, 1923-06-03
SLUGGER BETTER
ATTRACTION Than
A TWIRLING Ace
Home Run Hitters in the
Game the Most.
BY I. z. SANBORN.

AT the gate the home run hero is a
better drawing al tina the star
pitcher, regarding them as individuals,
in spite OF the decrease IN the crop of
four baggers this yea
The slugger is in there every day,
unless hurt, and liable to poke n over
the fence any inning, while the hurler
works only every fourth or fifth day
and cannot be doped out as a sure
starter in advance OF any ontest Con-
sequently the bugs who go to a ball
game to see some one parsonage per-
form are lured by the regular guy.
The pitcher stin remains the back
bone OF the team. however. regarding
him individually or collectively. Games
are won by runs. not by base hits or
even by homo runs, except occasional
ly. And the pitcher who can keep the
other fellows from making too many
runs is a greater asset in a pennant
ace han the slugger. unless he be an
exceptional batsman who can make his
hits where they mean runs.
That makes the pitcher. collectively
speaking, the best drawing card at the
gate because nc team can stay in the
first division without a strong. depend
able slab stan and fewer folks will turn
out to see a tail end team which con-
tains a Babe Ruth than n leading club
without an individual star, II such a
team can be put together.
Good Twirlers Continue to Win.
So the competent hurler goes merrily
along in spite OF all efforts to reduce
his power TO determine the possession
of %pennants; In spite of the elimina-
ton Of fancy deliveries. the introduce
ton OF llveller spheres-and every
thing. Since the peak of the smuggling
era was passed the slabmen have been
regaining gradually their supremacy
during the last two eason
Another decade without changing
existing conditions IN the game will
almost surely produce n return of the
alright combats which once enabled
a team OF hltless wonders to annex q
league championship and worlds PEN
nant- That was the Fielder Jones out
ut Of White Sox whose ability to
achieve tallles without swats led to
coming the jocose formula for their
" batting rally" which consisted OF n
base on balls, a stolen base, an inheld
out and 4 long fly.
Pitching supremacy depends less on
the invention of freak shoots or what
is under the cover OF the ball thar
on what is beneath tho skin of the
slab artist. A stout heart backed by
baseball brains are better assets for
a hurler than n wide assortment OF
mechanical goods.
No Freak Delivery for Aces.
Take n couple OF aces from the two
majors for Observation-Disclosures
n johnson. Neither of them ever
monkeyed with freak stuff. 1 doubt II
either OF them ever threw n splitter
In a championship game, although
both may have fooled around with It
out of curiosity.
Some have attributed Johnson'a
great success to his tremendous speed.
There have been slabmen who never
got beyond the spring training trip OF
a major league who could throw a ball
as fast as Johnson or Alexander can.
But 1t didn't look as fast to the bats
rnan-
That covers the whole territory in
the slabbiug domnIn-the ability to
put a fast ball or a slow one where you
want to and the courage TO do It. The
latter Is more important than the
former. for many a pitcher has pos.
sessed almost perfect control yet
lncked the nerve to put one over in n
pinch. Roger Bresnahan, once n fight
ing backstop. always contended thai
lack OF control in a pitcher of any ex.
perience was merely lack OF nerve.
Heart and Brain Win.
Ago does not send the pitcher with
a ear n a brain to the scrap heap
as early as the others. Alexander, al
though on the down grade in years, set
up a mark to shoot at when he started
this season with a string OF consecu-
tive innings without passing a bats
man. either on four balls or by hitting
him That string was hfty-one innings
long when this was written Possibly
some Joy killing statistician will dig up
a prehistoric performance that beat
anything Alex has or will do. But It
won't dim A~lexander's luminosity.