Evening star., 1923-08-26

Is there any wonder that young
pitcher loses his grip, expecting to be
hauled from the box at any minute"
The managers won't give a fellow
a real chance any more" said a young
National League pitcher today. They
take him out the moment there are.
two runners on d base. How in the
thunder is man ever going to be
pitcher in this league or any other
II he can't pitch a nine inning game
IF / get one man on first ! begin
to worry. ] don't know what the guy
who runs the team will do if l get
two on bases, and I'm more worried
over that than ] am over losing"
Change Them Often.
That apparently is the consensus IF
opinion among young pitchers. -
least Signs of the managers deter
mination to put new blood into the
game at the first sign OF d crisis were
noticed at the beginning of the sea
son. The season began on April II.
Between then and May l in the Ma
tional League there were twenty
eight instances in which a manager
used two pitchers in game. There
were eighteen instances when three
pitchers Were used eight instances
when four pitchers were used. anG
once when five We're used. In III"
American League there were twenty
four instances when two pitchers
We're trotted out. On fourteen oCca-
SionS three We're used. on five oECa-
sions four were sent in and once six
were thurst into the game.
\ pitcher walked off the diamond
one day at St. Louis head down. nut
tering to himself, As he passed some
of the opposing players they yelled
out in cheerful sympathy:
Out again?"
"Out again. he replied. Yes, who
in Kingdom Come can ever play
ball game for that fat head? He
won't let you go nine innings. He
has ruined more pitchers than IL
would take to patch Texas from Dal-
las TO Ell Paso."
The despoiler of pitchers IS a we'll
known major league manager.
OId-Timer il Amazed.
'They can't play ball as well as
we did" he said. That team in the
field hasn't got a pitcher with con-
fdence enough in his own ability. t.
pick oranges in wint-rtlme IN"
minute they get two balls on ~"
batter they begin to have palpitation
of the heart. And when they get
man on first they watch the bench
and not the batter. They don't play
ball with any bravery any more
They pass the buck from one pitcher
to another, and the guy who gets IL
last is scared stiff for fear the loss
of the game will be charged to him
And probably it will be. 1t amt
mans game; it's the game OF VINO
gets tagged last"
Figures tend to bear out his con
tentions There are only three pitch
ers in base ball today-Ehmke,
Grimes and AleNander-who nave
pitched a score or more OF cofhplG1'
nine-inning games. and hot one io
has pitched twenty five.
II never expect to finish a game.
said one pitcher recently, and a sra
pitcher, too. The man | work Tor
won't let me. He hasn't any col
by instinct. not a base ball manag.f-
He wants a fresh deck whenever the
cards break a little against him anu
the fresh deck is a new pitcher lie
nine inning reputation. If the LEAD
against you sets too big, your team.
instead of itching in and trying 70
reverse matters, expects you 10 De
taken out md plays on the de-
fenSive.
Way Hurlers View 1t.
Three pitchers recently were warm
ing UP. They were down in the
corner of the field.
Whitley, you a-goin' to pitch"
another player asked.
MY customary an reg lar fSe IN
nin's." was Whitey's reply.
Fine state of mind for a pitcher!
The players were sitting on the
bench before a game.
Get in there. Jim. and warm up"
the manager commanded. And you.
Smithy and Charley, go down and
warm up in the bull uen, SO you'll
be ready If I want you"
That's it. Send one pitcher out
to pitch and send two more out to
get ready to take his place.
The game of pitching today is the
greatest little old game of pass the
buck" from pitcher to manager to
nitcher in the history of team snort
Copyright. 1927