The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-01-15

Quirement q pitcher needs. He pos
Sesses speed. curves, a deceptive
sritball and a change of pace. He
has failed because OF his inability
to pick up hunts and throw accu-
rately to first base.
This failing-at first occurring
infreQuently-got on his nerves.
He became convinced that he could
not make those hurried throws to
first base. BY applying the Coue
formula he might have persuaded
his muscles to obey his will.
Instead, he allowed his weak.
ness to prey on his mind. There
were times when, no matter how
carefully he aimed, he could not
throw the ball within reach Of
bis first baseman.
Managers Of opposing teams bore
down" on Sothoron's fault. They
would order their batters to hunt,
and sooner or later Sothoron would
begin pegging the ball over the
first baseman's head.
We recall game at the Polo
Grounds late in the season Of 1921.
i
out for the championship up to the
last week Of that season.
Speaker was short OF pitchers and
was forced to start Sothoron in one
Of the crucial games. The Yankees
were ordered to hunt.
They couldn't hit Sothoron's
"spitters" and for q time he han
died their short tabs accurately.
Fortunately for the Yanks they had
Q pitcher in that day who held the
Indians down. Along in the sixth
Or seventh inning the locals got a
man to first base and the next
batter laid it down."
SOhoron bounced on the ball,
wheeled and, with time to spare,
took careful aim at Doc john
st0n, then chuclxed the ball high
over the first baseman's head. He
repeated this performance in the
same inning and thus lost the
game.
In only one game that season
were the Yankees unable to upset
6othoron with their short game"
That day he shut them out.
Speaker gave the big spitballer
the constant bunting got on his
nerves and his appearances on the
mound became less frequent until he
finally dropped out altogether. To-
ward the end Of the season he waE
given q leave OF absence and thus
he closed his big league career.
Sothoron had another fault.
When his team assumed what an
peared to be a safe lead, he would
begin to experiment with his de-
livery. This often ruined his con-
troll, and when he attempted to re.
turn to safer methods he could not
shake off his wildness.
He knew his fafIings, but the
harder he fought to overcome
them in the excitement Of hard
game the more unsteady he be-
. came. Perhaps he may regain
his old effectiveness In q minor
league, but wherever he goes he
viii be q marked man and q tar.
get for hunts.
Davy Robertson was another big
Lacquer who could have profited
by studying the methods Of NJ.
Coue. Robertson Is just ending q
big league career of ten years. He
had everything but never Dashed in
on his possibilities.
John McGraw, the most astute
manager in the game, took Robert
son as a green hand and spent sew
eral years trying to make a star
Of him.
Davy quit the game once or
twice, was transferred to the Cubs,
where he remained two or three
years, and then made another
change and bobbed up with the
f1ttsourgh Pirates. He came back
TO the Giants In 1921, but not as a
regular.
Robertson 90 just as good az he
wants to be-, McGraw often said.
He should have been as great as
Ty Cobb, but he lacks Cobb's snirit
ana ambition. He Is q splendid hit
ter and a good base runner and
nelder. His trouble Is lack of am.
bitton and his temperament. He Is
easily discouraged"
Robertson's chief difficulty was
solving the deliveries of Ieft.hand.
ed pitchers. He was a Ieft.handed
batsman, but his stance was goOT.
MS eye keen and he should have
ing. ' - p1'c"'
Day by day, as the saying goes
ne persuaded himself that ht
couldn't hit those left-handers
4dcGraW tried to overcome the fauII
py engaging left-handers to go mr.
70 the Polo grounds and work witt
hoooy In the morning practice. Sc
completely did Robertson ouft or
himself that he even refused to bal
against amateur southpaws.
No use, Mac" he would say Il
McGraW, I just KANT hit those
Even Babe Ruth fell a victim f.
2 wavering will power last season
When Ruth was busting his hom,
runs for new records he feared n.
pitcher. Left-hander or right-hander
ne walked up to the plate with tn,
confidence that he could hit. Tn,
pitchers sensed this. Ruth had i
on them"
Last season, when Ruth fell int
slump, he lost that confidence
DE swung too soon or too late an,
he pulled away from the plate, in
stead Of stepping into the ball. H
couldn't get his feet placed right
Pitchers lost their fear Of him.
They had it on him" and h
became just an ordinary batter
His failures got on his nerves
Probably he will never again re
gain that confidence that he los
last summer.