New Britain herald., 1927-06-11
(BY BILLY EVANS)

Al Thomas of the Chicago White SoX threatens to be the pitching sensation of the American league. if not the majors, this season. With ten victories in his first 13 starts. he is well on his way to that dis tinction.
 Unquestionably, Thomas has the best fast ball of any young pitcher that has broken into the big leagues in years. As a matter of fact, he is employing a fast ball almost ex- clusively in setting the American league batters on their heads.
 I have umpired several games back of Thomas this year in which he hasn't pitched more than a half dozen curve balls. It has been case of fast ball after fast ball, with an occasional change of pace mixed in to throw the batsman off his stance.
 Thomas has successfully employed such a system against hard hitting clubs like the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers, noted for liking fast ball pitching.
 During c2 years in the majors, I have only seen three pitches able to use their fast ball so much and get away with it. namely Walter John- son. Eddie Cicotte and Al Thomas.
 Wa1t,r Inbnc,n b,I tho speed ever developed by pitcher when he broke into the majors. Literally, he threw the ball past the batters. Cicotte. through trickery in doctoring the ball, got a hop on his fast ball that made it almost unhittable. I have worked games in which Cicotte used nothing but fast balls from beginning to end.
 Now that Al Thomas has joined this fast trio. it would seem he had something out of the ordinary in the way of speed to get by with it as he does.
 Take a look at the ball"
 When Thomas is pitching. the um- pre gets that request score of times during a ball game, when some batsman takes healthy cut at a fast one and misses i, by a wide margin.
 There is no getting away from the fact that Thomas can sail his fast ball. Often it works inside or out side and at other times has a per ceptible hop on it. So it is only natural. when batters who have a penchant for hitting speed swing in vain. that they request an investi- gation, to determine. as Nick AL trock would put it, If the ball is inferior"
 While there are some batters who insist Thomas is manipulating the ball Tn some manner to get the break on his fast one. I cannot agree with them. I have seen him sail a brand new ball as easily as one that has been in play for several innings.
 Thomas has a peculiar side-arm delivery It has been my observa- tion that pitchers using such a style. get just a little more on the fast ball than the ordinary pitcher. Thomas fast ball breaks very much as did AleNander's back in 1915 or thereabouts, when he was at the top of his game
 Last season Thomas won IS games and lost 1o, q pretty good record for rookie. He lost many q tough game through bad breaks. Inci- densally, wildnoss handicapped him He gave 1l0 bases on balls in olo innings of pitching, being the second widest pitcher in the league. On the other hand hc struck out on an average of five per game, which gives some idea of his effectiveness,
 If Thomas continues 10 pitch as effectively as he has in his first 1: starts, he has a great chance to lead the American league pitchers. One Of his three defeats in his first IS games was four-hit game In which the tail-end Boston Red Soy punched three of the safetics in the first inning for two runs. just enough to win.
 Keep your on Al Thomas of chicago. christened Alphonse. who doesn't believe in letting George do it. His pitching performances are sure to interest you.