The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-19
|SOUTHPAWS ADD MUCH STRENGTH TOANY BALL CLUB Managers Always Like to Have One or More Port
 wheelers on Staff
CUSTOM HAS BEEN
 FOLLOWED FOR YEARS
Moley Says Southpaw Is a Great Addition to Any Team--Clubs Seldom Go Through Sea-
 son Without One

Why does practically every manager always have southpaw on his pitching staff?
 This question, although not important is vital one. Every fan in the coun- try likes to discuss the national pastimt and this is one of the most popular dis cussions that has entered their minds recently. The discussion has numerous views and there are followers on every side of the question by the score.
 Take glance at the different bal clubs scattered over the entire country With but very few exceptions, the pitch. ing staff has one left-hander or possibly two with the remainder of the staff right handlers. But the question over the country does not interest local fans an6 consequently the discussion will be linn ited to the Southern League, together with the major leagues
 Baseball experts in the Southern League when asked to give their opinion on the matter were at odds as to what answer to make. The only answer that can be made is that it Is a custom, not only in this league, but in every one. As far back as the game possessed any amount of popularity, it can be seen that a portwheeler was always on the pay roll of the club.
 PELS DIDN'T HAVE ONE
 For convenience take the Southern League clubs last season. Every clut i'll the league had southpaw with the exception of New Orleans, the pennan1 winner. This shows that the southpaw is not essential to any winning club But glance at the other clubs. Birming- ham, for instance, had one portwheeieI in Karl Black. Chattanooga, Little Rock, Mobile and all the rest of the clubs had one or more. But why? That's the question:
 Of course to have southpay is cus- it all. There is only one logicas answer to the question. A left handed pitcher on staff of five, as usually the case in the Southern League. balances the staff. It makes the team appear more formidable to see change in the box.
 Take, for instance, some clubs in the league are especially weak against left handlers. In other words, send a left handler against them and they are beat before the game starts Flowd Kroh, the Vol southpaw, faced the Barons numer- ous times last season and defeated Moley's crew on almost every occasion. It might have been a hoodoo, but it count ed a game just the same.
 MOLEY LIKES FEM
 And so on down the list. Southern League managers believe in southpaws and especially Moley "A southpaw is a great thing to team," said Moley. ''The fans can't imagine what Q great advantage one is. There is certain tra- dition that a southpaw can break any streak of hard luck. Maybe that's one reason. But why I always like to have southpaw on my team is that it bal ances the staff A southpaw, as 6 rule, is very cratic. Very few southpaws have good control. Send a pitcher like this in to face club, 1t often means victory. There's no standing reason for their staff. The only way I can figure it out is that it has become a custom and 1t always will be.
 'The fact that 8 southpaw is very er- ratio may add something to his cause. Let four right handlers face a team in succession. The batters are accustomed to hit against a right handler. Then shift suddenly to the southpaw His wild, cratic curves prove unhittable. He is invincible. The batters can't see him. The change of pace is the only cause.
 Johnny Dobbs won a pennant for New Orleans last year without a southpaw for about the first time in the history of the league. Sometimes clubs do win without one but it's usually the case that southpaw brings the change in luck--for the good Take good south paw and you can work him day after day. The majority of southpaws are good pitchers. Their queer form of delivery baffles tho batter, especially after he has faced q right handler. And this is so especially when a left handed batter ap- naara a srai in sf a snufhDaW