Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-07-15


In two wofld's series, tried to ind out
Bakers weakness Some pitchers
Thought they knew it. and every time
one of them famed the sluggers he
decided that he had discovered what
Baker couldn't hit But Baker con-
tinued to hit home runs just the same.
Probably They Do Have Weakness.
1t is the same with Cravath, OF the
Phillies; Vic Safer, OF the Chicago
Cubs; Larry Doyle. OF the New York
Giantse Sherwood Magee, OF the Bog-
ton Braves. and few more OF the
heavy httters have a weakness that Is
known TO one or more pitchers in the
National League. Maybe Ty Cobb. the
premier batsman of the world; Joe
Jackson, OF Cleveland: Iris Speaker.
OF the Boston Red Sox, and some more
are weak hitters against certain kind
OF pitching, but year after year these
men go on hitting just the same. and
every time one Of them lands on a ball
for hit that cleans up" or happens
to come at a critical stage Ola game
where 1t does a lot Of damage. there
is the same old cry: Grooved that
onel"
Finding batter's weakness is one
Of the fine points Of baseball these
days. 1t is a part of what is called
inside baseball and 1t is a most inn
portant factor in the system of play
that is usually followed by a winning
team Connie Mack, George Stal1ings
Clark Griffith and the other managers
who have adopted the players. meet
ings" as part OF their daily drill and
schooling, make this one OF the most
important lessons taught to the players
particularly the youngsters who may
spend the greater part Of the season
on the bench.
1t is. Often the work of one or more
players on the bench to do nothing
but note the kind of ball that a GER
tain batter hits, how he hits it and in
what direction. Another will watch
the way a certain player stands.
or goes after the ones on the outside
of the plate. 1t is a case of studying
the batter all the time. With the man
ager on the bench it is the same. Often
he may be seen making a mark on his
score card after man makes a hit
or strikes out He is not keeping
score: he is marking down what kind
of ball was pitched to the batter and
what he did with it. The man on the
coaching line is probably keeping tabs.
to the players in the field. particularly
the catcher. there does not seem to be
chance of missing a batsman's weak
ness" IL he has one.
The Pitchers Control is a Factor.
OF course, the pitcher cannot always
get the ball just where he wants it,
even when he knows where it should
go to prevent the batter from hitting
it. This is where control counts. Dur
ing the worlds series Cd 1911, between
the Athletics and New York Giants
Baker hit one of his history-making
'homers" off RUDE Marquard and the
eccentric southpaw was criticised for
giving Baker "one in the groove"
Christy Mathewson, who was supposed
to be writing a series of special ,arti-
cles. was credited with having taken
Vanguard to task for giving Baker one
he could hit over the fence
Keep it high on the inside" was
Matty's advice to Rube. In the next
game, with Mathewson pitching, Baker
hit another homer, and after the Ath-
letics had won that game Mathewson
was asked what kind of a ball he
pitched to ]. Franklin He said: Il
tried to put one across his shoulders
and on the inside corner of the plate,
but must have slipped it right
through the groove for him" The
same old alibi has been given hundreds
of times and will be given again so
the ball and the pitchers continue to
try for the batters weakness"
There were heavy hitters in the
olden days and it is likely that some
but the players and managers did not
think so much of the inside game" in
those days and there was little effort
made to learn if q player who was
known to be a s1uger had such a thing
as a batting weakness" concealed
Delahanty, of the Phillies, had a weak
ness no one ever found 1t, for big Ed"
was still smuggling the best of pitchers
up until the time he jumped from the
Phillies to the American League, where
he was playing when he died.
What Would Champion Cobb Dor
There was no such thing as find
ing out If a batter had a weakness
during the days when the batter was
allowed to call for the kind of a ball
he wanted to hit, either high or low,
and was not compelled to strike at it
unless it was right there. Wonder
what would happen today If Ty Cobb
major leagues were allowed to stand
at the plate until they got ball in
their groove"
Studying the batter has advanced
| along with all the other points of the
game which have made baseball the
most scientific of its class of outdoor
sports. Where 1t was all individual
play in the years gone by, it is all team
play and system now, and studying
the batter is one of the most important
parts of the system. 1t is a catcher's
duty to know every batsman in the
league. and, If possible, to know what
kind Of ball he can hit, and what he
cannot hit, and to coach his pitcher
| in keeping the ball out OF the groove
| The better he can do this the better
catcher he is, and it is just as i'm
portant in his work as 1t is to stand
back of the bat and receive the ball
from the pitcher or to nail a base
| stealer.
But when catcher and pitcher think
they have the weakness" of a batter
and the latter walks up and slams one
into the seats for home run, or drives
the ball out of the lot, the fan shuffles
about in his seat, turns to the one at
his elbow and imparts the same old
information.
What boob he was to put one
in the groove for that guyI"
TRIO OF LIGHTWEIGHTs.