The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-08-12
IT'S THE LIVELIER BASEBALL! But is 1T!

like a vapor mist.
What Is III where are W.: who
md this thing TO usy
Opinions differ quite ~ much A.
70 the causes OF our new iovc for
oasehAii this year as they did a. to
kWhc started tho world war.
Clubs arc drawing world series
ocrcwdx In mid.scason. There Is talk
}of building bigger parks. The mag
tnases arr making more money than
\they ever dreamed could pour thru
- box officc. what's the answer
lHASEBAI.L
sCRAZY
Some believe the great wave Of en-
lehusiasm shown baseball Ia partially
due 10 . reaction from tho tense days
,cf the war. The staid folk OF pro
bwar days have learned TO be emo
sttonai and they now seek tho ball
parks to give vent to It.
Others 20 back 10 tho old theory
THAT all the world loves q siugscr.
and because this happens 20 be the
'~slugxinest' year tho game has ever
had. baseball has Us all by the ears.
s4IECT
soLrGGERS
Fixures show more 500 or better
1itteru 90 far this year than ever be
g1ore. American league sluggers out
number those Of the Heydier circuit
about two 10 ono.
The Nationals believe that the
American league batters are polling
cut base hits and extra base knocks
Win iiveiicr ball. while the feeling
~ the players In Ban Johnscn's or
~chard for the most part 10 that slug
s8fng h the result Of the Psychology
fef confidence. duo 10 the han on
41reak pitching.
tDAlI8
alike
A laboratory dissection OF the 1870
;DaiI shows little Il any difference
s1rom the 1918 official apple.
There n the same cork center. the
same rubber shell. the same wool
yarn. and the same hcrseskin cover
ling.
The balls used In The two major
leagues arp identical. as they arr
made au the same kind Of machines
ana Of tho same material. down In
Philadelphia-
BY uss OF the caiipers the core Of
n 1890 ball " believed TO b very
snall fraction Of an inch bigger than
the one found in u 1918 baseball. and
Shs grade OF yarn II . trifle eoarser.
n there IL any degree Of differences
- ltveliness In the new bah and the
81, these slight variations could
hardy account for tho constantly
-DrUwing batting averases-
SlaORE
SC0NFTDENCE
This Speaker, miracle man Of the
hague leading Indians. gives no ere
ylsnce to tho theory Of . livelier ball.
He says that batfers have moro con
0dGncs when they step up to Tire
plafs since the freak deliveries are
gone. Pitchers no longer have the
hitter ''ouffaioed." he says.
Manager Fred Mitchell Of the
Cubs b Of tho same opinion The
IN on trick pitching ID the answer
% the great hitting this year he
Rys. The batters have learned not
- look for freak deliveries. % 30 To
~ plate. dig in their spikes. and
swing on the ball.
LIVELY
THEORY
sam Rice. whose hitting Is almost
- sensational ~ his base running
this year. says that any ball IL live
y n you lay thu wood on u ~ the
proper tins.
The general opinion Of the cham
pion Reds IL that the American
hague has . livelicr bali than that Of
their circuit. There IL no question
IN my mind.- says Nick Allen. but
what American ieaguers are hitting
. livelier ball.
Chef Thomas. the Cleveland catch
ar. shares this belief with Allen
why. balls zip past the infielders
20 fast they haven't chance TO grab
them" he says
POOR
PITCHING
The great hitting In the Interna-
t1onai league Is due to small. cracker
box ball parks and not to live balls.
according to Dick Hoblitzel Of the
Akron club.
Wild Bill Donovan lays the slug.
g1ng wave to poor pitching. Pitch
ers don't get In condition as in for
mer years" he says. pitchers have
been making freak deliveries take
the place Of good physical condition
and brains. With the ban on trick
balls some Of them can't find their
way back to the first principles OF
pitching, with the result that batters
are getting the big advantage"
sUNSOILED"
WHITE BALL
steve o'Neiil. the great catcher Of
NE Indians, advances one of the best
answers to the new problem. Steve
says that It is the "unsoiled" white
ball that gives q batter q chance To
see It como spinning toward the
plate. umpires throw out . ball as
soon as II Ia scuffed the slightest
bit. thus keeping a new bdnl In play
practically all the time. A ball doesn't
remain In the game long enough to
lose It's elastic qualities or to become
discolored.
Both leagues are using twice as
many balls this year as last It's
expensive. but the umpires are pur'
suing instructions TO keep the pitch
ers from taking advantage Of the
rough surface on the cover TO threw
onything like a sinner.
= It. then, the livclier BAN that n
mnsing all the fuss In hitting7
It IL possible. yet who will say that
mere arc not score or moro OF
other reasons just as logical.
GETS REWARD
COLUMBUS. Aug. 12.--George Nc.
ouiIIan. veteran pitcher Of the Sena-
torn. was given his release by Mana.