South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-02-27
SPEED, NOT TRICKS,
DANFORTH'S ASSET
Claims His Large Hand En-
ables Him TO Sail Ball
Without Roughing 1t.
BY DAVE DANFORTH.


III a pitcher Is able 20 set a good
hop on his fast bau the hatters ,m-
medistcIv insist that ne is cheating.
have always been fortunate
enough 60 have a pretty good fast
bail That Tor years has gained for
me the reputation OF being a cheater.
I'm baseball being lheato- is for
q pitcher 20 make use OF some illegal
means TO get a hop on his fast ball
Use of emery paper Cr any other
method OF IoughiuE the BAH VIII
produce such a result.
Opposing batters have never given
me credit for having any brains.
ANY success that I have had ON the
bali field has always been credited TO
Illegal methods
While I am not trying 20 pose as
a "Christy" Mathewson. still feel
that am able to pitch intelliSently.
AT least 2 feel that I ann able TO
and get away with H.
Ever since joined the majors. and
En- The minors as well have been
accused of trickery to- get results L
/ feel that such an attitude on the part
Of the players has had considerable
TO do with what little success have
had.
When I am selected TO pitch. OPP
/ posing players usually so right up
i'm the air. They figure the old
chcater" is going 10 work. and IL is
up to them to discover what / am
doing with the ball
Battcrs Arc Suspicious.
When 7 am doing the pitching.
most of the batters turn detectives
+ Tor day Instead of swinging at
/ my stuff they are too busy trying
F 10 figure how ann doping the ball
/ The Old psychology OF the game on-
tors into it, The batters quit con-
! centratinE on their batting.
AIy fast BAN hasn't nearly as much
/ stuff on IL as most nitters insist.
They are always looking for some
/ thing different when ] slip them a
] fast ball and then I fan them with
the most ordinary offerings. have
I seen batters miss a third strike. a
( fast bail as straight as "A string and
insist that it jumped six inches.
/ I pitch just like any other Ordin-
/ AIRY Individual I use speed. a slow
. ball and a curve. Now and thcn
am able to make a fast BAH "sal. %
as we say I'm baseball, which means
/ il takes an unusual hop.
However. the unusual hop that I
/ get on my fast ball every now and
then is not the result or trickery.
7 have a large pair Of hands. Ions
/ tapering fingers and am able 10 get
n good grip on the ball
In making 81 sail I hold the ball
ON tho ends of my fingers. and let
il go i'm such Il manner that fl pro-
duces the desired result. a hop on
the fast one.
Never Mars Tho BAH.
never mar ball Occasionally
I rub the ball down tho side of my
/ trousers. as is often done By such
pitchers as Shocker of ST. Louis
Mays OF New York. Leonard OF De-
troit and a number Of others.
7 have been credited with havins
| everything but brains. Anyhow
. manage 10 outsmart them enough "a
win "a lot of bali games.
When the Chicago White Sol
dropped me felt pretty bad.
don't believe ] ever should have beer
/ dropped from the majors Too much
work i'm tho bull pen robbed me OF
I my fast ball
] made up my mind TO prove that
a lot of fellows made a mistake when
II was waived out Of both major
! leagues i think I have succeeded