Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-15
HOW ALEXANDER DISCOVERED
HE COULD CURVE A BASE BALL
Great Pitcher Used Book at First and Then
Settled Down to Hard Practice,
Finally Mastering Task.

| Is the excuse I have to offer for try
ing to put across story.
Grover Knows His Subject.
| Mr.. Scientist says that zone writer
consulted some great professional pitch
ers and they did not pretend to know
the theory Of curves" Well, all I can
say to that is that was not consulted.
Probably the writer did not consider me
one Of the great professional pitchers
/ know that the atmosphere holds the
secret of curve-ball pitching. ! do not
know that can explain this well. but
In nay own language the friction OF the
air on the side of the ball revolving for
ward is greater than 1t 10 on the side
revolving backward This naturally
tends to swerve the ball to the forward
revolving side. And there is the secret
Of curve. and. in general way. Of 9
tall that "bends' In any given direction.
Therefore, when we are pitching an out
curve. we let the ball go out in such a
speaking of right-handed pitcher now
and consequently the air will drive the
ball over toward tfp left To pitch an
in-curve. 20 called, You must get the spin
spin must be on top. That's all there is
to 1t, and any man who will spend enough
time to practice getting such spin on
the ball viii md that it will curve.
All currents naturally auect a OaBo
ball So does the density or rarity of the
atmosphere. Pittsburgh II a city where
some days the atmosphere Is SO heavy
with smoke, I suppose-that the ball
win take the most peculiar jumps and the
remember day when our club played
in the Smoky city, and two Of our pitch
ers had to quit in disgust becaust the
! ball hoped up and down and In and out
80 far that the catcher couldn't stop the
| pitches.
Cravath, our right fielder. tells me that
in Butte. Mont. the air is SO light that
pitcher can't curve base ball. In many
Of the western cities where the altitude
is great and the air consequently rare
/ it Is almost impossible for a finger to
get ball to bend"
Probably scientist would tell us that
the rare air would also prevent optical
that would be so.
/ Was "Bug" on Curves.
1t might also interest the scientific
gentlemen to know that I was-long be-
fore l read about their theories bug
or the why's and wherefores of the curve
ball got hold of a seamless base
ball and tried out It was the same size
and weight Of AN ordinary National
League base ball. but was as smooth as
glass over its entire circumference. The
Now had an idea that the stitches,
because they caused a slight elevation on
the sphere. were in some measure respon-
sible for the curve. rather imagined
that II would be impossible to pitch a
perfectly smooth, seamless ball. But
found out was mistaken. l could get
all the "breaks'' to the seamless ball that
could to the regulation bali with
stitches. 1t did not curve SO far and it
did not break 30 sharp. but the curve was
there.
Then I also experimental with a ten
mis- ball. / discovered that person
could make the light rubber ball bend"
great distance. OF course. a man ac-
not dare risk his arm pitching tennis
ball very long or very hard.
But my ide was to prove to myself
that curve was caused by the spin
and the pressure of the atmosphere on
the forward spinning side. And I now
am perfectly satisfied that such is the
case, and 1t is not the stitches that do
It, either. though they may help. and !
I pitch almost exclusively a sharp
breaking curve. do that not because I
always want to. but because L have to.
II pitched what is known as the old
s'roundhouse" or slow curve, I'd have
to start it over around third base in or
der to have 1t break across the plate.
mean that and will gladly demon
strate it to any scientific gentlemen.
For instance. II want a curve to break
over the plate and parallel to a bats
mans shoulders. I start it at his head. |
It will 60 straight for his head until it
10 about Ave feet from the plate, 1 i
should say. Then 1t suddenly breaks |
to the left and down and over the plate |
might say right here that there is |
no optical illusion about my starting |
that ball for the batsman's head. know |
/ do it, for that has to be my mark in |
case / want the ball to bend" over the |
plate.
Speed and Twist Necessary.
Now. in pitching these sharp-breakins
curves I am compelled to put lot of |
speed and twist OF the wrist behind |
them. That is why. If I pitch a slow /
curve, I have to start 1t so far over. I |
put the same spin on the sphere and the |
air drives 1t over SO far that l can't get |
1t over the plate from the pitchers box. !
1t is not possible for right-handed |
pitcher to get the same spin on the ball |
to bend" 1t toward right. In that case
the palm OF the hand is toward the
ground and the ball slips out between
the thumb and the first finger. Some
folks call such ball an .'incurve, but
that Is a mistake. 1t really is nothing |
more than fast ball with enough spin I
on 1t to jump 1t in toward a right,
If left-hander IN pitching, conditions
are reversed His curve naturally bends
toward the right, because the hall leaves |
his hand with the forward spin in that
direction.
Il amused me the other day to have
was an amateur or college pitcher. and /
who still insisted that there was no such
thing az q curve. OF course, can demon L