Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-08-30
EXPLODES PITCHER THEORY
stallings Of the Braves Declares
Two Days Rest Enough.
HIS OWN MEN BEAR HIM OUT
They Work on the Mound Every
Third Day and Count the sched-
uIe the Best of Their
Experience.
~ FRANK q. MENKE.

NEW YORK, Aug. 2e.--George Stallings
of the Braves has shot full Of holes the
theory that a pitcher must have four or
five days rest between labors so as to
pitch consistent base ball.
For nearly two months Stnllings has
worked only three pitchers-Rudolph'
TYLER and James. On occasions. when
double headers came along. he worked
fourth pitcher, but he hasn't deviated
much from his plan of sending each mem
Der OF his star trio into battle every third
day.
What's been the result7 Well, gaze upon
the position the Braves occupy now and
then recall the fact that they were down
In the cellar position before Stallings de-
cided TO put the every -third-day plan into
use.
staIlings figures that pitcher reaches
his best form when worked every third
dey. He seems to be right No set OF
pitchers have displayed greater form over
a two months stretch than has that won
derfui trio that he is totting around
"A pitchers arm feels a bit stiff tho
day after he has worked a full game"
said stallings. but rest on that day and
rest ana massage on the second day
shape. BY the morning OF the third day
his arm is In fine shape again. and with
a little workout IT'S IN shape for duty.
II have found that giving pitcher
four or five days rest isn't the best thing
for him-and my boys bear me out In
This. They tell me that waiting four or
five days between games gives the
muscles of their arms chance TO slip
as.1 INIT Them
out OF condition temporarily. II usually
takes a pitcher four or five innings. after
along rest. before his arm is going right
and by that time the opposition may have
hammered him often enough TO get safe
lead.
Pitchers In Accord.
MY three great pitchers are thoroughly
IN accord with nv plan OF working them
every three days. They say II Is the
best thing for them. AZ first when 1
tried the experiment I thought they
might think IL too great a strain on
them. but they tell me now that Instead
OF hurting their pitcing II helps them De-
cause II keep them in good shape right
along and gives them no chance to get
stale or out Of condition.
Many persons are predicting that my
trio OF pitchers will crack They nave
been predicting II ever since ! put that
svery-third-day plan into execution Bu'
my boys haven't cracked and they aren't
going to crack. Working a pitcher every
third day isn't overlooking him. and
venture the opinion thai the success OF
my plan viii cause many other managers
TO adopt Il next year.
.It strikes me as q lot OF bunk thai
pitchers, who work about every four Of
five days. should complain about what 9
severe strain Il IS on their arms TO pitof
ful game as often as that. pitchei
during an ordinary game will throw from
ii5 to 1856 balls during nine innings. som'
pitchers throw more and some less. Dur
ing warming up exercises they will throw
nearly that many and never think any
thing about IT,
Pitching full game Will use up
mans arm 20 a certain extent and maxi
rest necessary. But three days ar
enough according 20 James Rudolph an
Tyler who have tried out the plan ant
who have demonstrated its virtues. The
have pitched shutout ball and small-hi
games almost day after day Why7 BE
cause they are great pitchers In the frs
place and because by working every thir
day they have kept their arms in tn
pink OF condition"