San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-04
Billy Evans Says:

| Billy Evans Says:
1 have often been asked il it isn't
far more difficult to umpire balls and
strikes when some star pitcher is work
ing than with couple of average
twirlers doing the hurting.
The impression prevails that it is
much more difficult to judge the curves
and speed of the truly great pitchers.
The fact that the star pitchers are
usually very troublesome to the batter
creates the belief that they are equally
severe on the umpire.
It may occasion some surprise when
/ say that a majority of the great
pitchers of the game are easy to UNI
pire. j can offer any number of argu-
ments to substantiate such 4 state
ment.
First: Most of the great pitchers
have such confidence in their ability
that n miscue on the part of the UNI
pire doesn't mean thing TO them. Miss
a perfect strike on some star and
ninety-nine times out of hundred he will
pass it by unnoticed. Miss a strike on
some ordinary twirlcr and he will in all
probability let the world know it.
Second: Practically every great
pitcher has good control. Good con.
troll means much less work for the
umpire. The star pitchers invariably
have the batter in the hole, forcing
him to hit. The ordinary pitcher
who is constantly working on the bats
man in an effort to make him hit a
bad ball. is usually in the hole. The
batter is working on him. That means
trouble for the umpire.
Third: Batters as a rule do not
seem quite as fussy when some star
is pitching ms with the ordinary twirler
working. They seem TO take it for
granted that the star should be able
to fool them, but they question the
right Of some "busher" to get a strike
past them.
It is just like day off when called
upon to work for pitchers Of the
Mathewson. johnson, Brown, Bender
type. On the other hand. il you draw
some "busher" who is wild. thereby con-
stantly in the hole, you have a days
work ahead of you. Likewise, il you
get some "crabby" veteran, whose stuff
is fast fading, and who is hanging on be-
cause of his wise old head rather than
his good old arm, you are a busy per-
son.
There are some star pitchers who
make plenty of work. For instance.
if Stanley Covelcskie is pitching for
Cleveland and Urban Shocker for st.
Louis, the umpire is set for a tough
day.
Coveleskie starts with n spitball and
finishes with one. to use the words of
the rest of the American League Cove
lcskie has varied assortment Of spit
tiers. all breaking in a different manner.
Calling 'em too quick on COVE is
fatal. for often in the last six feet the
ball takes its deceptive break.
Few pitchers in baseball mix them
un more than ShockPr of st. Louis.
First he slips the batter n spitball,
then he comes back with slow curve
then a fast one. next n different sort
of n splitter, followed up by a flOater
that seems to hang in the air on its way
TO the plate. Shockcr means work not
only for the batter but umpire ms we'll.
Carl Mays gives the umpire n days
work. Carl is hard to please. In adj
dition. his undcrhand ball is kept con
Stantly at the knee to be effective. The
low ball is the difficult delivery for
the umpire TO judge.
Then again. when considering how
difficult il is for the batsman to
Judge the offerings Of the star pitcher.
remember that he must hit the ball.
while the umnire merely has TO pass
judgment on il.
would much prefer working n dozen
ball games with Walter johnson doing
the pitching than one game in which two
recruits were on the rubber.
-
Made II n Rnce,
A crowd Of thirsty tourists discovered IN