Omaha daily bee., 1916-03-26
TIGERS DEPEND ON HURLERS
Billy Sullivan Trying to Make
Lowdermilk and Boehler Star
Pitchers They Should Be.
BOTH LACK ONLY CONTROL

DETROIT, Mich. March 25.-For the
first time since Detroit has been repre-
,ented by an American league base ball
club. local fans seem more interested in
the success of the battery coach Mt the
spring training camp than in the man
ager
Hugh Jennings. the manager, Is whip
ping his squad into shape at Waxa-
hachie. Tex. Billy Sullivan, former man
ager of the Chicago White sox and. in
his day REGARDED as one of the best
catchers I'm the American league. has
full charge OF the battery men. Detroit
fandom believes that a strong pitching
staff means a pennant and possibly a
worlds championship for the Tigers. il
Is quite generally conceded that Detroit
will open the season with a veteran
lineup. Reports from the training camp
indicate that none of the infielders or
outfielders is in danger OF being sup
planted by recruit. But corps of
pitchers. including several veterans. are
working out at Waxahachie and stories
concerning sullivan's successful meth
DDS are reaching Detroit each. week
Dauss and Coveleskie are the only
twirlers whose normal form has been ap-
proved by Jennings and Sullivan. Boehler,
LowdermiIk, Dubuc. Boland and "Rube"
Marshall--the latter recruit-are the
men whom Jennings hopes will profit by
Sullivan's teaching. Pitcher Bill James,
purchased from st. Louis last season,
may also receive some attention.
Boehler and Lowdermilk have, according
TO training camp reports. shown marked
Improvement under Sulllvan's tutelage
The principal fault of each pitcher has
been wildness. Boehler has pitched sew
eral remarkable games for Detroit, one
at the expense of Walter johnson OF
Washington, but he has seldom been able
to finish game which he started Few
pitchers in the major leagues have n
better fast ball. or can throw the sphere
with moro speed than Boehler can. is
the opinion of his teammates.
When Sullivan began working with
Boehler, he found that the latter used
several deliveries. The coach contended
this was the principal reason for Boeh-
ler's wildness and spent much time
teaching Boehler an easy. effective de-
| livery. The result has been that that
the pitcher had fine control in his games
during the present training season.
Lowdermilks chief fault is said to be
inability to control his fast-ball. He is
considered an effective curve ball pitcher.
Sullivan has been trying to improve
/ Lowdermilk's delivery so that in pinches.
! he may be able to BATTLE batsmen who
hitherto prepared TO step into a curve.
| Dubuc, master OF the slow-ball. lost
his curve last year. When he did, he be-
| came ineffective and was not able 20
pitch regularly. Sullivan hopes to find
the reason before the regular season
/ opens
Boland, after a remarkable start for
a recruit last year. had a long spell OF
/ ineffectiveness. but began to show i'm
privement during the autumn. He was
generally regarded as hot weather
! pitcher. At times he was invincible; on
other occasions he was batted all over
! the lot. Boland is one OF the midget
twirlers of the league and some players
| thought his arm was not strong enough
10 stand the strain of his favortte curve
/ ball tactics.
Sullivan has been spending much time
/ teaching Marshall how to field his posi-
tion. He recently had the Southern league
graduate working out at o'clock in
the morning.
claTing that Boehler and Lowdermilk
should prove TO be star boxmen.
'If Lowdermilk had control of his fast
ball he wouldn't lose more than six
games I'm twenty, and II he had control
OF splitter. he wouldn't drop three games
| in thirty" said Sullivan recently.