The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-08-01
@::E Latest Doings In Sportland
Big League Pitchers
 Afraid Of Certain Clubs
Most Twirlers Have Jinx Team Which They Fear to Face on Diamond Be cause of Superstition.

Boston, Aug. 1-Supersttution in baseball. psychology. dread of the fla bled Jinx, call it by whatever name you will may affect the showing of certain of the major leagues big bats men against particular pitchers. but have the fans ever stopped to realize that some of these self same twirlers are infected in the very same way
 Big Babe Ruth acknowledges that he might as well leave his bat on the ground when he goes up against left handed Harry Harper. In days of old Frank Baker. the then home run king, used to look foolish every time he tried to connect with Dutch Leon ards benders. Even Cobb, SpealSe CT and other batters of that ilk had their cherished grievances when the score cards listed certain pitchers to work But pitchers, should they ever get real confidential. will tell you the very same thing.
 You may have remarked that young Bernie Roland of Detroit, one of the greatest curve ball twirlers In the American League. did not start to pitch in the recent Boston series. He told Manager Jennings the other day that he could not beat the Red Sox- Notwithstandinz that they are away down in the race Roland felt that we had it on him. Jennings wisely consented to let him lay off.
 Roland Is Q stumbling block for Cleveland, Chicago, New York and the other hardest-hitting clubs In tho circuit. but when the Red Sox meet the Tigers Roland retires from the scene of action. Three or four years ago. when he first joined the Detroit team. he finished up q few games -4r L~ T. 1T, that was the limit of his effectiveness against the locals. He has never started a game and fnished against the champions. During the Sox's last visit to Detroit, Jennings started him in the hope that he might over come that feeling. He lasted a few innings and was Datted out So Bo- land starts no more this year against Boston.
 Harry Coveieskie. another great pitcher who used to be with tho Tigers. tucked whenever the Sox were concerned. Always giving the sox a hard battle. he was never able to beat the Sox to any extent. At the same time Dauss was n baffiins prop osit'on for Boston. and although he might be easy for some other clubs in the league he was unsolvable by Boston up to a year ago.
 Lefty Russell of the White Sox was "pie" for any club but Boston. All he had to do was to throw his glove on the rubber when he faced the Red Sox and the latter were done. And yet Joe Benz. formerly of Chicago. could not beat the Red Sox.
 Plank against Boston was always the signal for a Philadelphia vic tory. But Bender during his last Al was never even started against the Sox. Walter Johnson can stand the Cleveland batters on their heads and stop the White sox and Detroit as we'll But the Red Sox are team that he Is lucKy to beat one in three starts. Harper has the Red Sox beaten before the latter start. Then Detroit comes along and chases Har- per to the dugout in a few innings. Cunningham of the Tigers can beat no other club but the Red Sox. But what he does to them Is a "bleedin' shame" Mogrtdge used to make the Red Sox look foolish. but it has been the other way this season, SO New York wants to trade him.
 Hamilton used to stop them all and he had the Tigers eating out of his hand, but Carrigan's old team really drove him out of the league.
 And so 1t is all the way down the line. Each pitcher has a club that he finds easy prey. Washington is soft picking for Ray Caldwell and the Indians are proverbially bait for Sam Jones. Yet either club bats them almost at will. while the same teams that pound our most successful twirlers are easy money oftentimes for the second stringers.