Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-02-09

administered by New York had caused
them 10 reiinquish the hold on first
place which had been theirs through
a good part of the season. Boston
took four of the five games and fin
ished it off by beating Chicago badly.
regaining the lead and keeping it.
For years there has been much dis
cusslon and agitation over methods
pursued by many pitchers in the de
Veiopment of freak delivery In
many cases there is much argument
to back up the stand taken by the
batsmen. Many pitchers are camou-
| HasIng. They are aware that to fuss
with the ball as if intending to pull
something Immediately makes the
batsman suspicious and does the one
thing that influences batting more
than anything else-takes his mind
off his real work at hand. The bats
man becomes more interested in the
methods the pitcher appears to be
using to deceive him than in trying
TO hit the offerings of the pitcher.
Such actions upset the batsman,
which, of course, is desired.
Freak Deliveries Aid.
Freak deliveries involving the shine
ball, the ball with the loaded seam
and so forth, are far from myths. 1t
natural methods TO get deceptive
break on the ball. The way some
pitchers can sail" their fast ball
almost makes it matter of luck for
the batsman to connect There are
as many more pitchers who use sim
ply the fast one. the curve and
change of pace. but. knowing the val
ne of making the batsman believe
you have something different in your
assortment, they make it point to
act as mysteriously as possible in
their manner and method of prepar-
ing and delivering the ball.
It is an axiom in base ball that no
batter ever made base hit by keep
ing his bat on his shoulder. Buck
Weaver of the Chicago club is great
believer In that. Buck always likes
to have his swings. / have often
heard him say batting is largely a
matter of being able to make the
bat hit the ball, and then trust. to
luck for results. Since the intro
duction of the many new deliveries
batsmen are letting the fact that the
pitcher is not working strictly ac-
cording to Hoyie prey upon them.
They fuss more about trying to dis
cover what is being done than in
trying to swing the bat where the
ball happens to be and then trust
to luck, as Weaver puts it. 1t Is
really remarkable how batting av-
erages of many players have suffered.
not because they have lost any of
their batting ability. but because
they reach the conclusion that 1t is
impossible to hit the offerings of
many pitchers. due to unnatural
methods to which they resort.
Frank Baker of Philadelphia is
natural bitter Doc Ayers of the
Washington club is classy pitcher.
With his peculiar, underhand, and
sidearm delivery, he is style of
pitcher not welcomed by many bat
tiers. ] win wager Frank Baker be-
lieves he would hit about 800 il all
pitchers worked like Ayers. Any
time Baker faces Ayers he has field
day. No one realizes how easy Baker
hits his offerings more than Ayers
himself. and he admits there is feel
ing of relief when he gets past Baker
in the batting order. regardless of
the result.
"Donie" Bush of the Tigers. a fine
little hitter. says he wouldn't hit 100
il all pitchers worked like Ayers
so there you are: take your choice.
Undoubtedly there a whole lot in the
mental attitude of the player-of
that I am convinced, because I see it
proved every day during the summer
on the ball field in varied assortment
OF ways.
copyright, 1919 by W. g. Evsnsl