Fergus County Democrat., 1913-10-14
THE WORLD OF SPORT

"It's just a case of hit or miss. To-
day you do. Tomorrow you don't"
Ham Hyatt thus sizes up the art of
pinch-hitting. Nearly always he
makes good. Sometimes he fails. Oc-
casionally he strikes out-but not
often. In fact he has as many home
run wallops over the fences to his
credit this season as he has strike
outs. Quite a record, and you will
pardon us then if we hail Ham as the
greatest pinch-hitter in the world,
says the Gazette Times.
The Pittsburg club carries the big
northwesterner for his pinch-hitting
alone. With muscles like steel and
nerve as cool as an iceberg, together
with the eye and the knack of hitting
Ham is an asset to the club that will
be missed only when he is not around
when they need him in a ninth-inning
pinch with man or two on the run
ways, the Buccos a run or two be-
hind, and a hit, preferably long one,
needed to save the day
Time and again this season the big
fellow has delivered the punch that
won for the Pirates. A few times he
has failed, but not even Hyatt can al
ways hit the ball out of the lot. Five
times this season Ham has been a
strikeout victim, though he has faced
the pitcher Is times. But on as many
other occasions he has driven the ball
clear out of the lot No hitter ever
lived who could balance his home runs
for season with his strikeouts.
There are pitchers who strike out
oftener than they get hits.
1T is all in meeting a ball square
ly," said Ham, when asked to discuss
the art of batting. "You may hit a
ball ever SO hard, but if you have
taken your eye off it and not hit 1t
fairly it matters not how hard you
swing. 1t will not travel"
Ham was asked why he invariably
let's the first ball go by in a pinch
without Offering at it.
well, now, do you think that is
fair question:" laughed Ham. IF
answered that don't you think l will
be tipping my mitt to the pitchers"
We urged him under no circum-
stances to do such a thing, but Ham
replied:
Il was only kidding. pass up the
first one and SO do most hitters to
see what the pitcher has. BY that l
mean that l try to judge his speed If
it is a fast ball and to see his curve
if it is curse. AS l only get to bat
in pinches l can't tell just what the
pitcher has. can't Judge pitchers
speed from the bench nor can folks
in the grandstand. You must be at
the plate to look e mover to get line
on him.
when / was with Kansas City
was hitting we'll above 300 and they
told me that if l would quit hitting at
the first ball would be even better.
The manager remarked once that
was better with strike or two
against me than by cracking at the
first one, which often resulted in my
popping out or grounding out. l fol
lowed his advice and learned from him
that it was a lot better to look one or
two over so that l could Judge the
speed and. the break of the pitcher
curve and time my swing better. 1t
improved my hitting"
Ham stood among the rest of the
Pirates and talked entertainingly, oc
casionally gripping his bat and illus
trating something he had said. Asked
about his first appearance as a pinch
hitter, Ham replied:
"Oh, it was over in Cincinnati one
day in 1909, if l remember correctly
had never been in a big league game
nor had l acted as a pinch-hitter il
the minors, where they played me reg
ularly. l forgot who l batted for thai
day, but l think it was one of the
pitchers. l got a three-base hit ant
we won the game. From that time OF
Cap Clarke gave me lots of chances.
Don't you feel an awful respon
sibility come over you when they sent
you up there in pinch where every
thing depends on you?" he was asked
We'll, if | allowed myself to fee
that way about it my chances Of be
ing any good to the club would b,
lessened," replied Ham. Really
does not bother me. l am up ther
trying to do the best l can, and n,
man can do better than his best.
know that if l fail l will not be con
demned by Manager Clarke or tn
fans, for l guess it is pretty vel
understood nowadays that baseball i