The Washington times., 1913-10-15

The player of today isn't as smooth
performer as the old ones were. They
pay less attention to the little things
You have players right here on your
Washington club who don't know how
to stop a ground ball. They don't even
know enough to put their feet together
when they get in front of the ball
Ever see Eddie Collins make this mis-
take? Not a chance. He's great
player. I wish there, were more like
him, .r-<TS - -.
You often hear that modem, players
are 1nYehting new plays all the time
That's iaughable. z Il srefAesrfber~ batting
against Bobby, Mathews in 1871, and. II
he didn't have. what is known as the
splitter I'd like to know what 1t was.
He used to give his catcher a hard
time of 1t with his quick breaking ball.
I've noticed little smooth, white place
where he used to place his fingers, and
it was mighty hard to get hold of that
ball. 1 don't say he had the splitter.
but it was close to it. After him. RAM
sey, know. had a splitter
But for inventing anything else, not
chance. We had the bunt, the hit
and-run. the squeeze, and everything
else when / was playing ball. Further
more. we did our fielding without gloves
or mitts. Modern fans frequently can
not understand how we did 1t, but we
did, just the same, and our fielding was
as good as any seen nowadays.
How did our first basemen match
up with those of today? We were bet
ter. / honestly believe that there We're
first basemen IN my time better than
Hal. Chase, Jack McInnis, or Jake
Daubert. It's all bosh to say that l
didn't play far enough away from the
bag to get ground balls. or course,
did, though / did not play as far back
as they do now. But / stopped hot
liners and vicious grounders in closer
than they play now. Just because I
was closer to the bat did not interfere
with my game. It's all rot. this COM
partson of the old and the new PLAYERS
and finding that the modern player has
II all over the veteran. Baseball has
gained marvefously since I played. but
out there onrthe diamond 1t Is the same
old game
Here in Washington you folks have
one OF the greatest pitchers OF my day
He's your manager. When Clark Grit-
hfth came to my team In Chicago he
was a thin little chap. but my, how he
could pitch. II Griffith had had the
physique of your Walter johnson ne
would have set A record no other pitch
er ever would have touched He had
ever saw an1 he established high
records with a slow ball and brains
SLOW ball, that reminds me that no
man can be a great pitcher unless he
has a change of pace. He simply must
have a slow ball to mix with his fast
one. Look at Tesreau. He was easy
for the Athletics because he had moth
ihE -bilt fast BAN. The Athletics made
Z. mess Of him. He is not a good pitch
er. ACCORDING to my mind. because he
must use only his speed He has moth
irg else worth nickel II a pitcher
has slow ball, a real good slow ball.
he doesn't have to have such speed to
rake change of pace know for
7 nave hit against the best major league
pitchers for twenty years"
Anson's batting record is marvellous
In 1875 ne hit for .342, and. UP TO and
including 1So- he never dropped below
.S0I.- For two Years he failed to reach
the mark. but for the next five years he
passed the mark. In 1879 he reached
NJ