Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-12
CONTRACTS MAILED
TO THE NATIONALS
New Forms Supplied by the
National Commission Used
by Griffith.
EXPOUNDS NEW THEORY
FOR JOHNSON'S SUCCESS
Tuthill Says Good Hitters Refuse to
Use Best Bats Against Wal
ter's Great Speed.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

Contracts for the members of the Wash
ington team will go into the mails today.
Griffith had them all ready last week. but
received a wire from Chairman Herr
mann of the national commission request
ing that he hold off sending out contracts
until a new form of agreement result
ing from the conference held by the
commission and the players fraternity
committee. could reach here. These new
contracts arrived this morning, and the
old ones, which had been made out were
destroyed and the new ones substituted.
The new form of contract embodies the
agreement reached at the Cincinnati con-
ference. These will be sent to all play
ers who have to sign contracts for the
coming season. Players under long-term
contracts or who have signed for next
season do not have to change their con-
tracts. but they will share in everything
agreed upon at the Cincinnati meeting
The old-form documents will be binding.
with all the features agreed upon, and
unless a player who has already signed
demands new form none will be sent
to him.
The delay that this change of contracts
has caused is not worrying Griffith, Tor
he is satisfied that his players will stand
pat until they hear from him.
Trust Harold Tuthill, brevet field mar
shall, United States Army. and sometime
Tiger trainer, to dig up the original
ideas. says E. A Bachelor in the De-
troit Free Press.
Harry, as he is called by the rough ele-
nent-Harold, as he is known to the fel-
lows at the officers club, has ben Ill
most of the winter. SO he hasn't appear
ed in print as often as usual. But IN
spite of his 1918 slump. his grand average
-t.I -,,t,N
This time Mr.. Tuthill comes in view
with an explanation of Walter johnson
phenomenal success. Other men con-
nected with base ball have been cherish
cause he throws ball that cannot be
seen with the naked eye, and conse-
quently has to be hit at by the touch
system. Harry says nay.
"One reason for Johnson's success,
says Tut. lis that none of the ball play
ers who are considered good hitters will
use their best bats against him Take
Cobb. Speaker. Jackson and the rest OF
would risk favorite stick batting
against that smoke? Not in a lifetime.
i've heard these fellows say. I'm not
going to take my pet club up to the plate
with that demon out there pitching. It
even money that I would get hold Of a
fast one the wrong way and break the
bat. and then where'd my batting aver
age be-?
You can I Oldfne Tie uOyS, cilASA-
Johnson's speed is so great that the
chances of getting hold of the ball just
right are slim, and any bat is likely to
be busted If you don't happen to connect
properly. No matter how stout the ASH.
sou cannot expect to stop cannon palis
with it unless you get EN- where they
will bound off just SO and not put too
much strain on the wood.
Maybe you think that hitter ought 70
do lust about as well with one bat as
with another of exactly the same model
But this isn't so. Take two sticks turn
ed out of the same piece of timber and as
alike as two peas in a pod. One Will De
lust filed with singles. doubles and tri-
pies, to say nothing Of home runs, while
the other will have nothing in 1t but louis
and pop flies.
Jim Delehanty had bat known as
Betsy when he was with the Tigers. and
the way he could hit with that log was
caution. But If he couldn't use Betsy
he was helpless Once she was lost Tor
long time and Jim's average shrunk Ike
a ninety-five-cent flannel shirt in steam
laundry The very day he found Betsy
he crippled two infielders and ran the
legs off the whole outfeld. No wonder a
man wouldn't risk such a bat as that
against johnson.
..How is it that not very many bats are
broken by men who are facing Johnson:
Well maybe because nobody hits the ban
often enough to strain the timber. But
here is always that danger of breaking
the ash, and no star slugger can anord
TO take a chance with the baldred that
he has raised from pup and under
stands