The Washington herald., 1912-04-21

he likely to be most proficient? Or, to put
it in another way, what seems to be the
greatest prevailing weakness on the part
Of battes?
For twenty years the writer has asked
that question os the leading batters in the
history of the game, and also of others who
were not such wonderful batters, but were
generally conceded to be the deepest think
eS. The list included Cap Anson,
Buck" Ewing. Dan" Brouthers, George
Gore, "AF Dalrymple, CHAMPION batsman
Of the National League before some of the
present generation Of ball players were
born; John Montgomery Ward, Hans"
Wagner, Fred" Clarke, -Ty" Cobb,
Cupid" Childs, jess" Burkett, Oliver
Tebeau, John ]. McGraw, Ned" Hanlon
and Clarke Griffith, who judged the batter
from both the standpoint Of the pitcher
and that Of the manager, and most Of them
agree that it is fatal indecisiOn" which
makes some players more Indifferent bat
ters than Others.
Almost all ball players have good eye
sight, accurate eyesight, as that goes, -
said big Dan" Brouthers, who has made
almost as many home runs in professional
games as some pitchers have made base
hits in their major league career. "A ball
player without good eyesight could not
last. Most of the players swing fairly
well when they begin, and they swing bet
ter after they have played awhile. Their
weakness is in picking them out" That's
the ball players way Of saying that the
batters are not quick enough and keen
enough of Judgment.
When a player stands at the plate fac
ing a modern pitcher who is known to
possess all of the skilful little side issues
which 90 to make up good pitching in
these days, when pitching is a fine art
compared to what it was when baseball
was played on the commons, be has to
conjecture whether he is to receive an
outcurye, an inshoot, a drop, a jump
ball, a slow one with a cross FIRE, a fast
on the corner or a splitter" If the
pitcher makes use of that decidedly m-
sanitary form of athletic diversion.
Buck" Ewing's Theory.
He has so few seconds to make up his
mind what to do that the man with the
stop watch, who is timing the work Of the
pitcher. barely snaps the watch to start
1t before be snaps il again to stop it. IT
is evident that If the mental processes
of the batter do not work as rapidly as
those of the pitcher, and that II they do,
the batter is the unfortunate poSsessor
of a mind which is vacillating and says
"oh. dear" when he should either be
taking a swing for a home run or step
ping back and permitting the ball to pass
by him, he is not apt TO make rapid ad-
vances into the Order of the 800"
Buck" Ewing held the theory that every
batter would have to be fooled at some
time, but that he would not be 50 likely
to be deceived all Of the time If he trained
himself to decide to bat the bail or to leave
it alone when it was within ten feet of the
plate. II haven't got any use for Shese
ball players who have made up their minds
to swing at the ball before it leaves the
pitchers hand or Just as it is about to
leave it," said Ewing. with a good
pitcher to assist me can strike them out
four times out Of six. Give me the batter
who stands at the plate and sizes the ball
up until it is almost on MIN and then takes
snap Judgment on it. III bet that be hits
800 after ne has been in the big leagues
Tor two years If he failed to do so before
be started out"
John ]. McGraw and willie" Keeler.
capital exemplars Of the little chunk
IF men, who can bat well, are great
'ticklers for correct swing. They con-
tend that no player can make success
with the bat if one -rm interferes vida
he other "A man should be as handy
with baseball bat as tennis player is
'kilful with racquet" said Keeler.
Some of these big fellows. and little