The New York herald., 1921-02-13


Yet the Ruths and the Hornsbys. the
Collinses-Jimmy and Eddie. greatest
respectively Of all third and second base
men-the Delahantys and Cobbs. the
Speakers and Keeers draw the spot
light where the pitchers, no matter how
capable with few exceptions, fall into
the background. Radbourne. Rueie,
Mathewson Johnson-there are four
names limned in letters OF light on the
pages Of baseball history but how few
they are compared TO the many great
pitchers there have been and compared
TO the long scroll OF names Of players in
other positions enrolled in memory.
Some Famous Pitchers.
Take these names; Charley Nichols,
one OF the best pitchers the games ever
had: Buffnton. Jim Whitney. Jouett
Meekln. Mcmahon. Charles Sweeney,
VIII White, Jim Mccormick, Addie Joss.
Seward. Kilroy. Calvin, Ramsey. keefe,
Welsh. Waddell. Clarkson. Carruthers,
Foutz Terry. Guy Hecker. Mark Bald
with, Klllian. McGinnlty. Plank, over
ALL Lever, Walsh, Philippe. Ches-
bro. Breitenstein. Matthews. Charles
Ferguson. Weyhing. Bill James-who
recalls them now. or, recalling them,
appreciates properly their worth to their
respective teams? The wonderful Nor
deca Brown, Chief Bender, Cy Young.
recent stars doubt If even they are
catalogued in the fans memory in the
high place they deserve on the score OF
long and valuable service. In the matter
Of Skill maybe. but not in the matter
Of skill and amount Of work too.
Nor In the relative rating of value
and skill. do the names of Adams
gt
Bagby and Grimes command the tribute
of appreciation they deserve even II
perchance those of Alexander and Cove
leske do.
There have been too many pitchers
Of the master class TO place so few OF
a pedestal. and that emphasizes thu
point-that the pitcher is not sufficiently
highly regarded considering his talent:
and what he gives in each game In
labor-not highly enough regarded as
compared to the great hitter or the great
fielder. Afordecai Brown was as great
as pitcher as Collins Is as an infielder
batter and base runner. Cy Young's skill
was just as eminent and just as usefu
as Ty Cobbs-but. and herein lies mucl
of the explanation OF the anomaly. hC
was not as spectacular.
I You can't dramatize pitching as yoI
can home run with the bases filed
the headlong slide 20 the plate or the
/ leaping catch OF the overhead liner
Nevertheless, for pure nerve in a crisi.
and consummate skill. Carl Mays did {
! bit Of pitching last year as brilliant a.
I Wamby's triple play unassisted or Elmer
Smiths home run with the bases filled
as brilliant II not as thrilling. II ough
TO be talked about as much. but Il isn't
Mays's Great Work.
The Yankees. in game in Cleveland
/ werc one run ahead in the tenth O,
eleventh inning. The Indians had moi
on second and third with two out
/ Speaker was at the bat--the most dan
[ gerous hitter on the Cleveland team
I The Yanks had TO catch an early trair
/ to Washington and that made them ad
I ditionally anxious. Mays had come n
/ as a relief pitcher. He never had moro
/ craft or stuff than that day. He needle,
4 both He produced both There wer,
/ two strikes on Speaker and the next in
stant there were three. He swung ant
struck out on high fast ball. as fas
/ n ono as Mays ever throw. He swunl
under it a foot and ] doubt IL he saw Il
/ IN tho vernacular. Mays threw II pas
/ him-great nerve and great pitching.
.
| can do, in addition to the amount o
/ Of work he or any other first cias
/ pitcher does. lie Is a splendid bate
and often jumps into a game as a pinci
! hitter. lie fields his position in frs
class style. and has to be pretty spr-
and busy 20 do that. The pitcher hal
the inield behind him and In having {,
I turn while deciding quickly which ba >,
10 throw TO he carries a heavier burdei
\ than the inhelder, who has tho play,
I in front Of him. lie must be thinkini
/ constantly. must consider every bal
( pitched. He must watch base runner
and must hold runners close to frs,
4 Pitchers Of the calibre of Johnson cal
take part IN ten more games a year thar
the ordinary pitcher. Pitchers OF tn,
calibre OF Johnson. with his capacit,
for work, are as valuable TO a club nj
Cobb or Ruth or Speaker or Hornsb,
over we're though they aren't I'm as man,
games For them tho same aureol,
placed around tho heads Of tho othei
horocs by the baseball public should b,
placed but somehow or other Il isn't.
pitchers who Can Field.
The Giants had a nfth infelder when
ever Mathewson pitched, or Wiitsc. ant
have ono more IN Nehf These men no
only pitched games in first class styl,
but felded them that way. In addition
Nchf is valuable to his club az a bats
man. Mordecai Brown was fine field
/ er Jack Stvetts was a first class
pitcher and an extraordinarily good bat
Ter. So with Radbourne. Charley
1 Nichols was p master Of strategy,
\ horse for work. finished fielder, hul
! wark for his club. George Tyler can bat
\ and field and pitch. Clarence Mitchell
car 600.
Thcsc men arc but few cases amone
/ many ~ -it---- Ruth. ou= &c tn
most effective lefthandcrs that eve
/ lived. was Just a great pitcher az
Y batter hc is the wonder Of the age
\ Nevertheless and notwithstanding. az 3
I pitcher last year J irnly believe th'
I Yanks would have won the pennant. But
/ they'd have played 10 smaller crowds.
Bali after bah the pitcher has {,
! throw across the plate. and he does I
with finest shades Of accuracy. NJ
7 other position compares with his II
amount NJ effort syilfully expended. Bn'
! docs he live gloridcd IN memory for thi'
as arc the great OF other positione7