The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-10-04
eY BROWN HoLMEs.

Iris Speaker, Of the Boston Red
sox, is the big hitter pitchers will
have to battle with in the world Sc.
ries and Speaker is big hitte be.
cause he had an odd style at the
plate.
Speaker stands as far back in the
batter's box as the lines OF the bat.
ter's box will permit. In this posi-.
ton he is able to see pitched balls
after they break and always knows,
before he swings his bat, IL he will
hit straight ball, curve or spitball.
American league pitchers say
Speaker Is one OF the hardest men
in The league TO fool. They say they
can't make him swing at wide curve
and miss II of the end OF his bat, be.
cause In his position he can see the
ball after It curves and knows II he
can reach 1t.
Most batters stand even with the
plate or in front OF 1t and hit the
ball before It has n chance to break
or US 1t is breaking. In this position
they do not always know what they
are swinging at.
Ty Cobb bats In this style. He hits
before the ball breaks, except when
opposed TO leftlland pitchers. Then
he sometimes stands In the rear OF
the box, like Speaker.
Speaker has been the leading hitter
OF the Sox this season, his swats have
helped keep the club at the top and
are expected to count for big things
in the big games.
The Boston Red Sox will go into
the world series with two brands of
pitching that will be new TO the Ma.
lional League entry, whether 1t be
The Phils, Boston Braves or Brooklyn
Dodgers.
Smoky Joe Wood and Rube Shore,
of the Sox, use fast balls that are dit
ferent from the fast ball of other
chuckers.
Most speedy pitchers use fast ball
that hops upward bit, but Wood. on
account OF peculiar twist OF the wrist
as the bali leaves his hand, gets a
raise that Is not at all like the raise
on the ordinary fast one.
Shores fast ball is entirely differ.
civ liOll dhS otutlt lpl TIC Dditi
thrown with an overland delivery,
sinks instead of going up and batters
hit on top Of 1t.
There is not pitcher in the Ma.
tional League who has fast ball like
that of Shore, so National League
batters will look at something brand
new when they face him.
Only two National League pitchers,
Grover Alexander and Al Demaree,
have fast bal! anything like that Of
Wood. Alexander and Demaree are
with the Phils, so the Phil players,
in the world series, would be at more
Of a handicap than any other National
club. The Phils never have to bat
against Alexander and Demaree.
Other National League players
who might break into the big games
have not faced Alexander and De.
maree enough TO be able to solve the
raise ball. And even II these clubs
had batted against Demaree and Alex.
ander, a good deal, would not make
much difference.
American League batters have been
trying for several years to solve
"Ubu . louicEs ~ Huht tAltIt luts
have succeeded Is shown by the fact
that he continues to win big ma.
jority OF his games. comes through
with a one, two or three.hit game
every now and then and often fans
In the neighborhood of ten batters
In single contest.
The Deroit Tigers with Crawford,
Cobb and Veach. in the lineup. can
hit as well as any club In the game,
but they are helpless against Shores
sinking ball when he is right.
While In the east to study the Sox
and Tigers had chance to see Just
how good Shore can be when right.
I saw him hold the Tigers, the great.
est hitting club in baseball, runless
In thirteen.inning game.
The Tigers simply could not "get
hold" Of Shores sinker. They were
continually hitting on top OF the ball
as II broke under their bats and the
results were grounders to inffelders
on which the Tigers were easy outs
at FIRST base. None Of the Detroit
sluggers struck out.
In the twelfth inning OF that game,
the Tigers filled the bases with none
out, but could not score.