curve before ii
breaks. Against southpaw ! drop
back as far as possible and wait for
the curve to break. Getting down to
figures. should say that l stand four
feet closer 70 right handed pitcher
than ID to Il left handler.
My greatest delight is 10 tickle the
pill with runners on the bases. You
may not believe me-. but nevertheless
it's true, | find 1t ensier to hit the ball
with the sacks occupied. The pitcher
is worried. the intielders are guessing,
and when you 90 hit the ball the fly
ing base runners rattle and discon-
cert the men who are trying to handle
the ball.
When men u,e on bases | generally
lay for the first bah the twirler hands
over. Its dollars to doughnuts that If
he can lay that first one straight over
the pan he'll do it. and | soak quite Il
few of them. The majority of batters
will pass NJ the first ball. no matter il
it cuts the plate in half. But you'll
never get Tyrus overlooking any OF
that kind. Nine times ont of ten l sc
to the plate prepared 10 hit the first
ball If the pitcher lays it over
l never take Ion. swing at the
sphere any more. | like TO do it. but
you can't get anything in the major
leagues swinging the willow. II you
do the spitbal' pitchers would make
Il Ounce OF you In short order. TO say
nothing of the slabbists who have mas
teret. Il good change Of pace. They'll
shoot one over that looks like pea.
then feed you IL slow one that come.
floating up AS big as balloon. Blu
break you back reaching for the SLOW
ball.
In the old days the great batter.
were Pete Browning. Ed Deichanty
Dan Brouthers and Pop Arson. WIKI
swung on to II ball with the force of /:
hammer Were any of them III the hi:
leagues Today the modern twirler:
would make EN- look like jokes.
You cannot grab wagon tongu,
down at the handle. reach back ant
swing halfway around for IL curve
pitcher. He'd make you look foolish
and you wouldn't have enough battin:
average ut the end of the month to &c
your name in the percentage column.
The star hatters Of today grab thei
batting sticks II foot or more from thu
handle and. instead of swinging. ain
to. meet the bail tins. Nothing suit'