Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-07-02
Chase is Scientific
in Style Of Throwing,
Asserts Learned Man
Doctor Explains Why Hal Chase Has
it on Other Ball Players in the
Great Game.

NEW YORK, July AFTER carefully
watching Hal Chase play q number Of
games the learned doctor had something to
say. His instructions had been to take
few hours in the genial sunshine and
give his opinion as to why Chase has a
little on some other first basemen as a
physical machine.
II is more than probable that the learned
doctor never would have entered upon
such an errand had IL not been that an
other doctor insisted that Chase had a
''loosening OF the elbow Joint" or some
thing Of the sort-the phrase being well
disguised with polyehromic Latin words
which gave him an advantage over his fell
lows.
The learned doctor scoffed when he heard
Il and pleaded for time to study the sub
ject.
ITS as easy as rolling eggs down the
White House hnl,' said the learned doc
tor when he sat down to talk about Il.
There isn't any freak exhibit Of muscles
in Chase's throwing arm. The other chap
may have thought so, but he was travels
ing further into science than the subject
warrants. Chase throws with his forearm.
That's all there is to II. How many are
there who can throw with their forearm p
Some of the first basemen. in fact, most
Of them" said tine speaker, use their fore
arm a little but do all Of the pushing with
the shoulder muscles. II costs them Sec
onds more to throw than II does Chase. He
picks up the ball from the ground. Tits
II over with his forearm and the first thing
that the runner knows near third base
the ball Is on him. II II happens to be q
fairly fast runner he may wonder how II
came over so rapidly. but It was due to
the fact that Chase did not have to hoist
the ball over his head before he could get
It started. In other words, it's just like
running an elevator up three stories in
stead OF six to accomplish the same result =
II there are any 'fans' who have won
dered why the ball happens TO fit around
so expeditlously when Chase is trying TO
make an infield play perhaps they will
understand II better after reading the
theory OF the learned doctor.
Now what / would like TO find OUT said
the Inquisitive Bookworm, is whether II
would be possible for other first basemen
than Chase to acquire this same skin, II
we are to call it skill"
''WelL" said the learned doctor, with
deliberation and some hesitancy, Il
reckon that / would better answer that
with a mightn't. All elbow Joints are
not built alike. All ball players do not
crook their arms alike to throw. All play
ers do not possess the same muscular
power and there are those who have to
put heap Of swing into their motion to
be sure that the ball will carry as far as
they would like to have It. Probably /,
would not do any hurt to all ball players
to try to throw like Chase. but while the
general pattern OF the aim has been well
defined by nature, there are varieties OF
arms. just as there are of noses. Chase
could hold the upper part Of his arm rigid
and throw further than the average bali
player who attempted the same thing. Al
least that is my theory OF the matter,
taking an offhand look. The spectator who
sits in the stand and watches the profess
SIGNALS play. growls because one man
doesn't play the same as another man, or
doesn't play the same way as another.
wonder II he ever stops to think that NO
two men eat the same way and that nc
two sign their names the same way Nature
favors athletes, and II she didn't your old
game Of base ball wouldn't be worth the
powder to blow 1t up, for 1t would be
so mechanically precise that even the UNI.
pires wouldn't be pannned by the crowds OF
the players"