Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-01-06
MATTYS HEAD
IS WORTH EVEN
MORE Than ARM

While Gov. John K Tener of Penn
sylvania, the newly elected president
OF the National Baseball League, did
not boost his reputation for original.
ity OF thought when he said the 9th.
er day that Christy Mathewson ought
to be kept in the league long after
his career as a pitcher is ended, his
! remark puts into words what many
have been thinking, and shows that
along with many other keen observ-
ers Of baseball he realizes that the
Giants veteran twirler has a head
that is worth as much as, if not more
than, his arm. The new evidence is
"Matty's" record for last season,
which is summed up by Bozeman
Bulger in the New York Evening
World:
In 1913, Matty, the oldest pitcher.
in point of service, in the National
League, led them all, vets, phenoms
and youngsters included.
Despite his age, Matty pitched
more innings than any pitcher in the
game. with the exception of Adams
of Pittsburg, and Seaton of the Phil
lies. They topped him by a narrow
margin,
? In 40 games he allowed an average
OF 2.06 runs to the game-the best
mark made by any of the twirlers.
\ Out of 1885 batters that faced him,
Matty did not hit one.
He gave Il bases on balls, more
than half of them purposely. Seaton,
one of his strongest rivals, gave 1876!
During the entire season. Matty
made but three wild pitches-anoth-
ef record. -.
Matty won % games and lost II,
and acted as relief pitcher four times.
And, mind you, he has been pitch
ing regularly 13 years! ..
IL We recall that the average base
ball life of a big league pitcher is
seven years and that Mathewson has
added six years to that life and still
leads all the youngsters, regardless
of age, race or previous condition of
servitude, the scribes can be forgiv-
en- for continually referring to him as
ssThe Old Master" Veteran pitchers
can usually gets by with a record by
using their knowledge of the game
without having to rely upon their
physical endurance. But Matty took
no such advantage. He pitched more
actual innings than any man In the
leasne excapttng piess4n othsrl
words, did more physical work; He
was the truck-horse of the Giants, /
and whether overloaded or not, al !
ways delivered the goods. H
Look a little closer at the record
and you will be confronted with the
rather surprising fact that more base |
hits were made on Mathewson than
any man In the league. And right |
there is the beginning of the answer
to his cunning. He lets them make |
hits, but when 1t comes to runs
nothing doing. That also explains |
why he is able to keep pitching. |
AS long as the bases are not &C.
cupied Matty considers himself but
one-ninth of the team and allows the
batter to hit the ball as hard as he
will. It is when runs threaten that
he tightens up. Now you may better
understand the strange situation Of
a pitcher being hit harder than any
other twirler in the business and at
the same time allowing fewer runs.
When Matty is gone YOU will prob
ably never again see such a seeming
paradox in figures. -.-.
Let me tell you something" Mat
ty said to me one afternoon. my
future depends upon me and no one
else. If tried to do eightninths Of
the work of a ball club I would, nat
urally, wear out quicker than the
other ninth. On the other hand, If
/ content myself with being one-ninth
of the team and let the fielders work
some will last as long, If not longer,
than the other .eight-ninths. Do you
get that?" =. /
said did, but didn't. That kind
Of figuring is too much for an ordin-
airy scribe. But he went right on.
eff, for instance, carry this heavy
grip in my left hand for 10 years in
stead of my right" he asked, which
arm do you think would be the better
of at the end of that timer"
That one was easy. And it was no
Joke with Matty, either. There is a
new hat for anybody that catches Big
Six carrying a heavy grip in his
right hand. /.
This remarkable young mana
man at 33 is young, isn't he?-never
overlooks one Of those details. He
always figures on the future, and the
six extra years Of service is the
answer
Another thing" he explained once.
How much energy do you suppose
IS wasted by most pitchers in throw
ng balls that do not go over the
plate? 1 couldn't exactly say my
self" he said, without waiting for an
answer, "but a whole lot. l discov-
cred that secret the first year, and
have worked for control ever since,