The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-03-12

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As for pitching him high ball
or low ball. pitcher was vast
| ing his time trying to figure 1t out.
! Iaioie would reach all around tie
batters' box and hit the ball from
almost every position. I've seen
him reach so far outside that he
nearly tumbled in a heap, and yet
he'd drive the ball safe. One time
in a game against the Red Sox,
Lajoie was batting and with run
ner on first base the signal was
given to steal. Joe Wood told me
he deliberately pitched the ball as
Tar out as was safe for the
catcher's glove. honing to catch the
runner going down.
But the big Frenchman didn't
stop at pitch-outs," said Smoky
Joe. "He just leaned across In
front of the catcher, and the last
i saw Of the bah il was disap-
pearing over the sc0reb0ard.
have seen Babe Ruth knock homo
runs or safe hits on balls that
were Intentionally bad, but LajOie
made q practice Of Il.
Ny plan against him was veIv
simple. When Lajoie came to bat,
/ simply pitched for the heart OF
the plate. There wasn't any use
trying to fool him. He'd make up
his mind which ball he was going
TO hit before you pitched, and no
matter where It was, he'd swing at
Ii. II you were lucky he'd miss.
That's all. He had such long arms
and used such a long bat that he'd
20 after balls another batter would
ignore Lajoie was simply q won
der at hitting bad balls.
Nv second game in the league
was against Cleveland and Lajoie
failed to get a hit. He didn't like
NV side-arm delivery. he would
always shift his feet as was wind
ing up. and as the ball left my
hand. he would move toward the
bah, almost I'm a waltz.
After pitching to him several
wames. in which was pretty lucky,
he said: 'I like to bat against
your pitching, boy, but / wish
you'd cut out that crazy side-arm
swing" He didn't like It a little
Bit and told me so many times.
Iajoie was a wonderful place nit
ter. He took q sharp swing and
could drive q bali to any field. HIS
drives were wicked. but he hit few
long fIys, rather meeting the ball
on top. He was absolutely inuiffer-
ent as to lefthanders or righthanders
and he il the only batter ever saw
face all kinds OF pitchers without
looking bad on a single occasion.
Flat-footed Sam Crawford. OF the
detroit Tigers, win always be my
idea OF the great slugger. Say, I'D
1fIra RI have soe51 Crawford hating
against the lively ball. He was
terrible hard hitter, and swung from
the lefthand side of the plate. Sam
always picked out particular ball
10 hit. but he had no special favorite,
except that he would seldom go after
bad balls Ike Lajoie. He guarded
his bats carefully and in fact WAS
cranky on the subject. 1 liked his
bats and used them whenever / got
A chance. After each season Sam
took his bats home and kept them
IN the cellar during the winter
season.
think Crawford was one Of
bAsebaIPs most unluclxy batters.
IN Sans day, q ball was used un-
III Il was almost black with dirt.
He had no bright, white balls for
= target that the sfuggerS get to-
day. He was a slugger on the
type Of Ruth, except that he did
. not raise . ball.
I had only been pitching in the
American League about fifteen
minutes. when Sam Crawford dem
onstrated his smuggling ability by
knocking my fast ball for a home