The Washburn leader., 1910-10-07

players DeHCu lS dSdu lue 4uIeIeSS
part of the grounds. The surge of en-
thusiasm, confidence and noise sub
sides and the game Is won.
Baseball is almost as much psychol-
ogical as athletic. Why one team
can beat stronger one regularly.
and lose to a weaker with the same
regularity; why one batter can hit
one pitcher and is helpless before an
other; why one pitcher is effective
against a strong team and at the
mercy of another that cannot bat half
as hard, are psychological problems.
In 1908 Joe Tinker. who is only an
ordinary batter, became imbued with
the idea that he could hit Mathewson's
pitching at will. The confidence born
of this idea enabled him to beat
Mathewson out Of several games, and
after that Mathewson seemed to have
the same belief, for Tinker during the
season won five games from New
York by his individual hitting, and in
four of them Mathewson was the VIC
tim. One of the hits that Tinker
made off Mathewson will be part Of
Chicago's baseball history for gen.
erations. The teams, with Mathewson
and Brown pitching, had battled for
four innings, neither being able to
score, and in the fifth Tinker came
to bat, first in the inning. Tinker
drove the ball on the line into the far
left field corner-and he raced around
the bases. At third base Zimmerman
who was coaching, leaped out, tackled
Tinker and threw him. trying to drag
him back to third base, but Tinker
broke away and scored with the only
run of the game, beating Mathewson
1 to 0. Twice later in the year
Tinker beat Mathewson by long
drives.
What probably was the most sensar
tional finish ever recorded in any
league was that In the Western league
on the last day of the season of 1909.
On that day the psychic wave struck
Omaha The situation was this:
Des Moines and Sioux City practical
ly we're tide for the pennant, and each
team was playing two games, the
Sioux City team playing at Omaha.
Sioux City had to lose two games and
Des Moines had to win one to give
Des Moines the championship. Sioux
City lost the first game, but had the
second won by three runs In the ninth
inning. Manager "Ducky'' Holmes of
the Sioux did not feel the break"
coming. He leaped into his automo-
bile after the first Omaha batter in
the ninth inning went out, called the
attention of the crowd to his cham
'pfuns, and raced away toward home
to start celebrating the victory. Just
then the break" came. Omaha need
ed three runs to tie, four to win. Hits
and errors quickly filled the bases and
with two men out three men were ON
the bases, and a home run drive
scored four runs, won for Omaha, beat
Sioux City, and gave the pennant to
Des Moines.
Manager Rourke hastened to the
press stand and sent hurried tele-
gram to the policefn a town between
Omaha and Holmes home, which read
thus:
ARREST Holmes, put him in hand
cuffs and a strait jacket, gag him
and then break the news. Omaha
won out in the NINTH
Observe closely a pitcher when the
break" comes. Up to that time he
has been pitching coolly. taking his
time. studying each man-but. after
1.-The break" he hurries. returns the
ball as fast as he gets it, loses head,
loses control, and loses the game.
Mathewson. one of the greatest of
them all, has only that one fault, and
the instant the tide turns against New
York, every effort of the other play
ers is to slow down Mathewson and
make him hold the ball, instead of
pitching as soon as it returns to his
hands
One of the prettiest bits of brain
work was done by Leifield, by which
he won hard fought game from
Boston and STAYED off defeat by sheer
cleyerness. Pittsburg had been lead
ing but the break" came against
them and Boston started slugging and
piling up runs rapidly, until one more
hit meant victory, when Bill Dahlen
came to bat. Dahlen is a dangerous
hitter "inside"-Which means when
the ball is pitched between him and
the plate, and Leifield knew this, so
he attempted to make his fast ball go
high and outside. Instead the ball
ESCAPED him and went waist high
across the plate, ON the inside corner,
just where Dahlen likes to hit.
Dahlen. expecting a high fast one.
was surprised, and swung at the ball,
missing it. Instantly the entire Pitts
burg team was screaming at Leifield,
abusing him for making the blunder
and ordering him not to pitch inside
again.
Leifield instantly decided that, as
Dahlen had heard him ordered to keep
the hall away he would expect fast
ball outside, SO instead Of pitching
there. he deliberately repeated his
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