The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-02-03
DANIEL RYAN WAS FORMERLY
A STAR BASEBALL PITCHER
We'll Known Actor, Who Plays
"The Fox" Here Tonight,
Talks on Baseball.
ADVICE TO YOUNG TwIRLERS

--------
no those who will see Daniel Ryan
COR the first time at the kerredge
n,ooter this evcling in "The Fox II
IN, ho hard To realize that this cap
ia actor was once a famous base
,',u nitcher and one of the much talked
norsonaees i'm the baseball world.
Dcyclonc Ryan," as he was then known
,,oe a member of the Boston National
,.,,ue team I'm 1890. and for several
,.oors previous to that time was as
.oc,oted with different minor league
,o,,,s IN the East. Twelve years ago
H. owe ND baseball for the stage, to
which ne had always been strongly
,ttracted. He still retains his inter-
ost in the great national game, how
o,or and rarely misses an opportun-
it,. to see any of the big teams in ac-
ton.
oWhat Is the secret of effective
nitchlng?" Mr.. Ryan was asked to-
day
aspeed. control and brains" was the
prompt reply
baseball pitchers use just the same
tactics that they did twenty years
,rr" he continued. ''In my day we
know of the spit ball fade-away
hall and all the rest OF the fancy
curves. though they were called by diff
rercnt names. And what is more to
the point they amounted to just about
no much as they do now-and that Is
practically nothing. A pitcher who
r-ponds upon curves and freak balls
for his success does not last long -
tbe big leagues. In the first place.
throwing that Kind OF bats all the tina
s 81 hard on the muscles of the arm
thqt one cannot stand the strain for
very long. and secondly, in time the
hatters are bound to get wise to
curves and then the pitcher who has
nothing else up his sleeve Is Knocked
AN over the lot. Another fault of the
curved ban is that it is impossible To
throw il with any degree pf accuracy.
Advice to Young Pitchers.
"My advice to young men who as
pire to success as pitchers Is t. learn
10 throw a straight ball with unerr-
ing accuracy, either very fast, very
slow or half way between, rs tho oc-
casion demands. With this comblna-
ton down pat, If he has &, long head
and is able to size up the weakness oe
the batters, he is bound to win a ma
ioritv of his games, whether he has
any curves or not How often We see
a pitcher moving down the opposing
batsmen i'm one, two, three order none
of them being able to get the ball past
the nnelders, and when we chance
to get behind the catcher and watch
the balls come over the plate, we
think, If we do not say. Why can't
they hit that fellow, he doesn't sssm
to have everythingY
"That pitcher has learned the Sc
crct OF the straight ball, that's all.
saw a game a few years ago. in which,
before the game. Christy Mathewson,
# the New york Giants, told the OPP
posing batsmen that he would throw
nothing but straight balls during the
entire game. He kept his promise ana
won his game, the opposing team maxi
ing just 1--WE hits during the nine in
nings.
High Ball Close to Batter.
"Thc most effective ball, in my opin-
ion, is a high, swift, straight shoot
cutting the inside corner of the plate.
OF course, this should be varied oc-
casionally with a slow teaser, ana in
a tight pinch, curve or drop will do
no harm. Just make il a point some-
time TO see how many batters make a
safe hit off ball that comes in swift
on level with and close to their
shoulders You will find that they are
as scarce as eggs i'm the winter time.
But it is important to be able TO throw
the ball just where you want Il, ana
1t is here that the curve bail pitcher
invariably falls down.
Some of the older baseball stars of
today were youngsters i'm my day. and
among others, il was my privilege to
give Bin Bernhard some of his first
LESSONS I'M league pitching. You VIII
remember that a few years ago, Bern
hardt was one of Cleveland's best
pitchers, and that now he is manag-
ing the birmingham, Ma, team. Bill
had a nasty low, out-drop which he
was very fond of throwing. but which
was tearer ON the muscles of his
arm IT was only by threatening to put
MN on the bench IL he ever threw an
other ball of that kind that / succeed
ed IN making him master of the
su'psht BAH. In time, however, he
saw the wisdom of my advice and I'm
MS halcyon days he depended almost
ehtlrcly ON the straight ball, thrown
WIN varying speed but true to the
marx The same is true of practically
very other great pitcher who has
TASTED more than one or two seasons.
The spit ball, fade-away, and all