Evening star., 1923-01-28
PITCHERS SHELVED
ASPOPULAR IDOLS
Heydler Also Says Portside
Hitters Are 0utstripping
SouthpaW TWirIers.
BY GEORGE CHADWICK.

n EW YORK, January H.-Left-
N hand batterS arc increasing
out of all proportion as COM
pared with the increase of left
hand pitchers, according to Prcsi-
dent John Heydler of the National
League. Furthermore, the biggest
and most brilliant drawing cards OF
the game today arc those who per-
form sensationally with the stick
rather than in the pitchers box.
lust glance at the facts and fig
ures," said Heydler today, land you
will find the most prominent bats
men OF today are portsiders. with
very few exceptions. OF course,
Rogers Hornsby is the big excep-
ton.
1T is Il debatable question why VIC
have had this tendency to left-hand
batters. Many believe the left-handcr
is generally better because he IS
nearer TO first base, and therefore
should get there more quickly. Then
some folks add that a left-hander
always has been able to bunt better
than I right-hand batter Records
will show that more Ieft-handers bunt
successfully year in and year out
than do right-hand batters.
Holds Wagner Greatest.
Nov, some have said that the Ma
tional League could be called tho
school of right-hand batting, and the
American League the school OF tho
left-hander. This theory started over
the long rivalry that existed between
Wagner, a right-hand batter, and
Ty Cobb. who, we all know. stands
on the opposite side of the plate when
he swings. In my opinion, Wagner
was the greatest right-hand hitter
Of them all, although many fans be-
lieve Pop Anson the greatest.
IL am proud of the reputation that
has been given the National League
for its great right-hand hitters, but,
nevertheless, that league is today
recognizing that left-handers are de-
velopirg faster than right handlers.
"If we follow the list of National
League batters after Hornsby, VINO
tops them all, we find that many OF
our prominent batters are left-hand-
ers, and again 1t makes me doubt
that we are developing left-hand
pitchers in proportion"
Which brings us 10 the second as
sertion that base balls spotlight has
shifted from pitchers box to the plate.
Everybody has been talking about
the way that batting has picked up.
The pitchers have talked about il
! until the tears ran down their cheeks.
There was time when the great
pitcher stood higher in the base ball
world than the leading batsman. In
the old days the first thing the average
boy tried to do was to emulate
Clarkson. or Keefe, or Mickey Welch,
Mathewson or some other man who
had made himself famous by pitching.
Almost everybody thought some
time he would make home run like
Williamson or George Gore, but that
was secondary to the hope of becom-
ing a great pitcher Now it is diff
ferent. The pitchers are losing their
grip as heroes and the boys are
thinking of becoming Ruths, Cobbs.
Speakers and Hornsbys.
Left-Handers Formerly Disliked.
+ IF left-hand pitchers were devei-
oped in proportion to left-hand bat
ters would it not be likely. as Presi
would be fewer batters hitting alb
| normally wella Everybody knows
the left-hand pitcher is check on
most left-hand batters. 1t is per-
fcctly natural that he should be.
To the boy of today it may be
ball when the left-hand player was
! looked down upon. If a man batted
! left handed. volunteer teachers at
/ tempted to instruct him how to bat
I right handed. If beginner pitched
| left handed more than often two
thirds of the players and fans be-
gan to yell to change pitchers, espc-
cially if he were a little wild. 4
right-hand pitcher could be wild and
it would be overlooked, but never in
| the case of left-hand pitcher.
Now it is suggested, and not with
out good reason, that it would not
be bad medicine If there could be
found some high-class left-hand
hpitchers to stop the carrying on"
of some slugging Ieft-hand batters
Copyright 1881