The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-04-12
How To Pitch


tEDITOR's NOTE) The following
article was written for Frank &. Menke
by Grover Alexander, champion pitcher
of the National league, and one of the
truly great mound .men Of history. Its
purpose Is TO school the Youngsters in
the tricks OF OutfieldinE.. While il II
IL also Furnishes spleadid reading for
the adult fan for It details the method
which Alexander used to reach base
AIexander's article is the sth of the
series. The other contributors were
Sisler. Collins, MaranvilIe, Groh, O'nieI
and Speaker. The article tomorrow on
"How TO Run Bases" will be by Ty
Cobb. The three final articles rela-
by Wnbert Robertson. regarded as enc
Of the master strateEists on baseball.
Copyright 1921 BY King Features
Syndicate, Inc.,)
good arm, control, brains and
courage-that's what the youngster
needs who wants TO become a pitcher.
There are two kinds of good arms,
one for long distance throwing which
outfielders must do the other kind
which Is trained in the art of doing
its best work when throwing so feet
and inches-the distance from the
plate to the rubber
Decide, first of all. what sort of an
arm you have. If it's best for long
distance throwing, then abandon the
IDEA OF becoming a pitcher, just as
man built for long distance running
should abandon the thought of crack
ing 100 yard dash records. But, if
it's the arm that can do it's maxi
mum work when only spring" throws
are called for. there's that much in
your favor already.
Now practice control. Never mind
the curves at first until you have &C
quired control, don't try anything else.
Keep in mind, above all else. that I'M
less you have control you'll never get
| anywhere as a pitcher That's as
necessary in good pitching as a pair
of eyes are to batsman. Control is
the vital thing.
Work With Catcher
Work out with one Of your mates
a catcher preferably. Have him
stand erect. Throw the ball at the
pit of his stomach, using his belt as
/ the main target. Keep on throwing at
! the belt until such time as you are
certain you could hit it SO times out
! of 100, if he missed the catch. Hay
ing acquired ability to hit him there
begin throwing at his knees. Pitch
| at the knees until you can do it 80
times out Of 100.
| Now shoot at his chest-the upper
part of it. Keep pitching for that spot
day after Jay, week after week until
you would be able to hit it anytime
you wanted to.
When you have acquired control to
! a point where you could hit your
catcher's knees, belt or upper chest
with a straight ball, get a batsman
up to the plate. Make the line of his
knees, his belt and his shoulders. your
target, using only straight ball. Re
member that a strike pitch is one
which cuts the plate at any height
between the batter's knees and his
shoulders. That's to be your aim-to
cut the plate with straight ball at
any point between the batter's knees
and shoulders.
| Keep practicing
! Keep practicing that until you feel
that you are perfect in it--and then
keep right on practicing. I've been
in baseball for quite a few years and
| I'm still practicing it. For. having &C
| quired control, practice is necessary
to retain it. And if you don't retail
control, you're through right then and
! there as a pitcher.
| Now try curve ball pitching. The
outcurve drop and the fast one
ca lied in-shoots by boys-are the main
stocks in a pitchers trade.
It's rather difficult for me to de-
scribe in writing just how the ball
should be held in the hand for each
particular pitcher. But that's hardly
necessary, anyway, as every kid in
the land knows how the ball should
be held and delivered for the differ
ent curves. If you don't, one of your
older boy friends can show you how
it's to be done.
In learning to throw curves, the best
thing is to learn first how to curve
the ball irresp ective Of control. Stand
$50 feet and 6 inches away from d
given distance and try out your
curves. Keep on trying them until
you can get them to break over the
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