The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-29

-, For my part. l made batting a
study. haven't succeeded just be
cause I'm a hig husky fellow that can
swing a heavy war club. What sue
cess l nave Won has come through
hard. constant work.
When l first Joined the Giants !
watched the other fellows at batting
practice. One. in particular. impressed
me. That was AL Bridwell. He was
constantly getting the pitchers to
serve him balls in a certain place
where it was hard for him to lay a
bat on them. l asked him why.
I'm trying to overcome a weak
ness. chief" he aid After a while
III be able to hit those balls."
That struck me as a mighty good
idea. l began to ask the pitchers in
practice to throw them to my weak
point. Im not going to tell. wen
now. what that was.) l found the
system a wonderful help. improved
I'd advise other players to try it, in
stead OF calling for a ball they can
slam to the edge of the lot.
l don't ask for easy - now
in practice, although I've been bat
ting pretty we'll. l want the tough
Slants.
Training the Eye.
a plan for improving the eye. which
I've recently worked. is this: l try
lower edge so that it will foul back
to the screen; or to top it-strike
it on its upper edge. That takes pref
ty close watching of the sphere; but
l find l can do it almost any time.
And it gives my eye splendid training
for following the ball. SO that 1 can
hit it on the nose when l want to, in
a game.
l have been often asked which I
would rather bat against, a right
handler or a left handler. Give mo
the s%outhpaw any time. ! think most
right hand hitters will agree with me.
Because of his delivery the right hand
hitter can see the ball quicker and
therefore follow ii longer.
1t was a left handler, though. that
gave me most trouble this year-Rube
Benton of Cincinnati. When first
faced him this season lie struck me
out twice in slccession--simply fooled
me and stood me on my head with a
curve ball that looked awful bad as
it came up but broke in and over the
plate. Since then I've learned to move
up a step and wade into that ball.
Another tough fellow I've faced is
Young Jimmy Lavender of the Cubs.
the boy who broke Rube Marquard's
long winning streak. There's a. Won
derful fellow for a newcomer. He
mikes them up"--a great spitball, a
good curve and a fine fast one-as
we'll as the most experienced stars in
the league. And he "outguesses'' the
most of the hard hitters almost as
we'll as Matty.
O'Toole of the Pirates is a difficult
pitcher for any man to bat against.
If he could only control that quick
breaking splitter of his he'd be n Of
the best the game ever saw. But he
hasn't learned vet to get them over.
Other pitchers 1 have learned to
have great respect for are Earl Moore
of Philadelphia. who has remarkable
speed and curves: Alexander of the
same club. with similar goods. and
Nap Rucker of Brooklyn. with great
control and curves with amazing
sharp breaks. If Rucker were only
working with a hard hitting. winning
club behind him more people would
wake up to what a good pitcher he
really is.
Enthusiasts in the stands often Won
der, I suppose. why 1t is that a bat
ter strikes a slump" that he runs
into stretches. where for days at d
time he cant hit the ground with his
bat" az the ball players slang ex-
presses it. My friends have often asked