The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-07-29
CRACK SWATSMITHS
FEAR new. PITCHERS
MORE THAN STARS
By rRANx g. MENKE

Every hitsmith in the major would
rather go up against pitching, such
as Walter Johnson and Grover Alex
ander heaved, at their best, than to
face some rookie moundsman.
The natural assumption is that
batsman, keen about fattening up his
average, prefers a dub pitcher to one
so great as were Johnson, Alexander,
Mathewson, Brown, Bender, Plank and
the other truly greats at their best.
But Ty Cobb bumps that theory over
board-and all the other star swetters
echo his sentiments.
Its bit dangerous to bat against
an inexperienced youngster, whereas
1t isn't at all dangerous for batter
who faces men like Johnson and the
Others" explained Cobb. That's all
due to control A batter is always
sure that Johnson and the really great
pitchers are going to put that ball
along the main line"
But the kid is just as likely to
hit you in the head or the back. or
the leg, as to groove it. So when
batting against q rookie you need
not merely center the mind on hit
ting the ball, but you also must be
prepared to do an African dodger act
on half seconds notice.
Many ball players insist that Car
Mays, OF the subway ball, is winning
pitcher, not so much because of his
bafting delivery, but because of his
streaks of wildness which have had g
tendency to frighten players.
Mays perhaps throws more bear
grazers" in year than any othel
| half dozen combined One of his
shots brought death two years ego tt
Ray Chapman. Throughout his career
Mays has hit many men with his un
derhand delivery and a lot of player,
would rather go swatless against hin
than take the chance of being hit.
Rusie's Greatness
/ ITS a well-established fact that the
| greatness of Amos Rusie, star Of lon:
| ago, was due to a trio of things; Il
terrific speed, (2) a round house curry,
| I'D occasional = perhaps purposeful-
lack of control.
RusIe was one of the few men il
the game who could get binding swift
ness into an cutcurve. And that curvt
OF his was about the widest thinj
that ever was tossed plateward
Whenever Rusie shot the ball towar,
the batter 1T started from an angl
very wide of the plate. A right hand
ed batter, seeing it coming up, kneI
II the ball broke" he could hit il
But he was never sure that it wa
! going to break.
| Many a time and oft, that ball q
Rusie's wouldn't break - excep
against the batter's ribs or shoulder
Only about one such happening wa
necessary to inspire future fear Will
in the heart of that batsman
1 So from week to week, Rusie. b
hitting a batter occasionally. woul
add another name to the plate shv
list. Ever afterward those boys DR.,
ferred to pull away from the plate an
go hitless rather than take the chanc
! of getting ribs fractured.
: Rusiea of course, would have bee
/ a remarkable pitcher, even if he he
not bumped the boys so often. 81
. there is no ducking the fact that hi
! fame was enhanced by his trick {
tickling" a batter with a norsehid
, once in a while.
: Wonders About HurIers.
Whenever l hear about a ne
pitcher coming into the league sal
Ty Cobb, 81 am quickly curious
learn about his control. l imagir
some players figure that l ask abo1
it so that l can decide whether l ca
hit him. But my real curiosity
created by wonderment as to wheth,
he is going to hit me.
Il never feared a good pitcher
> my hftime. But every time l go l
q against a youngster, Tm-well, Gu
ious, to say the least"
! Copyright 1921 BY King Features
Syndicate, IDc.l