Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-29
NOW THEY'RE RAISING A FUSS !.
ABOUT LEFT-HANDED BATSMEN
Contended That Portsider's Position at
Plate Gives Him an Advantage Over
the Rght-Handed Clubber.

Has left-handed ,batsman an ad-
vantage over his brother who swings
at the ball right -handed?' writes
Stoney McLinn in. the Philadelphia
Ledger. There you have query that
is going. to stir up some little fuss in
base ball one Of these days. OF course,
it never will be decided by the pas
timers themselvec. for If put to a vote
there would be loud chorus of Noes
from the Cobbs Coiiinses. Dauberts and
Luderuses, with equally deafening and
concerted ayes" from the Wagners'
Lajoies, Magees and Crayaths.
But what do you think, about it, Mr..
Spectator, Have you ever given it a
thought? If not, it's worth a little fan
fest. SO follow along and look over
First OF all, get the batting averages
in the sports section of the newspaper
and run your eyes down the list OF .So9
about twenty-five regulars in the Sc
lect class in the two big leagues at
least twenty hit from the port side OF
the plate. -
Take the avera ges which appear each
Sunday, and who do you find fighting 1t
out for the leadership-Doyle Daubert
and Luderus in tire National League,
and Cobb, jackson, Collins and Speaker
in the American. All these players
bat 1eft-handed OF course. there are
others in the 800 class. some of them
right-handers, but when the season Is
ended It is safe to. say that the cham
pion in each league will be port
slider.
Last year the champion batsman OF
the American League and the world
was Cobb.-The king in the National
was Daubert. The second and third
men in the Junior circuit were Collins
and Speaker. In the Tener organtza-
ton Becker and Wheat were runners
up to the Brooklyn frst-sacker- Other
portside hitters among the hrst ten
regulars in the American were Jack
son. Lelivelt, Baker, Hoblitzel, CraW
ford and Fourier In the Nationai.
Stengel. Connolly and winEo were
And every player mentioned above is
a left-handed batsman.
Must Reason It. Out.
Now. we must reason out to our own
satisfaction. at least. whether this Is
because the left-handed hitters own
better batting eyes. or whether they
have an advantage over the right
handlers.
Some folks contend and they are
rieht-handed partisaus that left
possibly as much as a hve-yard, adVan-
pe over the men who swing from the
third base side OF the home plate. ihey
saw that Cobb's position at the plate
gives him from fifteen to twenty oase
hits that he might not get If he batted
like wagner. Here is the way they
The portsider, when in the batter's
box. is a foot or two nearer to first base
than the plate itself. Then, when ne
~, ha1 "a t,Irn
the direction OF the initial bag, and II
is comparatively easy for him to drop
his bat and start to run the moment his
stick ,colIides with the ball.
The right-handed hitter. when IN the
box. is two feet farther away from first
than the home plate; therefore. four
feet farther than the portsider. When
he swings he pulls his body away from
the plate and toward third base; 1t he
hits the ball he must recover Nimselfi
in that direction with an actual four
foot handicap. The exertion required
to get his balance after the swing, it is
contended, loses him four or five addi-
tional feet. ...-.-,...s .
Now, there you have the argument OF
the right handed partisans. And there
does appear to be some sound logic in
their reasoning. A right-hander, to
beat out infield hits, must be a step or
two faster than the man who hits from
the other side of the home plate.
The right-handers have another argu-
ment which has been used since the
start of the national game. 1t is that
there are at least two first-class right
handed pitchers to one good southpaw.
The supposition is that a left-handed
batsman will hit q right-handed pitch
er more readily than he will south
paw. because the curves of the former
| break In toward him and he is not so
easily fooled Vice versa, the right
handed clubber hnds the twirler who
employs his rightsarms hardest TO bat
against.
like Mental Hazards. 4