New Britain herald., 1915-08-04

77 TzsT5'
 has set hifnaeM to hit 1t where he ex-
 pected It would com lover the heart
 of the plate. And if it's straight, he may have been looking for a curve.
 have reached over too soon and then
 is compelled to jump back to save
 himself from being hit.
 And the spectatrs, how about them
 Some are sitting back of the home
 plate, some back of the first baseman,
 some back of the third baseman, some
 back of the left fielder, some back of
 the right fielder Gin many parks)
 and others back of the center fielder.
 Now the good curve ball pitcher can
 shoot up ball that VIII bend a foot
 over the plate, starting for the bat
 ters head and ending 12 inches from
 his body and parallel to his belt line.
 Suppose we admit that the pitcher,
 the catcher, the batter, the fans back
 of the home plate and the bleacher-
 ites behind the center fielder are vic
 tims of optical illusions. But they are
 the only ones on what the scientists
 call the para bo1a." Why do the per
 sons in other sections of the field see
 the ball curve in exactly the same di-
 rection?
 I'll tell you-it is because the ball does curve.
 Otherwise, it seems to me, there would be some sort of reverse optical illusion which even a scientist would find it difficult to explain.
 The scientist mentions that one time a pitcher, on the eleventh attem pt pitched a ball that went on the west side of two-inch stake, on the east the west side of an inch rake-shaft. H says the experiment. should not be denied or understand. But shall do just that. Tn fact, it can't be done except by trickery.
 The pitcher doesn't live who can pitch an in-and-out zsgzag ball such as has been described. And it must be admitted that we have some clever pitchers in the game today. A man, and getting a lot of speed on it, might cause a ball to jump in two directions, but that would be luck, more or less. He couldn't tell just how or why it was going to go to the right and then to the left. The ordinary curve ball goes in one direction and only one.
 However I have tried to tell you in a plain way that know there is such a thing as a baseball curve If have not succeeded in killing the scientist argument, and any person still be- lieves it is an optical illusion, suggest that he ask a catcher who has been crossed" by his pitcher; some of the good batsmen. such as Ty Cobb and Gavvy Cravath, or some of the fans who watch their favorite finger when his curve ball is acting right and then again when the. ball won't bend.
 Now for just one more-and this conclusive ve-argument against the op- -ical illusion theory. have gone to he pitching mound on certain days when knew my curve ball was breaking sharp, and whenever want sd it to break. The opposing batsmen ] couldn't touch me. On several such occasions just missed realizing an ambition of mine, a no-hit game.
 Then again, have tried to pitch when couldn't get the ball to curve ! fraction of an inch. It may have been that my arm was too tired or weak to get the proper speed and wist of the wrist behind my pitches, ,r the atmosphere may have had ,ome mething to do with 1t. All I know s that the ball would not bend for ne.
 Now I knew my catcher knew, and, worst of all the batter knew, that my ,urve ball was not working for me. There was no chance for optical illu- sion. It was a dead pen-and-shut proposition, just the same as you read his and are confident that you see what you read.
 Finally, friends, we'd be glad to have an audience when the scientist hides behind a telegraph pole and prove to him tItat we can curve a ball around it ano hit him. If he can spring optical ,lnsion on us after that of a real curve ball he'll win hands down. But I'll risk months salary that he'll go to the hospital for repairs ana quit calling curve ball an optical illusion.
 Ithave some more arguments. and in another story I will try to tell you now we pitch a curve, and what, to our un- scientific way of thinking. causes the ball to curve.
 K. OF c. ADDRESSED rN