Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-07-07
BASEBALL HISTORY.
Alfred J. Reach and Fifty Years Of Base
ball as a game and Business.
(Continued.)

(Contlnued.)
'But there is a better argument than
unaided memory to prove my conten-
ton that the pail player of the seven
ties was just as good as the star of to-
day.
MANY men played in both periods
of baseball-the time when we had
undetermined picthing, which made
the ball easier to hit and accounted for
the big scores, and then the new re
gime when the pitcher was allowed to
deliver the ball any way he wished
and thus could avail himself of ali the
speed, curves and strategy he could
summon.
Men like Arson, Cuthbert, Brouth-
ers. O'Rourke, Sutton, Conner. Hines
Calvin, Matthews, Riley and Manning,
had been among the greatest ball play
ers under the old rules When the new
code went into effect they still coDtin-
ueed to be stars.
Gloves also have helped fielding a
whole lot. Take the glove away from
our stars today, and many of them
would have to quit the game. Then
we had to pickle our hands in order to
stand the impact, and moreover we
made a science of giving with the ball,
so as to lessen the shock, otherwise
our hands would have been shattered.
But never mind comparisons. We have
a great national game which has con-
quered the country from Atlantic to
Mexico. It's golden anniversary finds
"a progress without parallel. No man
can estimate the number Of votaries
baseball will have b. the time its dia-
mond anniversary arrives"
The fan of today who hOllers himself
horse at ev0ry play made sees a differ
ent game from that witnessed by his
fathers-but the enthusiasm is no great
err than displayed by the early advoca-
ties. The personnel has all changed but
interest has just broadened. Baseball
has been systematized.
Today pitching, perhaps the most in
teresting of the individual positions OF
the ball team, is practically science.
The wonders of pitching are described
by II. s. Fullerton, when he.says Five
and one-eighth ounces of rubber and
warn, wound into perfect sphere nine
and one-quarter inches in circumfer-
ence, and covered with selected horse
hide, stitched id figure pattern, in
the hands of certain men, will make
the law of gravitation look as if it had
been declared unconstitutional"
The various curves that a baseball
cen be made TO perform in its flight is
little short of wonderful. Principal
among the famous curves are the ones
known as the fadeaway; the knuckle
ball, the hook, the palm, the high
uoater, the fast fader, the thumb bait,
the spit ball, and the crossfire, all of
which have their variations, according
to the person doing the manipulating.
One of the greatest of present day
Observation-Disclosures of New York, is
perhaps foremost with his develope-
ment of the slow ball. Ordinarily one
would consider the slow ball the'easiest
for a batter to hit, while, as a matter
of fact, the slow ball, properly control
ed. is perhaps one of che hardest to hit,
particularly as thrown by Mathewson,
who has developed the most effective
ever used, and which is now known as.
the fadeaway. Just how this ball was
developed is rather an interesting story
in itself. When Mathewson left college
he was a great pitcher, one of the few
who made good from the start. He
had great speed, fast curves, and one
particularly effective ball, known as
the Jump. With a few years of pitch
ing, his arm lost its strength, so his
speed and curves lost their effective
ness. Many predicted his retirement,
agreeing that he could not last much
longer. 1t was at this time that he