Evening star., 1914-04-13

DETROIT, Mich, April 1s.-Manager
Jennings will this season have an un-
usually large number of young pitch
ers, many of whom appear almost good
enough to work regularly, but who
cannot hope to get on the regular
every-fourth-day staff.
Hughie will want to test these pitch
ers before American League batters
just as soon and just as often as ne
can. If the pitchers are going to be
able to stick he wants to know 1t at
once If they do stick he wants to
give them just as much work as he
possibly can.
1t would seem that under these cir
cumstances he would do either OF two
things. 1t might appear that he would
send the youngsters into games that
had already been won or lost by the
Tigers If one of the regular pitchers
had the game refrigerated, in would
go one of the recruits for few in
nings. OF if one of the regulars had
lost the game, in would go one of the
kids.
Again. it would seem that with sew
eral very good young men who can't
possibly get enough regular work with
the club, Hughie would yank any
regular hurler to whom the opposing
batters seemed to be getting.
But things will not be as they seem.
Hughie will not send in the young
sters to finish games to give them eX-
perience. He doesn't believe that pitch
ing few innings when winning or
losing makes any difference or gives a
pitcher any valuable experience.
"A pitcher, to get experience OF value
-lr ,t,f h ~
salvation. said Jennings That's the
way l want to test my young fell
lows. l want them to start their own
games and win or lose them for them
selves"
Neither will Hughie yank pitchers from
the box the coming season any more
quickly than he has in the past. Fandom
has little patience with the home pitcher
whom the opposition seems to have
solved. Jennings has always left a pitch
pounded. just as long as he possibly
could. He has done this because he has
believed it the only way to do.
This idea of jerking out a pitcher
him in succession or every time he passes
a batter or two is all bosh," said Hughie.
You hear that such and such a man.
ager removed pitcher when he saw him
weakening.
Big league pitchers in midseascn don t
weaken unless they are i'll. If they are
in good condition they are just about as
strong at the end of the nine innings
as they are at the beginning.
"It isn't a case of the pitchers weaken
ing, but Of the batters having q rally
When a club of big leaguers start bat
ting rally there are only a few of the
greatest pitchers in the league who can
stop them. They are not hitting the
pitcher because he is any less effective
than before. but because they have start
ed their rally, which cannot be stop
ped.
.If the Tigers had a man like alter
johnson or Ed Walsh when he was at his
best 1t might be well to take out the
pitchers of ordinary ability when the
opposition starts rally. Washington
can send big, strong fellow like John
son In for a few innings at any time and
he is enough better than any other pitch
er they have to stop that rally that the
batters have started. Ed Walsh was able
to do the same thing in years past.
There Is some sense in yankins a
pitcher to put into his place. If one of
the regulars has couple of men on bases
Johnson can be used to stop them from
scoring. and he very often is. But if
the man whom you have to send in is
no better than the one pitching. what is
the use?
"Of course, there are times when
pitcher can't get anything on the ball
Then there are times when a pitcher has
he needs and yet he is hit
hard and often. You may take him out
quickly then. because you know that that
is not his day. A pitcher with the ability
Of Walter Johnson. Ed Walsh. Plank and
Wood couldn't win game if he started
on one of those off days of his.
Il dislike very much to take out a
pitcher just because he happens to be
hit a little. because 1t undermines his
greatest asset, his confidence 1t is espe-
cially bad to have to take out a young
ster. If you let him stay in the box and
work out his own salvation he is much
better off. He can't be any worse off
than at the time when he is taken out.
because he is beaten then. But if he wins
his game by good pitching. or even if his
batters hit out a victory for him, he has
a great deal more confidence that he can
win the next time the hitters begin to
find him.
''As general thing, it is not a case of
pitchers weakening. but batters rallying, |
that causes lot of hitting. Ii the fans
would remember this there would be less
of that doomful cry. Take him OUT !
Undoubtedly many managers take their |
pitchers out at the first sign of batting |
rally (as Manager Jennings would say |
rather than pitchers weakening) tot
cater to the crowd, which always wants |
a hurler derricked just soon as he is !
being hit at ell freely. Jennings refuses