The Washington times., 1914-02-01
|Ty Cobb, Worlds Greatest Batsn1an, Thinks
Walter Johnson Greatest Pitcher in Came
Says Climbers Hero Hasn't a
Weakness When He Enters
the Box.

ners, because. IL your opponents are
going to run wild on the bases. pitch
er will have a tough time winning bail
games. AS I have said, there IL only
one big star in the American League
who has been a real success without
this carefully developed move This Il
Eddie" Plank, and he covers up his
weakness well, and the natural strength
of the Athletics also helps him to con-
ceal II. He is left-hander, Of course,
can watch the base-runner. Very few
| men, therefore, risk long lead In
spite Of his awkward throw to the bag
Many pitchers have spent years de-
veloping good move toward first base
to hold up runners. and this one thing
has kept several men in fast company
after they did not have much else left.
Walsh, Mathewson, Bender, Rucker,
nearly all the stars, in fact. have good
| moves to first. Ed Walsh has one
/ move that has nipped many a runner
and is SO near a balk that players have
frequently urged umpires to call 1t on
him. Walsh win raise his shoulder
slightly, an action that in most men Is
sure sign they are going to deliver
swings and drives 1t to first base. 1t
has caught many a runner hat-footed.
And the peculiar thing about II Il that
this move would not get poor base
runner who does not have sense enough
to look for the little things. Walsh
grabs on the best base runners in his
league right along in spite Of the fact
that his efficiency in this speciality is
universally known. The stars. wise in
their profession. do not tip on base
because the smart player is always
looking for some little sign made un-
consciously.
Minors Have 1t.
Many pitchers with the really great
moves are to be found in the minors,
because they have not the stun to ac-
company this excellent accomplish
ment. "BilI' Burns, formerly with the
Minneapolis team OF the American As
sociation; BILLY" Campbell, q south
paw with Mobile, and Walter Siagle, all
have great moves to first that are halt
balks. but which are not pronounced
enough to ge called. These left-hand--
ers apparently start to pitch and then
shoot the ball to first base. That old
story Is told about all Of them OF the
busher at the bat who struck at a
ball when II was thrown to first base,
he being so entirely taken IN Dy the
balk notion.
They say that Drucke, formerly with
the Giants. who started out with the
prospects OF being a good pitcher but
who fell down, had an unconscious
move with his knee which cost him.
many a game or course, when base
runner discovers some slight move In
pitcher that tips him on when the
box artist Is going to pitch, he tries to
keep his knowledge secret except for
the members of his own team. Man
ayers, and the pitchers themselves. are
always watching for some move that Is
tipping base runners on. McGraw hnal-
ly broke Drucke of this bad habit, but
they say he felt uncomfortable without
1t, and that it hurt his pitching.
The old type of coaching, the abus-
i've and kidding sort that was intend
ed to worry a pitcher, has largely
passed out of baseball except In the
case OF an occasional youngster who
may be worried by It Matty was telling
me after the game he won in the last
worlds series that some Of the young
er players on the bench were trying to
worry Plank by yelling at him such
things as: What are you doing out
there pitching, an old man like you?"
"I Jumped on these fellows" said
Matty. Don't try that on an old bird
like Plank I told them. You might
go after some young fellow, but he
eats that stun"
ers Tom Hughes could throw his
glove into the box and beat Cleveland
nearly any time when he was In the
league, while all the rest Of the clubs
would generally wallop him. Plank has
ever been effective against Detroit. The
Tigers have always believd southpaN
hard for them to beat. Matty is al
most sure to win from Cincinnati and (
so on. The old superstitions and ira
ditions stick in spite Of the fact that
the players on the various clubs are |
changed here and there every season. |
But there is one bird who is good |
against all of them, and his name Is |
Walter johnson. My hope is to watch |
him in a worlds series some time be-
fore he begins to wear out I don't |
think there would be any series. He
could pitch every day II necessary. He |
Is the greatest pitcher alive.
Copyright, 1874 by the Wheeler Syndicate,
Incorporated)
Next week '"Ty' Cobb will tell what
~ ha In q,