Evening star., 1927-03-13
CHAPTER ".
BATTLE or PITCHER AND
BATTER,
ny HEROLD tAITDDYl RTEL.

So BATTER,
ny HEROLD tAIUDDY1 RCEL.
TN the preceding articles I have dis
cussed Walter Johnson's smoke
ball and have given some reasons
A why a man 40 years of age can
Still stand on even footing with
Youngsters of q. But there Is more
TO pitching than merely the possession
of n lightning. fast ball or sharp
breaking curve. In the present chap
Ter / will try to tell YOU how these
arts arc employed by the big show
hurlers in attaining success in their
chosen profession.
Try to Find Weakness.
Pitching, like legerdemain, depends
in great measure for its success upon
the principle of keeping the other fel-
low guessing. also in giving the batter
the hall he doesn't like to hit against
and in Withholding that which is his
alley"
The batter looks for a fast ball and
4 he IS served a hook" a slow hall or
q splitter: he prays for one low and m
( side, and instead he sees the ball go
whistling over the outside corner.
Perhaps he is a rookie, facing the
nitcher for the first time. Let us sup
nose that he steps forward and whacks
that outside pitch high up into the
bleachers for home run or sends
n shooting through one of the ur1.
guarded spaces in the inf1eid All
right. There are no words of condera.
nation passed between pitcher ana
catcher They were merely tiyinE>out
the newcomer. The chances are tnat
the next time the hatsman viii get
one high and inside or low and inside.
If he gmacks that one also. he'll prob
ahIv l)e served a totally different sort
of ball on his third trip TO the plate.
Eventually, if he has a weakness.
! Il will be discovered by the watchtul
pair working together TO keep his hits
down. His strong forte will also be
noted and guarded against
Explains Slump of Kids.
This is why so many youngsters
breaking into the fast set gel away
with hefty batting averages IN the
first few weeks Of the season, onIy 10
Cron in percentage as the Summer au-
yances to Fall. Their strong and weak
points were unknown to their oppo-
i1ents when they first strode up to the
plate swinging their trusty war clubs.
But wherever they go, around the Dig
league circuit, their every action at
the home platter is being watched py
at least two pairs of vigilant eyes,
those OF the opposing battery. Gen-
".
his first swing around the CIRCUIT his
hating strength and weakness have
been pretty well catalogued.
Practically every ball player has
some ball which he likes particularly
to swing on, and, likewise, there is one
bah which he can't hit as Wen. Some
stars. such as Babe" Ruth, for IN
stance. will, however. strike out on
"a certain type of pitch on one oc-
casion and almost tear the cover OF
the next one OF similar nature Whlcn
Is served to them.
Crossing Them Up.
This matter Of studying the batter
strong and weak points is one or the
most interesting in base ball, as. wen
as one of the most important. Tn lI
and on the ability to outgness the opr
nnsing hitter often depends the suc-
cess or failure of twirler and many
an old-timer. with but a senblarice or
his former speed, coasts by, year AFTER
year, pulling through with has KNOW
edge Of his opponents weaknesses,
his ability to pitch 70 them and 20
s.cross up" the opposition.
Tver.v batter presents an individual
nroi1le1n. What is "one mans meat
Is another mans poison aptly ap'
niles In base ball pitching. For IN
stance. hitters of the type OF BaDe
Ruth. Harry Heilmann and Tony
Jazzeri, long distance clubpefs, VINO
swing heavily, can at times De Iooiea
by slow balls. On the other hand. II
you fed a "hoater TO Edale ~, Soinils' H,ls,
George Sisler or Johnny MostH the
chances are they'd drive it down your
throat or lose the ball for YOU.
or course the main advantage or a
varied pitching repertoire ls IN pos
eessing the knack of using 1t cor
rcctlv to get the most out OF t Al
yoit telegraph" what you are EolhG
10 throw every time you draw your
arm hack you're fooleng nobody but
,.n,,rseIf and vouli find your major
league career strewn with frequent
Z base hits. while your service under
the big tent won't be very long one
How Quinn "TeIegraphed."
I believe a minor league manager
once told Jack Quinn that he'd never
be a successful pitcher until ne
learned To throw curve wltnout
sticking out his thumb every time he
threw it, Jack was "telegraphing"
his pitches. This was 20 years ago,
before Quinn had developed his we'll
kna1vn "spitter" Needless to state,
Jack has learned to cover up his
pitches since those days.
The late Pat Moran. beloved man
azer OF the Phillies and later OF the
Cincinnati Reds. once told Grover
Cleveland. so | am told that Alex
would never be a big league pitcher
tin he learned TO conceal his curve
Ii was in the Spring training camp
of the Philadelphia club in 1911 that
pat took the Youthful Alexander aside
and gave him some good advice on the
art Of covering up his delivery.
Alex had just been graduated from
the mirors To the fast set. Pau, you
know was a catcher during his active
nlayinc career and he coached as well
as caught many an ambitious rookie
finger Alex responded readily 10
Pats sage advice and soon established
himself as one Of the greatest pltcners
in the National League. Wouldn I
Pat Moran have been pleased II ne
could have sat in the Yankee STADIUM
last Fall and watched Alexander
cover himself with glory In the
World Series with the Yankees
Low Ball. Inside, Popular.
The majority of batterss would
ratl,er hit against low bali inside.
OF course against "a batSman or TINS
sort the pitchers first duty is TO see
that the bat-swinEer doesn't get one
of those balls, give him what ne
doesn't want-then proceed TO attempt
20 outguess him by mixing up ms
pitching offerings.
Barring accidental base hits. which
happen occasionally, the poorer bat
tels hits Just one ball well, while hit.
ters like Cobb. Speaker. Ruth and
Eddie Collins can successfully hit
against more varied balls.
Left handed batters, as class. do
not hit as well against the southpaw
brand OF pitching, for some reason,
but there are exceptions TO every rule.
They don't send pinch hitters mp for
TIC Cnlaia, "Rahe,' Ruth or Iris Speak.