Evening star., 1925-12-27

NC had tor them.
There is not club i'll either ma
TO get good pitchers The trouble is
what has been shown in 1925. are n
Young >terS. but there are no p1tche
speed, or even wide curves.
This would he the heyday again for
curve pitching Of a high type If there
were curve pitchers who could show
~ thing lat too many - the younger
generation have been brought up on
the idea that freak delivery IS better
than the old-fashioned theories of
sound pitching. Instead of trying to
confine themselves to the curve ball
and hat which they could gain by per
faCting it, they fool with the knuckle.
the fork, the snap back and other de-
liverieS which must depend upon
certain uncommon grip Of the ball and
which do not last from year TO year,
as the curve lasts.
Yanks Ready 10 Spend.
StilI another drawback 10 the freak
deliveries is that the best of those who
U~e them cannot count upon them day
after day as reliable. one afternoon
the l1nuckle ball as it is called. will
work beautifully and another IL
Strikes" and refuses to do any work.
Either New York club would will
iuCly eNpend $50 600 or more To secure
two thoroughly reliable pitchers who
were young enough 10 give promise of
work for a least 10 years, That Is
why the Mathewson Johnson. Cy
Young brand Of pitchers We're of such
value 10 the clubs with which they
were connected. Not only WaPre they
good pitchers. hut they lasted.
The Chicago Nationals would not
hesitate minute 10 put out S50.0o0 if
they could get two pitchers of the type
nj MordeCai Brown. or even overall or
Reulbach. for that matter. If they
were pitchers of the Overall Reulbach
type. with several years in trent Of
them
The cincinnati club and the Brook
lyn club Of the National League are
fairly we'll fixed for pitchers. but they
could use others. The White SoX are
better off for pitchers than they We're.
hut If they We're certain of two 20
game winners in 1926 in addition to
the pitchers they have they could
begin To think about getting prom
inently in the race, because they were
settled third most Of last season.
Browns Need HurIers.
Two good pitchers almost surely
would put the st. Louis Americans
on their feet and make them more
dangerous than they seem TO he now.
and Detroit and Cleveland could use
pitchers although both Of them are
less ready on the infield than in the
box
Ehmke can command almost any
Price hat the Boston Americans
might ask for him. but there is very
- I,.,. l.
from Boston
both leagues who should come along
very fast in 1926 Greenfield nf the
Giants Is one md Reinhart of the st.
Louis Nationals another, While Gray
of the Athletics will he very bis
factor in the next years work if his
arm is good and if his luck is better
thar it was in 1928.
If Ruth were worth N15o,00" as a
speculative venture To the New York
Americans, a pitcher of the type OF
Johnson and Mathewson would he
worth fully as much. and that is an
enormous sum TO pay for a pitcher.
because he cannot play in l54 games
annually. as can an outfielder like
Ruth.
Would Assure Title.
il eicl pI the IN ma 1Dl lGtS ue tiulbS
could command the services "f two
men like DaZZy Vance. the champion
ship of the major leagues in 1926
would become the keenest fought in
the history of base ball.
In the old days. before there We're
two major leagues, the Baltimore and
New York clubs. first and second in
the race. PLAYED for the Temple cup
after the National League sea son.
The Baltimore club Won the pennant.
but the New York club won the Tenn
ple Cnp. The Baltimore club also
won the pennant and the Cleveland
club won the Temple cup in the Bal
timore Cleveland series. and in both
cases it was the pitching that had
the greater influence on the games as
they We're played
New York was able to pui Rusic
md Meellin against Baltimore. and the
latter team. champions though they
were. could not hit them. When
Cleveland played Baltimore in the
Temple Cup series it was Young and
Cuppy who mar}e the Baltimoreans
bite the dust.
Thus in lea que race il could hap
nen that as the year was drawing
n 2 close. or in an important series
when the prospects might favor 4
certain team. il would he compelled Il
face a club with two pitchers who
were very strong against its Darticu
lar hatters and being unable to over
come the pitching would suffer defeat
and fall.