Evening star., 1919-01-24

The player who can hit the pill is
a much-prized individual in base ball.
Next to the player who can hit is the
pitcher who is successful in keeping
the opposing batsmen from taking
undue liberties. There are some man
ayers who take just the opposite view
of the situation. First in their opin-
ion is the pitcher who can keep the
opposition guessing, and next to him
is the player who can hit. OF course
that is a mere matter of opinion. Each
is a mighty valuable asset to a win
ming team.
It is great to be famous. of course,
but there is a certain penalty that
goes with fame in all things, and
base ball is no exception. Once bail
player acquires reputation for his
ability to hit, Immediately all oppos-
ing players try every possible scheme
to break down that hitting strength.
1t is the same with the pitching END
of the game. The successful pitcher
is always being watched closely, with
a hope that a weakness may become
apparent If a team believes he is
poor fielder, said team at once seeks
to satisfy the belief by laying down
as many bunts as possible. If some
one entertains the opinion, that the
pitcher becomes less effective with
runners on, said club has every run
ner who gets on worry the pitcher as
much as possible. If the pitcher is at
all off as to control, clubs are always
Instructed to wait him out to the
limit.
In all probability more attention is
paid to the player with a reputation
for hitting, than the player who wins
fame as a pitcher. When a good hit
ter steps to the plate it is the cue
for the pitcher to go the limit in an
effort to set him down. If there is
belief that the hitter is weak on
certain kind of delivery. that weak
ness is catered to throughout the
game. If it is definitely proved that
a certain ball troubles the batsman
more than any other style of deliv-
cry, the batter may rest assured that
only a miscalculation or loss of con-
troll will enable him to hit at some
other kind of a ball. That is the rea-
son why every now and then some
recruit from the minors burns up the
big league for a couple of months,
and then starts to slip. During the
first couple of months pitchers per-
haps worked just to his liking. Then
one day some twirler discovered a
vital weakness. Inside of week
that knowledge becomes the property
of the entire league. because pitchers
are clannish and gossipy.
A year or so ago Anne rican League
pitchers didn't give Babe Ruth much
consideration. Most of them regard
ed him as a great pitcher. but little
was thought of his hitting. He was
looked on as one of those batters who
hits the ball a mile. if he happens to
get hold of it, but the chances are
that he is much more liable to strike
out 1t is strangely true that the
long clouters have propensity for
striking out far more often than the
player who is content with a single,
enthused with a double and regards
it as a big event when he comes
through with homer.
Last season Ruth found himself: he
acquired the confidence SO necessary
to good hitter, and became a man
at all times to be feared. instead of
merely a batsman who rnight get a
hold of one II you served the ball to
his liking. From pitching rather
carelessly to Ruth, American League
twirlers began to give him all kinds
of serious consideration. While ne
did most of his long hitting early in
the year. his later failure was in no
way due to any weakness that deveI-
oped. 1t merely Just so happened.
One day last summer in thetwelfth
inning of a game with CieveianI, the
score standing to 0, Ruth met one
tive spitters, and sent it far into the
right field bleachers, breaking up the
bah game. After the game some one
asked Cova1eskfe, If he believed Ruth
had a weakness at the plate, and
Covaleskie's reply just about sum-