The Washington herald., 1912-04-21
PzIy1

ones, too, who take a step and a swing
at the ball as if they were pitching hay
may hit over the heads of the outhelders
once in a while. but I'll bet that some
Of them shut their eyes and trust to
luck when they see the ball coming up.
A good batter wants 10 have the bat
free and easy in his hand, so that he can
use it with the wrists, with a forearm
motion or with full arm motion, as the
case demands. That's what constitutes
the swing in baseball / never tried to
bunt in the same way that tried to hit
to the out6eld, but I've seen ball play
ers who had only one motion for every
thing. They didn't climb fast. 1t was
too slippery under their feet
| Every ball player has his natural field
into which he bats, That is because he
pulls the ball with him as he swings.
OF course it often happens that he fails
TO guess the pitcher right and the ball
goes in another direction, but, everything
being equal, the player who can bat well
enough to be considered a dangerous man
when he is at bat will get all the force of
his anatomy into a right field hit if he is
a natural left hand batter or into a left
field hit if he is a natural right hand
batter.
Some batters hit steadily into one field
and some hit almost as steadily at one
base. OF course, they do not bat in the
same channel all the time, for if they
did the 6elders would play in one place
for them and not move.
4 The educated batter of this century is
the man who has learned 10 fool his op-
ponents by placing the ball" That waI
another great theme of discussion twenty
years ago. Very able men insisted that
IT could not be done. They argued from
l theory. If they had been experienced
ball players they would have known
| better.
Placing Hits.
| "Cap" Anson, in spite of the fact that
be was a right hand batter. could smash
the ball into left field with speed enough
to stir up a sandstorm, and Buck"
Ewing. another terrific left field batter,
and who once made home run in Cleve-
land. Ohio, that travelled two blocks up
Euclid avenue and brought up in the out
skirts of the city, could place the ball in
right field and bat it on a line, too, when
he did it.
John Montgomery Ward who is back in
baseball as the owner Of tie Boston Ma
tional League club. says that it is impos-
sible for a slow thinker to become a high
class batter. They used to believe that
because Big Dan Brouthers was an ami
able, easy disposiioned sort Of a chap he
wasn't fast thinker, and that some of his
batting prowess was due to the fact that
he swung a long and heavy bat" said John
Montgomery.
| II watched Dan for two months, and
the longer / watched him the more ad-
miration had for him. With all his
him take a swing at the ball until the ball
was right on him. II, wasn't reaching
for them. He waited until the ball got up
to him, and then he decided like a fash
whether he would go after it or leave it
alone. Some pitchers could bother Dan
occasionally, but there WAS only one who
could bother him all Of the time"
/ Some batters who are right hand strik-
ers reverse the usual order and hit the
ball to right field naturally, and there are
others who are left hand batters who bat
na auraHy to left field. What is the reason
for that, which seems to be a contradiction
Of nature? Position at the plate and late
ness in swinging at the ball. Position, Of
course, helps in placing the ball, al
though it does not tend to increase or de-
crease batting ability. 1t is an accessory
to the three cardinal principles. If left
hand batter stands with his right foot
forward, or If right hand batter stands
with bis left foot forward, and if either is
a little slow in meeting the ball as it
comes to him he will bat to the field oppo-
site to that which would be called his
natural field, judging by his manner of
facing the pitcher.
1t does not take long for the feIders to
ascertain it. The moment that they see
the stand of the batter they begin to swing
around in anticipation of finding a hit
contrary to that which would ordinarily
be expected to result.