Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-10-29

f. NEW E4ORh, fOct, 1.-two OF the
greatest pitchers in the world, Wal
ter Johnson, the premier slab artist
of the Washington Americans, and
Nap Rucker, the peerless southpaw
of the Brooklyns, had a speed test
yesterday morning in the test room
of the Remington Arms, u. M. c., in
Bridgeport, Conn. The two noted
boxmen flung regular league ball
at the range of five yards, with john
son recording the better speed.
The white Hope" off, Grifith's
team shot the sphere through the air
at the rate Of 122 feet a second. But
this was not Johns0n's maximum
speed, as he was not warmed up, and
threw the ball with his street. clothes
on. Fuckers best velocity was liz.
feet per second. g
There has been SO much discussion
about Johnson's great speed that F..
c. Lane of the Baseball Magazine
arranged with Manager Dahlen and
Manager Grifith to let their stars
take q morning on and make the trip
to Bridgeport, where the Remington
company have an electrical appara-
tus to test the speed of their rife
bullets. - ..a
g The pitchers had to make the trip
in. the morning, as both had to be
back In time for the afternoons
games. Rucker was up bright and
early and met Johnson. Lane Joined
them and accompanied by a World
reporter the party sped to Bridgeport
In an auto. Of
The two stars were then taken into
the test room of the Remington COM
pany. On went the hats and coats of
Johnson and Rucker and they began
to warm up" Seventy-five thousand
dollars worth of pitching material
were tossing the ball to one another.
Neither put his full strength behind
the ball, as they were without gloves.
sThen the two took turns at throw
ing the ball against the steel plate
Of THE electrical recording machine.
Nap was the first to take a shot at
the plate. The ball left his hand with
terrific force and bounded back like
a fash. Then johnson let one fly.
The ball failed to hit the plate but
caromed on the corner of the wooden
wall with q crash. BY this time things
were in readiness for the test.
The pitchers had to fire the ball
through a frame of wood about two
feet square. Running from top to
bottom were ten fine copper wires
These wires are first broken and re-
cord the time the ball leaves the
wooden frame. Five yards away is a
steel plate. This records the time
the ball lands.
Johnson may have good control on
a ball field, but the thin wires proved
a problem to him at first. He had to
throw the ball five times before he
could break one of the wires. His
first throw was calculated at 120 feet
per second.
Nap thought it was a cinch to
break the wires, but he found out diff
ferently after his first try. The
trouble was that he let go the ball
before completing a full swing. This
caused the sphere to go through the
wooden frame about three inches
from the outside wire. Nap took his
second chance, but failed. On his
third attempt he smashed two wires
and the tester recorded LOG feet per
second.
Johnson shifted his position for his
second try and thought his gauge was
just right for the wires. But Walter
missed again and had to try three
times before he was able to record
his throw. This throw was one foot
a second faster than his first.
Rucker then had his second test
and his speed was also faster. The
record for Maps second attempt was
100 feet per second. Then Rucker
tried a curve ball, but this proved too
slow to record.