The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-10-15
SPEED RECORDS IN COMPARISON


NEW YORK, Oct. l5.-Faster tnan
al these maTvels OF speed is baseball
travelling from the hands OF Plteness
ward Cicotte, Carl Mays and other
wizards of the mound whose fast ball
In the admiration of fandom.
For baseball hurled toward the bat
ter by one Of these speedy twirlers has
been timed as moving at the sensa-
Faster than an airplane, racing car
or a flying express train, Man o War.
; the horseflesh marvel OF the age, Is
bunglingly slow in comparison.
Is It any wonder that poor Ray Chap
man, Cleveland's star shortstop, was
unable TO step out OF the way quickly
enough to permit the fatal fast one
hurled at him by Carl Mays TO go byl
When "Chick" Fewster, Yankee star,
was struck and badly injured by one
OF Pitcher Pfeffer's fast balls last spring
Is II any wonder that he exclaimed: =,
'iTt came so fast | didn't see II,
In the September issue OF Popular Sci
ence Frank b. Gilbraith, motion STUDY
expert. writes interestingly upon the
speed OF q baseball thrown by big
league player. He was found thaL n
pitcher who Is noted for his speed can
throw a ball which travels to the plate
NJ the amazing rate OF two and two.
fifth miles a minute. This ball would
gueea from second base to the plate,
4 distance Of l27 feet and three lnches
in approximately one SECOND. -,
This information was obtained py
means of a high-speed motion picture
camera. taking pictures az the rate OF
Iao 10 4 second. Thus, with the knowl-
edge OF the number OF pictures taken
fn second, the exact time required
for q ball 10 traverse certain uist"h0o
can be determined. =.
Knowing this, It Is all the more re-
fnarkable that so few players. compare
lively speaking. are hit by pitched oaIis
during season. a batsman must IN
deed have q keen eye and marNelouss
fast reaction to step saieiy out Oh u.e
path Of baseball travelling NJ suei'
tremendous speed. -,
Testifying 10 the speed OF the bal
that caused the tragedy at inc roy
grounds when Chapman was struck lS
the statement Of Dr. 7. u. Morrlgah'
surgical director OF st. Laurence nos
pital. who performed ths oper@''oh v"
Chapman. He said:
n found n compound depressed frac .
ture of the left side OF the Skull !. !.
extended from just above and pen ~,
the left ear, where Chapman was NJ ~,
for three and e-half inches along "
haaa al the skull. on the upper side
the fracture was much depresssu.
s'This fracture had caused memoir
image extending over the left SIDE OF
the head and a large blood clot w. 80
ecnpressng the brain, the uepressio y.
in the skull ruptured the Ater" "
se ..on the opposite side the brain. was
aAr.ratea M the terrific force OF the
blow. ii appeared much the same as
fhe shaken yolk OF an egg. There Were
many minute hcmorrhagss OF s,ai'
blood vessels covering the brain .
~ s,,ery game there are scores OF In
stances where batsman saves MN :
self from injury by stepping out OF .ns
,xav IN the ball lie sees II leave the
nitcher's hand. Speeding toward nun
his eve Ia fixed intentiy ON us NOV.
,nent Just before II reaches the piaIe
a. .shrpaks,' II II Is shooting toward nm
he must move quickly or be struck, ..
ENronn the instant X begins 70 oreaA
untiI II masses him, traction OF
second later. the batter's mind anu pous
are compelled 10 act even raster .ha ~
he ball is speeding II injury Is 10 's
me ball is reflected on the reti ma
- Inc eve IT'S action Is conveyed ny
the optic nerve TO his brain. inc praiu ~,
through the nerves, telegraphs ~,
alarm to the muscles. when IN w ~,
move the ea stceGnp GGas in the fokel
~ an eyelash. II Is correlation "orhee
out 10 It's highest degree. -. ~,
Faeinr pitchers who are noted toI
their ability to control the IhEn ,I 5,s
ball, the batsman usually mas m.Ns v u
sIcuitv in staying out OF the way
.lhrls}v Mathewson, for example, pitched
seysrsi seasons without hitting single
nlayer. Alexander In 10 games last SCI
son ala not hit batter. Ctcotte only
struck two in 40 games, a,.,,
on the other h ann pitcS Si balls in
"a Sanes last year sothoron, OF 81;
louis " hi 10 in 20 games. Williams 81 81
he Chicago Americans. hit IL m "
games, while Pfeffer, oil brooN'!"'
struck IL In 80 games. A.. Ar,.-i.
But Of all the pitchers IN tnS seven,
~ nitohed more than IS innings nave
ciass record in this respect.