Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-27
WINTER BASE BALL
MADE JACK COOMBS
Developed His Famous Drop
Ball During Winter
transforming.

Is winter base ball injurious to ball
players?
Ask Pitcher "Jawn'' Coombs of the
Athletics, and he will tell you that it
was his salvation and Connie Mack will
have to admit that winter base ball did
much TO win the coveted worlds cham
pionship for him.
It was during the transforming trip
of the Athletics 10 the Pacific coast last
winter that COombs developed the ia
nous drop ball of his. which many of
the star batters Of the league now recall
with regret. On this trip he also gained
better control than he ever had in his
life. something that is absolutely essen
tial to successful pitching.
After the 19O- campaign Manager Mack
himself took his team out on the barn
storming trip. taking many Of the young
sters as we'll as the veterans. 1t was out
in balmy California that the transforma-
always had great faith in his big right
handler. and on this trip he took Coombs
under his wing. 1t made no great diff
ference whether the games were won or
lost, and 1t was an ideal time for pitch
ers to experiment and try to improve their
delivery.
Succeeds by Hard Work.
Control and the drop ball were the two
things that Coombs was trying to mas
ter, and master them he did on that
transforming tour. But in so doing he
did not throw away his arm or injure
himself in any way, as Frank Chances
clawiess Cubs can testify to. For any
pitcher who can pitch four games in
worlds series and come out on top IN
three Of them is far from being all in.
A. L. hot Ind of Ao1
after having pitched for six weeks or
more during the winter it looks like an
eloquent appeal for winter base ball
Chief Bender also made the barn
storming trip last winter with the Ath-
letics, and that the trip did not hurt him
is demonstrated by his wonderful record
last season. In fact, Coombs and Bender
were the mainstays of the champions last
season and were the two big factors in
the whirlwind campaign Of the Mackmen.
II Manager Mack allows his players to
play winter ball there should be no good
reason why any other manager should
object, for when II comes to knowing
base ball the elongated leader OF the
worlds champions has most Of the others
backed of the boards.
Mack Favors Winter Ball.
Mack himself led his team out on
transforming trip last winter and 1t is
likely that only the fact that he is now
on his honeymoon in Europe kept him
from accompanying his men on the barn.
storm through Cuba. II Mack really
thought that winter base ball was injuri-
Gus to players 1t is a cinch that he would
make a strenuous effort to keep his men
from going to Cuba, for he now has to-
gether championship aggregation that
should repeat next season and one which
~ tn vor
again.
It is likely that il men Of Mack's caliber
could accompany all teams on their barn
storming tours that less objection to VIM
ter base ball would be raised. For Mack
not only watches out that his players
do not overexert themselves, but at the
same time makes 1t training school for
them He has plenty Of time then to
devote his efforts to individuals, while on
spring training trips much of this has
to be sacrificed on account of the size
Of the squad and also In the effort to
build I'D team work.