Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-12-03

BY means of the roughened spot Gre
ated by the emery paper a pitcher is
able to get all kinds of peculiar breaks
on the ball. The roughened spot
makes it possible to greatly increase
the spinning Of the ball through the
air. Air resistance Is largely respon-
sible for the unusual shoots q ball
may take. A revolving ball offers
much more resistance TO the air cur
rents than a ball that acts otherwise.
The roughened spot also affords great
eI resistance in the air. All these.
things combined make the emery ball
more feared delivery than the spit
ball. :. III. *t-'-~.-
That pitchers will be able to throw
bali quite similar to the emery ball,
without the use Of any outside, con-
trlvance- is q certainty. Walter John
son, the star pitchersof the Washing
/ ten club, demonstrated this fact to me
before game at Philadelphia during
the past season. It is possible that
the close relation to the emery ball
will be known next year as the con-
crete ball All of the parks in the
American League have concrete
otnnoosgz k141J IlIuC q Ut1ll HIS Tie sCOu-
crete stand hard enough it creates
spot almost identical to which would
would be made by use of emery paper.
To demonstrate this fact, Johnson
took a brand new ball and hurled it
with great force against the concrete
wall IN front of the stands in right
field at Shibe park. An examination
of the ball showed rough spot about
the size of a quarter. Using this ball,
Johnson, by shifting the grip On the
roughened spot, caused the sphere to
take all the peculiar shoots for which
the emery ball has become famed.
Was Great Aid to Wood.
Just how hard it is to hit the emery
ball when the pitcher has control, vas
demonstrated by Joe Wood last year.
When right Wood uses sweeping
curve to advantage, mixing it up with
great speed. Late In the year some
one showed him the emery ball. Wood
perfected the use of it, and in game
with st. Louis struck ont fifteen men.
Bill Dinneen, who umpired the plate
in that game, is authority for the
| statement that Wood did not use a
curve during the contest. Dinneen, in
| speaking OF the game, maryeled at the
fact and said he never saw Wood have
such an unusual break on his fast ball
despite the fact that his speed was
only ordinary. Woods great work was
made possible by the use of emery
| paper. -s.--. -
| A pitcher not familiar with the
proper way to throw the emery ball is
at big disadvantage when using a
ball that has been roughened This
was shown in game at New York
this fail. Wood was pitching for Bos.
ton. He was put out of the game by
Umpire Chill for disputing a play.
/ Hugh Bedient succeeded him, the
bases being filed at the time. The
first three balls pitched by Bedient
were wild pitches, runner scoring
len each heaye. Bedient was holding
! the ball in such q way that it was
shooting up. The bali was thrown
cut, new one given Bedient, and he
/ went along smoothly. ;.
| Pitchers are always experimenting
/ with some new style of delivery that
will make it the more difficult for
/ batsmen to hit. The spit ball is one
/ Of the new tangled deliveries that was
never legislated against. Ever since
1 it was discovered it has been a much
discussed style of pitching. 1t caused
such decline in hitting for a time
that it was freely predicted it would
], be legislated out of the game. 1t was
even declared insanitary by medical
i authorities. Batsmen who suffered a
tsevere shrinkage in their batting av-
/ erages said even worse things about
the moist delivery. .-..r - -
I The use of ros1n carried in the hip
pocket has been for many years q
practise resorted to by pitchers. BY
placing rosin on the hand a pitcher is
enabled to get much better grip on
the ball, and in the use of a curve, is
; able to produce a much better break