Norwich bulletin., 1914-12-30
BENDER HAS GREAT CURVES.
Former Mackman Has Most Difficult
 Breat on Record.

Chief Bender, recently of the Ath- Ietics and now of the Baltimore Fed. erals, has the greatest curve in the game. By that is meant 1t breaks fast and quick, and is used frequently. Bender's shoot is to bane of the bat ters. It does not break more than six inches. but it is a practical fool CT, and is used by the redslxin when there is much at stake, says an ex- change. We all know the roundhouse curves of the lot and college stars, put it right down now, before we go of them in the big games. They are out of date and belong back in the days when Al Spalding used to dish them up underhander.
 To toss his great out-curve, which Bender vii often break at a batter s knee, time after time the Indian grasps the ball firmly with the first two fingers that causes the ball to the twist that causes the ball to curve is given, is brought up in touch with the ball with tight grip. Then with a long preliminary swing, Bender gives slight side motion to his hand, with a decided snap on the wrist, just at the instant the ball leaves his hand. He hides his right hand as much as possible from the batter, and goes through exactly the same motions as for a straight ball.
 A wonderful factor in Bender's use of the outcurve is that he gets just as much speed with his curve as with his straight, which, in consequence has really proved his most success full ball. It is almost impossible to hit when right. Mathewson's famous fadeaway falls away from the expect ed line and the batter strikes over it. In pitching the ball Big Six takes a tight hold with the thumb and two forefingers, with the third finger un- l T, &t,O Then with a high swing and raise on the ball be brings the arm down swiftly. The reverse twist is given to the ball with the third finger, with the result that it fades something like putting English on a billiard ball. A great deal of practice is required to acquire control of this puzzling ball At time speed is sacrificed in its use.
 No pitcher. no matter how powerful or agile, can hope to become a great performer without being thoroughly equipped from the shoulders up" It isn't the iron in the arm that makes a twirler, because lots of Iongshore- men could snap a pitchers arm in two with a single twist. It's the com bination of brain and body the per feet cooperation of mind and muscle, that makes man a successful major league pitcher.
 Joe Wood, who won a worlds cham pionship with his famous smoke ball." has .trem endous speed. His smoke ball'' has jump on it and is really an inshoot propelled with tre- mendous speed. It fairly seems to hurdle at the batter, and it does Wood grasps the sphere with the first two fingers a little to the right side of the ball. Holding the bal tightly, he shoots her in.
 Big Bill James of the worlds champion Boston Braves. the master of the spitball, seems to be the only hurler of the present day who can really control the splitter. Jack Chesbro had great success with it, but it was his wild pitch of splitter that lost Manager Griffith an American league pennant. The spitball delivery is the hardest in the world to hit, when it is going right. Even when hit, the ball almost invariably strikes the ground and becomes a whizzing grasser. Hence. when 1t is twiried effectively and is breaking right, it is almost impossible to hit out of the infield The tendency of the splitter is always to break down James uses slipery elm to get the juice. He uses two fingers to moisten the leather be- between the seams. He finds his best success with his inshoot, which breaks and drops at the same time.
 Tn the old days Toad Ramsey im- parted a tremendous drop to his ball by using for fingers cf his hand to