The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-04
WALSH STRONG
FOR TWIRLERS
OF SPITBALLS
No hit Game ID 1921 Kould Have
Been Greatest Feat In Base
ball, lie Says.
BY JOHN b. FOSTER.
copyright. 1921, by The Conso,id-
ated Press.l

ated Press.)
New York, Jan Edward
Walsh, who VIII umpire for the
American league in 1922. and who
pitched some games during the
summer of 1921 for a seml-pro
team, with which he was connected
says that it would have been the
greatest pitching feat in modern
baseball history for a pitcher of the
major leagues to have pitched a
no-hit game in 1921, providing that
he was not a spitbaIl pitcher.
Walsh was. without much doubr.
the best spitbaiI pitcher in the his
tory of the game and he is one Of
the pitchers who holds that a SPIT
baller could BE- more effective tacn
curve pitcher in spite of the fact
that the curvers have more no-h.t
games TO their credit Walsh pitch
ed one no-hit game in 1911 agafn=t
Boston of the american league.
He bases his reward of merit for
no-hit game in 1921 on the saw
age manner in which the pitchers
were being handled in both league.
The batters got into their heads
that they could step into the ball.
and they did said Ed. vet vol
note that tna spitballers got along
better than the others The reward
of the few scratch hits made a bet
ter summer than any I can remenl-
Der. The ball was met on the cen
ter all the time. It's my pred r.
ton that the batters aren't going
10 have such a good thing of II
n &c ST1r-
kid pitchers of 1921 will be throw
ing better than they did last sea
son and every man VINO can curve
ball will have 10 get down to bust
ness and show something or 90
back to the minors"
Two Ofn-Hit Games.
The best pitching feat in the Ma
tional league II 1921, and the best
in both leagues so far as that goes,
was the two one-hit games which
were thrown BY Phil Douglas OF tn
Giants. One Of them was in April
against Philadelphia and the other
t in June against Pittsburgh. AMI
/ if Kelly hadn't played safety first
| in waiting for Douglas to get over
the bag the lean Southerner Tc1!I
have had no-nit game.
He is spilbalI pitcher so h.
ranks in Walsh's class of the elect.
Two one-hit games were pitched
in the American league and oddly
enough both n August and within
! SIX days of each other. Bush threw
The first Aug. l and Collins Of
New York the second on Aug. :.
Now note how history makes que y
shifts when club owners begin To
trade players. The 0ne-hit pitcher
Of the Yankees goes to Boston for
the one-h-t pitcher of the BOstOns
and with Bush. who pitched on
hit game in New York. the two New
York clubs viii still have the twp
low score pitchers Of the last year.
They had them with Collins and
Douglas, and they retain tte1l wiz
Bush and Douglas.
The Yankees are even better OF
They have got enc Of the best two
hit pitchers Of the American league.
Jones of Boston was the only pitch
er. except F'aheC CT Chicago, 90
pitch two two-hit games Jones
threw one Of ,hem in April and the
other in June while Faber pitched
both of his early in the year, one
in April and the other in May. L
is an interesting fact about FabeF'S
TWO best games that they, toe.
were pitched with a six Gav il
t2ryal. One Of them was Aprll
,. and the othec May ). Faber a!55
pitched a three-h.J game July IA
The American league had pitch
ers good enough to throw Il two
hit games in 1921 against four for
the National league and that would
seem to upset the generally ente--
tanned notion that the National
league had so much bat,er pitchers
than its rival. TIE Americans hal
- thTee-hit pitchers against l.
for The Nati0nal-a close race be
tween them-but when it comes %
giving ali of tIe llureIs 10 the NJ
1ionals for pitching stunts it is
evident that public opinion skid
ded. as it often does when facts are
produced against heaTsay.
Once Carl Mays seemed t0 ha
headed toward Cre-Hit game Il
1921. He coI,Jn't quite. maze il
and Cleveland got two hits acaiH-l
him JaIy 81 The New York N
tionals had TWO pitchers with
two-hitf rec ord one Of them VS.
RYAN with tWo Its IN six inniEEs
aga nst St. LOI-s 4 real ulue in
ming record Tas made by Tont
against Pittsburgh Sept. 16, when
the Giants so much wanted to win
from the Pirates and il was en- the
strength of that game in part that
McGraw was 50 confident of TCly's
success in the world series. BaE-
ton pitched two three-hit game
fer the Giants in May and then sud
denly drifted out into the n n0T7.
If Smith. Of Brooklyn, gets a goot
start in 1922 there are SOM VINO
think that he will be one Of the top
notchers of the season. The Gin
c:nnati club IS SSH trying 10 g;
Galore from BROOKLYN. Galore VS.
unlucky most Of 1921 lie started
well row and II n bat he cOI!3nt
keep it up. Pat Moran, VINO is
coach of pitchers. if he doesn't al
vays wn championships with his
team. has z notion that Galore his
a curve ball that VII 1T just r3gt
for the Reds bIJ he hasn't suggest
ed anything to Brooklyn as yet tn;
seems likely 10 wean him away
from Robinson
Moran is willing to give I'D
Crane. who is a fast shOrjstog ala
can't hit. and while the BroUEIyu
club would like some tnfelders
with speed in their heels. they
nave enough light b2tter5 withoG!