El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-06-10
His Article on Twirlers
Makes Enemies of
Many Players.
(By w. S. FsrnxworthD

New York, n. Y, June 1O--Eddle
Collins turned author last month ana
wrote story about brainy pitchers.
II was ar Interesting article for the
fans :, re&d, but it Gid not c ntal
facts. One of the features of the story
was that Russell Ford, the New York
Americans's star finger did not pos
sess think factory. Collins stated that
Ed Sweeney, Ford's battery mate, was
the brains of the couple.
Which is altogether wrong. Sweeney
is very wise catcher, one of the
shrewdest in the business, but he does
not direct Ford. The big spit ball
HEAVIER does all the signaling and
Sweeney accepts anything his partner
may desire to serve up.
Article Makes Enemies.
Collins goes on and tells many other
weaknesses of great twlrlers- And rot
in & single instance is he right. His
article has earned him no friends, be-
lieve me. All over sthe American
league circuit. and I presume it Is
the same in the National league. he
has made enemies.
1t is bad enough for the ball player
to be PANIED by the scribe. but. when
one of his own profession starts knock
ing. it IS the limit.
Now. let. me tell you something
about Ford. He has three separate and
distinct spftters. BY slight change
of his thumb. he can make the ball
break in out or down. 1t all depends
upon the position of the batsman as
to which he may dish up. Sweeney is
forced to ride with the ball and has
to guess. like the batter. which way
the pellet is going to shoot.
Thumb Does the Work.
The success of Ford's pitching Is
very peculiarly shaped thumb. The
digit bends back and the second joint
seems to be double-jointed. He throws
all Of his spitters off the freaky-
looking thumb. BY simply twisting 1t
different WAYS he makes the ball
break accordingly.
Ford vets the ball very little. ard.
despite the fact that many players
have claimed their errors Were due to
grabbing a damp SPOT, it Is not so
with Ford's ball He doesn't wet
spot any larger than dime.
But it is different with other spit
ball twirlers. For instance Jack Ches-
bro. father of the wet fling. would
dampen his bail so much that 1t he
sembled sponge filled with water
Big Ed Walsh is another fellow who
gives the ball good, thorough soak
ing. and the White Sox infielders have
to be very careful how they duck If to
the bases after making a. stop.
There was some talk year or so
ago of having the splitter abolished
There isn't chance IN the world OF
it ever being done. In the first place,
it would be almost impossible to prove
that a twirler was pitching it. Every
twirler dampens the end of his fingers
before winding UP so as to get good
grip on the pellet
And in the second place, the spit
ball pitcher today Is In more demand
than ever The balls have been made
more lively and the wet finger is the
only one who can keep the ball down.
The pitcher with speed and curves is
likely to be pounded all over the lot.
But it is not so with the spit ball
artists. The demon clouters cannot
seem to raise the new ball any more
than they did the old one. I have
Ford in every game he work
ed this season. and I find that more
assists have been credited to the in
fielders with him working than any
other man on the Nv York pitching
staff who is not possessed of the spit
ter.
Tie hard-hitting Athletics could
hardly get a ball outside of the dia-
mond in the game with the Yankees in
10 days or so ago. Rube
Oldring told me that the harder he
tried to raise the pill off Ford's de-
livery. the 3arder it seemed to hit the
soil
Lively Ball Not Success.
BY the way, the lively ball has not
been a success The fans are getting
tired of these one-sided smuggling
1t Is changing the scientific
style of attack. Where formerly the
team with the inside stuff was win
hing games. any team with hard slug
gers holds the upper hand now. and the
game Is getting to be but a slam bang
Il flair.
Ten years ago baseball games were
nothing but plain smuggling games
Year by year the game has become
more scientific and last season found
the national pastime a perfect sport.
Now 1T threatens to go backward TO
the style that was in effect when
Capt Arson, Dan Brouthers and the
other old willow wielders knew moth