Evening journal., 1915-08-16
TO Find Weakness
IS Pitchers ART
Control Is a Large Factor
After Discovery Is Made
Expert, Says
"GROOVING THEM"
is EASY WORK

A batters weakness is one thing
and its discovery by the opposing
pitcher quite another. Ever so often.
the pitcher will slip a cog. give his
man zone in the groove" and the
horsehide is smashed over the lot. Al
most every time Gavvy Cravath, the
champion home-run clouter OF the
major leagues. lands one into the
bleachers OF over the right field fence
some one in the crowd Is sure TO say
SERVES him right for growing the
balll" They used to say It about J
Franklin Baker before the American
League "Home-Run King" retired TO
pastiming IN a county league.
From the time the Trappe, Md,
| farmer broke into major league base
| ball from the Reading Tri-State
League team and his batting eye was
/ Frightened by what he picked up as a
member Of the Athletics. every player
on the other seven clubs In the Amer
ican League and the New York Giants
In the National League. who met
Baker in two worlds series. tried 10
find out Bakers weakness" Some
pitchers thought they knew II, and
every time one OF them famed the
slugger. he decided that he had dis
covered what Baker couldn't hit But
Baker continued 10 hit home runs just
the same
Il is the same with Cravath. Of
the Phillies, Vic Safer. Of the Chicago
Cubs. Larry Doyle. Of the New York
Giants, Sherwood Magee and a few
more Of the leather killers" Prob
ably all OF these heavy hitters have
a weakness that is known 10 one OF
more pitchers In the National League.
Maybe Ty Cobb. the premier batsman
Of the world Joe Jackson. Of Cleve-
land. Iris Speaker Of the Boston Red
SoX and some more Of the American
Leagues star batsmen are weak hit
ters against certain kind Of pitching,
but year after year these men so On
hitting Just the same, and every time
one of them lands on a ball for hit
that clears up" OF happens 10 come
at a critical stage Of a game where
II does a lot OF damage. there Is the
same old cry "Grooved that onel"
Finding a batters weakness is one
OF the hne points Of baseball these
days. Il is part Of what Is called
z inside baseball" and II Is a most
important factor in the system OF play
that Is usually followed by a winning
team. Connie Mack, Clark Griffith
h George Stallings and the other man
ayers who have adopted the players
! meetings as part Of their daily drill
, and schooling, make this one OF the
most important lessons taught TO The
PLAYERS, particularly the youngsters
who NAV spend the greater part OF
I the season on the bench
II Is often the work OF one or more
J players on the bench 10 do nothing
e but note the kind Of balls that O GER
) tain batter hits. how he hits II and In
what direction Another will watch
J the way a certain player stands,
J.. whether he pulls ball that Is inside
{, or goes after the ones on he outside
Of the plate. It is a case Of studying
{ the batter all the time. With the man
! ager on the bench Il is the same.
[. often he NAV be seen marking a mark
81 on his score card after O man makes
a hit or a strikeout. He is not keep
j. ing score: he is marking down what
; kind of ball was pitched 10 the
! batter and what he did with IT, Tho
man on the coaching line Is probably
keeping tab too, so with these watch
! ers. in addition to the PLAYERS In the
4 field, particularly the catcher. there
! does no. seem to be chance OF
missing a batsman's weakness II
he has one.
OF course, the pitcher cannot al
ways get the ball just where he wants
II. even when he knows where II
, should 70 to prevent the batter from
hitting IT, This is where control
counts. During the worlds series Of
!, 1911, between the Athletics and New
= York Giants. BAKER hit one OF hii
= history-making "homers" of Rubt
= Marauard and the eccentric southpaW
: was criticised for giving Baker "onl
=, In the groove" Christy Mathewson
who was supposed 10 be writing a Sc
ries of special articles, was credited
with having taken Marquard 10 tasl
for giving Baker one he could hit ovel
the sence
@ "Keep It high on the inside wa!
j. Mathewsons advice 10 Rube. In The
II next game, with Msthewson pitching
! Baker nit another homer and aftel
" the Athletics had won that game, Ma
# thewson was asked what kind Of
n ball he pitched 10 j. Franklin. HI
said
: 81 tried TO put one across hi
? shoulders and on the inside corne
= of the plate, but / must have slipped
It right through the groove for him.
There we're heavy hitters in th'
olden days and it is likely that som'
OF the old-timers had a weakness,
but the players and managers did no
n think so much OF the inside game
x in those days and there was little eff
O