Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31

Griffith had a slow ball that was ;
beauty and then he had another one ina
was a little slower. He had line curve
hut Just fair speed. Blu Griffith nat
plenty of gray matter, and always use'
il TO advantage when on tile rubber HE
change of pace was perfect, and III
usually had the batter who tried to figure
what was coming standing on his head
During the Cleveland-Cincnnati series
last fail / was discussing pitchers anC
hatters with Griffith. I asked him wha1
helped him most during his career as a
twirler, and he Instantly replied. Making
a study of the position the batter took al
the plate was my very best asset as
twirler.'
.All the great twirlers Of the present
day are men who make study OF tne
batter's feet" said Griffith. who had
warmed up to the discussion. No BRAIN
Ter pitcher ever lived than Mathewson,
and that is one OF the first things he does
when the batter steps up to the Plate.
Some pitchers get 1t into their head that
a curve ball is the only thing to use on a
certain batter. Perhaps curve ball is
the batter's weakness. provided he takes
his regular position In the batters box.
All batters are not dummies, even IL they
are glaringiy weak on certain bail
They finally discover that certain pitch
ers never use anything but a curve on
them. When these pitchers are working.
they hug the plate as closely as the UNI
pire will allow them. Often they hit a
curve ball hard. when standing In such
a position, whereas had they assumed
their regular stand :hey would have been
made to look foolish. The pitcher can
not understand the situation. He comes
hack to the bench insisting the batter Is
no longer weak on curve balls
Take pitchers like Mathewson and they
are never so fooled. Say in game on
Monday. Matty has made a certain play
er look foolish on his curve. Perhaps the
player has been unfortunate enough 10
have famed three or four times. inc pat na..
Mathewson will never give him anything
but a curve. so he decides the next tune
he faces Matty he will be prepared 70
to work against the same club Thurs
day When this batter comes to the
plate Matty observes he hugs IL closeiy
He Is getting toe-hod for my curve,
reflects the great twrler. III just 1901
him and skim his letters with fast one.
Now this same player standing In his
regular position just murders fast oaii.
Huggtng the plate, expecting me curve,
he is unable to do anything with fast
one. He still hugs the plate and Matty
sends over another one In the same spot.
Both have been strikes. The player de-
doesn't hug the plate so closely. He d.
vines that he Is getting ready 70 XIII a
fast one. He at once shifts to his curve
or the fade-away. In all probability the
batter has stepped back SO far from the
plate that he is unable to do anything
with either delivery. The result IS
strike-out. a pop fly or weak grounder
to the infield.
bench disguised with himself. He thought
he had Matty figured after Mondays
game, and intended to outguess MIN tne
very next time he faced him. instead OF
being able to turn the trick. he discov-
ers that Mathewson has again made him
look foolish Nine times out OF ten ne
is up In the air over the sudden turn OF
affairs He doesn't really know what 70
do the next time he goes to the plate. he
decides to go back to his regular posuon
in the box. Matty. of course. observes
il at once and Immediately he begins TO
soon as the batter decides to hug the |
plate and try to connect with one or the |
curves. Matty shifts back TO the Iast
one OF course, all twirlers do not nave
the uncanny control of the ball that
Mathewson possesses and cannot exercise
the power he does over the batters Inc
great twirlers must have control ana
thus the really great twirlers always take
into consideration the position the oatter |
assumes at the plate
Need Of Coaching.
Walter Johnson is unquestionably |
one of the greatest pitchers the game
has ever produced. With second di- |
vision club. Johnson has always been |
Il hard man for even the leaders to |
beat. Johnson's speed is terrific. and
his curve ball a very good one. There |
are many pitchers who. II they had |
the smoke of Johnson. would be al
most unbeatable Never in my life |
have I seen Walter Johnson intention |
ally use the bean ball" The bean |
ball" as all dyed-in-the-wooi fans
know. IL a ball delivered as close as
possible to the batters head without |
hitting MIN. There Is really no desire |
batter. for such a happening might
result very seriously. He simply |
throws such a ball to intimidate the
batter, drive him away from the plate
and make 1t next to impossible for |
linn to hit curve broken over the
outside corner. Such a ball is invari- |
ably used by the pitcher under such |
conditions.
lent control of the ball. He is seldom |
wild. and often gets the ball in the |
groove. depending on the great amount |
Of stun he puts orSit to keep the batter |
from hitting safely There are any |
Lea Que who take a toe hold when hit |
ting against Johnson. despite his ter |
rifle speed. They know he has good |
control and that ne never Intentionally |
resorts to the bean ball" Thus they |
figure they can take chance with |
him, a chance they would not take |
against many other pitchers in the
American League who do not have as |
much stuff as Johnson Griffith. in his |
day a great pitcher, is sure to give the |
wa shington STAFF a lot OF instruction |
In some of the finer points of twiriing |
He Is very likely to convince Johnson |
that there is nothing wrong In driving |
those battcrs away from the plate
every now and then. just to make them
respect him. n johnson does make up |
his mind to use tho bean BALI occa-
sioually during n --me he is bound IN |
he more effective. Batters will not
continue to take tn; toe hold they or
dinariiy do against him. and some Of
the fellows who have been numbering
his speed will find IT a trifle harder to
hit.
Bender Switches Style.
WAS always aware from observation
that the really great pitchers always took
i,s:o consideration the position Of the
batter when pitching. Gr!ftiths talk rela-