Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-06-27
new DELIVERY is USED
BY LAVENDER, OF CUBS
Georgia Boy Takes Up Freak
Motion

|
through with the major leagues, writes
Irving Vaughn in the Chicago Record
Herald. Age has not yet carried away
the cunning of the pitching arm, NOR
has jim been notified of release or
anything of that nature, but he has
turned his ear to the wind and listen
ed for the call that is nightmare tn
them all.
Lavenders hopes of remaining ii
the big league hang around the use Of
| the slow ball, which is as deceptive rs
the curve or fast one. To date the
work of the young club pitcher has
been bitter Disappointment. His bril-
liant performance last season forced
him and Evers to expect big things Of
himself this season, and now that he
has failed in his task his hopes ha e
faded like a morning mist. However,
the ambition to do things is still there
and if the 'spitball expert doesn't get
a going soon it will be because he has
lost his stuff and because the slo "
ball has failed to fill the gap between
a winner and loser.
When Lavender broke into the big
league last spring he changed his
style of pitching entirely. For several
seasons he had been working in the
International league, and never won
under twenty games per- When Chance
took him in tow the P. L. wouldn :
stand for the use of the slow ball, so
Lavendar had to do without it. Despite
the change, however, he prospere1
with the splitter" and fast ball and
occasional curves, but it was hard
work. At least, Lavender thinks so
now
To convince one how much a slow
ball helps, Lavender claims he never
used less than three out of five
throughout his minor league caree~.
He saved the splitter" and speed for
use in emergency, and thus rested
most of the time. In that way he was
usually equal to the hardest kind of a
task, and once getting back onto safe
ground, it was an easy matter again
to work in his slow ball, and thus
make up for the extra exertion.
After suffering all sorts of humilia-
ton during the early innings in the
recent exhibition games at Muscatine,
la. Lavender was so Disguised that
he made up his mind to fall back on
bis old line of stuff 1t was merely al
experiment, as the old style had been
in the discard for a season Lavender
found that the slow ball sandwiched
in had the effectiveness of yore. and
Immediately he made up his mind 10
try it in his next start. OF course he
was up against a minor league battin,g
talent, but this is of no account. rs
Lavender only wished to learn wheth-
err he could handle an additional twist
er in his already crowded assortment
While soaking of the Muscantine
game 1--WE realize all right that it is a
shame to stir up bygones) it might BE-
added that there is a big chance u
one of the Muskees becoming a Cub
| before long The manager of the
Hawkeye club admitted that the Chi
cago president was after one of his
men, but didn't divulge the identity Of
the individual. 1t is a cinch bet thai
! it is George Zackert, the pitcher who
| faced the Cubs, as he was groome1
for the battle so that the majors could
see him. in action. He is big south.
paw with speed and pretty drop but
if the club batters are to be believed
he cannot put enough stuff on the bail
They say this. even though he had
enough to deceive them.
there is good money in them at these