Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-11-13
By Sam Crane.

T<HAT most pitchers warm up
too long and strenuously be-
fore games, Is the opinion
held by many we'll posted baseball
men, and it is often surprising that
managers so seldom call off their
boxmen
Pitchers of long experience, like
Christy Mathewson, and who are
expected to know how much pre-
liminary practice they can best
stand to get them fit, appear to be
just as over exuberant when their
arms feel good as ambitious young
sters who have their regulations to
make.
Catchers who receive the balls
the pitchers throw up during the
warmup period. were scarcely ever
known to choke off a too enthusi-
astic twirler. They appear to think,
as does the manager, that a pitcher
should know his own business and
how much workout he can stand
better than any one else And that
seems to be the plan followed by
all managers and catchers in gem
eral
1t is very bad system. It must
necessarily be SO. There is no
pitcher who ever lived, who, if his
arm feels great" will not cut
loose more speed than he ought to
and continue longer than is best
for his strength and stamina, I'M
less he is called down and warned
that he is going dangerously far.
But who is to give them the warn
ing, or who does, rather?
Robinson Recognizes Fault.
l have seen Coach Wilbert Rob
inson, of the Giants, once in a
while shout to a pitcher, That's
enough, what do you. want to do,
pitch yourself out?" But unfor-
tunately, it is not Robbie" who
does the warm-up job with the
pitchers who are to work in a
game. He is usually busy in try
ing out some youngster, and Man
fielders.
Catchers seem to be averse to
telling their pitchers what to do,
and then again two catchers work
with one pitcher, and therefore fail
to appreciate how much their pitch
er is doing.
1t is safe to say that more pitch
ers have been knocked out of the
box by reason of overworking
themselves prior to a game than
from being out Of condition other
wise.
This is the opinion held by Jack
Lynch, the pitcher of the old Nets.
Washingtons, Buffaloes and other
clubs in the early days OF the game
and who was one of the most ia
nous boXmen in the country and
cOntempQraneous, too, with such
cracks as Radbourne. Keefe. WEIGH.
Burlington, John Clarkson, Mullane
and others
Lynch probably has the record of
pitching more games in one day
and winning them all than any
other twirler. When with the Ma
tionals Of Washington, then an un-
attached club, he pitched three
games in one day At Fall River.
Mass, in the morning of a Decora-
ton day, at l o'clock in Taunton.
and at Providence. R. l.. at 4 in
the afternoon. 1t is needless to re-
mark that Lynch did little warm
ing up before any Of the trio of
games, and he did not believe in
much of ii when he had but one
game to pitch.
Worked Every Other Day.
Lynch, in speaking of the pre-
liminary practice of pitchers to me.
said
When Tim Keefe and were
pitching for the Nets in 1SS3-S4.
we were the only pitchers with the
club and we had to work every
other day and possibly that is the
reason why we did not feel like
warming up 100 long and hard. but
even with pitchers Of the present
day who are asked TO work only
twice a week al the most. all that