Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-11-01
unusual with Walter johnson doing the

unusual with Walter johnson doing the
pitching.
Bill Dineen and Jack Egan, now
members of the American League stan
of umpires, were star pitchers in their
day. Strangely enough. both Dlneen
and Egan relied on curve ball to
great extent. although both owned
fast one better than the average. I
have talked Walter Johnson with these
two pitcher umpires, and both feel GER
tain that too much curve ball pitching
has robbed Walter Johnson of some of
his excessive speed. The ump1res are
interested in Johnson, because he is
favorite with the judges of play, just
as he is with fandom. Johnson never
makes the slightest bit of trouble for
the umpires The worst he does when
decision goes against him Is to smile.
and it isn't a sarcastic smile, either.
has caused as much discussion among
the umpires as the base ball public at
large.
Opinions of Other Stars.
In talking about catchers, I once
asked Bill Dineen which catcher he
liked best of all the men who had ham
dled his delivery. Il was always for
tunate," answered Bill, gin having good
caterers did pretty well with most
OF them, always was a good winner
with the great Criger receiving me,
but after all, l guess 1 liked to pitch
to Charley Farrell better than any of
the others. I've often gone to the
clubhouse after pitching a hard game,
feeling physically exhausted. 1 don't
believe I ever felt that way after
game in which Charley Farrell had
handled my delivery. I-always had a
good curve ball, as most of the old
time players will tell you. Most catch
ers persisted in calling for my curve
ball. knowing it was a mighty hard
ball to solve. In the pinch they would
lHVarlab bly, call for the curve. l believe
am conservative when l say that in
games in which Farrell was the catch
er ] threw just half as many hooks"
as with the average catcher. Farrell
used to make me rely to large extent
on my speed and slow ball. mixing the
curve in every now and then to keep
the batsnen, a trife upset. My expert
ence taught me conclusively that the
excessive use of the curve ball was a
strain, not only the pitching arm,
but the entire system. The curve bali
demands a strain on the pitching mus
Giles that is not called for in throwing
the fast ball. 1t taxes the arm to the
limit. l know for a fact that l was
rellfi and anyways attributed it to the
fact that he called for fewer curves
than the other catchers.'
l have discussed this phase of the
game with many OF the best pitchers
in the country. They seem unit in
the opinion that a pitcher can do much
to weaken his arm by too excessive
use of the curve ball. / feel certain
that Walter Johnson would soon re-
gain that lost speed which made him
the most feared pitcher in the coun-
try if he would cut down his use of
the curve. Walter does not think that
the use of the curve has been the cause
of his trouble, yet ! see players hit his
speed who used to be lucky to make a
foul off his delivery, and We're more
than pleased when called out on
strikes. Charley Street, who caught
Johnson when he broke in, and was his
regular receiver until he passed to the
minors, never fancied the use of the
curve. What is the use taking a
chance on the batters hitting curve
when you know they can't do much
with his speed, was always Streets
argument and it was . mighty wise
one.
Copyright. 1914 ty W. G. Evans.)