The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-07-20
FIVE TWIRLERS
BOAST SPECS
IN BIG LEAGUES,
Meadows Paves Way For Be-
specialized Pitchcrs-Oth-
erS Follow His Lead
BY BILLY EVANS

BY BILLY EVANS
Twenty years ago major league
managers looked with favor on six
foot pitchers only
scout who had the nerve to rec
ommend youngStcr, say five feet
SIX inches in height and weighing
perhaps 15O pounds, would be in dire
Danger of being dismissed by return
wire.
"Wee Willie" Sudhoff was one Of
the first pitchers built along the
above. lines who dsprovcd the fact
that height and weight were abso-
!utely necessary for success as big
league twirler. However, at thar
time. Sudhoff was regarded as
freak, turning a trick that few 9TH
ers Of his size could.
Change Opinions
VI late years most managers have
changed their opinions on the pitch
ing question, but even at that good,
big pitcher always gets more favor
able consideration than Il good, little
HEAVIER.
In the world series Of last fall,
Grover Cleveland Alexander and
Jesse Haines, two siX-footcrs, scored
the necessary victories to win Il
world championship for St. Louis.
While they were turning in victories.
Sherdel,; often called "Wcc Willie,'
was pitching just AS effectively but
losing because the breaks refused to
favor him.
While it might be wrong to class
lack of size as physical weakness,
there is no question but that defec-
tive vision should come under such
a classification.
While it took years to break DOWN
the barrier of size relative to prom
Using big league pitchers, it was
even more difficult for the bespec-
tacled player, pitchers in particular.
to get a chance. Old-timers would
have scoffed at the idea of a player
with weak eyes making the grade as
a big Lacquer:
Meadows Paves Way
Lee Meadows paved the way for
the bespectacled twirler. There are
in the big leagues today six athletes
who wear glasses in the performance
of their duties. Five of them are
pitchers, the other, Shortstop Topor-
Ger of St. Louis.
Since control is perhaps a pitchers
greatest asset, it would seem that
defective vision would handicp him
more than any other player. Forced
to get the ball over the 17-inch plate,
between knee and shoulder, weak
eyes loom as the worst possible all
ment; yet such is not the case.
1t is a rather strange coincidence
that the two best bcspectaclcd pitchi
ers in the game, Lee Meadows and
Carmen Hill, were on the same ball
club, Pittsburgh. Of the first 81
victories scored by that team, Mead
DDS contributed TO- losing only one
game, while Hills record un to that
time was nine victories and four de-
feats.
Strange Coincidence
There is an odd angle to Hills
connection with the Pittsburgh club.
Last year, Owen Bush, present man.
ager of the Pirates, piloted the In
team of the American As
ISOLATION. Hill was his star pitcher,
winning 81 while losing seven.
Bush sold him to Pittsburgh for a
sum reputed to have been $4,000.
At that time Bush hadn't the slight
est idea that he would be the next
manager of the Pirates.
1t is said Bush believed he had out
smarted Barney Drcyfus in the deal
as to price. Next, Bush finds him.
self manager of the club to which he
sold Hajl.t In the spring Hill was
slow starting put Bush felt that since
he took lot Of Pittsburgh's money
a thorough trial. 1t is fortunate that
he did.
Outside Of possibly Kremer. no
two members Of the Pittsburgh club
have done more to keep the Pirates
out in front than the bfspectacled
Meadows and Hill. They have broken
down for all time the big league
barrier relative to a physical weak
ness such as poor eyesight.
RADIO WAY (MnR,f }
[. Recent successful experiments in
in which persons were
seen in the act of telephoning by
the ones spoken to, are by no means
the end Of wonders that may be ac-
complished by the radio. To the com
trary, the widest dreams for it's de-
are not nonsense, said
Merlin H. Aylesworth, president of
the National Broadcasting company.
in an exclusive interview given to
the American Magazine for August.
cap of taking limitations for granted.
In radio and in pretty much every
thing else, the men who dare to
think most boldly, even most alb
surdly, have been more nearly RICH.
than those who have believed that
only the little things were possible"
said Mr.. Aylesworth.
Some Common Mistakes
"We know for certainty that big
things are just around the corner.
We expect that we shall live to See
motion pictures flashed onto the
even find way to break down food
into electrons and transmit them to
our kitchens by radio and there re-
assemble them for nourishment. This
sounds like the widest nonsense at
the moment but the radio itself
seemed like nonsense only = couple
of decades ago.
THE good sets are now 50 nearly
foo!-proof that almost anybody ought
to be able to get good results from
them. However, here are the three
most common mistakes: III Not
learning to tune the set properly so
as to shut out cross talk 90 Fore
ing sets to produce the last possible
bit Of volume: (3) Carelessness in
jarring or dropping what, is: Of
technical piece Of apparatus.
aS::.s igts RH.a the tube
(3l Keep antenna and leadin tight: =
al Keep AL connections tight and
clean: CD Leave the set alone and
lea Avnt -