Evening star., 1927-03-13
"CROSSINC UP" OPPOSING BATSMEN
\ ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESS OF HURLERS
RueI Asserts Johnson Is Not a Strike.Out Twirler
Although He Possesses Greatest Total OF
Whiffs Ever Amassed by Finger.


leon" The story explains why cur
ley' Ogden's service on the mound in
that game consisted of pitching to
only two batters, Fred Lindstrom and
frankie F'risch.
Few Realized Trick.
Harris has not received as much
Acredit in some quarters for the move
as he should. So cleverly and unos
tentatiously was it performed that
| few outside the members Of the two
contending teams realized the sigIlli1'
cance~ of the action.
AS you will recall. the teams were
! tied with three victories apiece and
speculation was rife as to who would
be nominated to hurl for the two aS'
gregations in the final contest.
Nearly every one figured that Harris
would send in a left-hander, prefer
ably George MorgTfdge, as southpaws
had been particularly SucceSsful
against the Giant sluggers and Mo-
gridge had not pitched for three days.
Great was the surprise, therefore
when Warren 'Curley" Ogden, a right
handler, and till then considered prin'
cipally as a relief pitcher for the
Senators, mounted the hurting hill. 1t
was his first appearance in the big
title games.
Harris. Switched Back.
! During the series John McGraw had
been alternating a pair of first base
men. George Kelly and Bill Terry, in
accordance with whether right
handed or a lefthanded pitcher was
working against his club. Kelly, a
right hand cluhber. would bat against
| the southpaws, while Terry. who
swung lefthanded. would play against
| the righthanders. Both had been
very effective with. their bats.
| Terry started tffe contest at first:
| base. but later In the game, after
Morgridge. southpaw. had succeeded
! Ogden in the box, Terry was with.
| drawn from the game and Kelly, who
| had been playing i'm centerfield, was
shifted to the initial sack.
| Ogden famed Lindstrom and passed
Frisch before giving way to Mogridge.
The Washington pitching shifted hack
to the righthanded variety in the sixth,
when Fred Marberry relieved Mog.
ridge and Walter Johnson, also a
| rigftiiander, followed Marberry to the
box in the ninth.
| Despite his short stay In the
pitchers box, "Curiey'' played an i'm.
II
| it we'll For had Manager Harris not
started a righthander in the box Me-
Graw would undoubtedly have opened
| the ssfrne with Kelly on first base and
Terry in reserve. There were num-
| Der of situations which developed later
| in the game, after the Senator pitch
| ing had changed othe righthHnded
variety, when a good lefthand slugger.
such as Terry, might have won the
contest for the Giants.
McGraw Is Outgeneraied.
But on this occasion the youthful
in his starting lineup in game with
the veteran and when McGraw might
have wished the services of Terry they
were not available.
Ty Cobb, ex-Tiger manager, an.
nounced a pitcher as second baseman
4 In his starting lineup In a game with
| the Red Sox a few years ago. The
move was' intended to prevent any
such predicament as McGraw found
himself in.
| AS you know; before the start of a
big league game the opposing man.
ayers are required to furnish the uln-
pire with their team Iine-ups Lee
Foi1l, Sox piiot, had been warming up
| two pitchers, one s0uthpaw, the other
rigaathander. Cobb, did not know
which finger would finally be selected
| to pitch for the Sox. The game was
| played In Boston, therefore Detroit
| was due to bat first.
Ty was using two second basemen
in much the same manner that Nc
Graw has employed Kelly and Terry.
Buck Burke, youngster, hits left.
handed. while Derrili Pratt. the vet.
IL. IL -a.&A 4. n IL.
Pitcher Never Batted.
Accordingly, Manager Cobb placed
| Lii Stoner, a fwirler, in his lineup as
keystone guardian. Stoner didn't get
ciTancs to bat in the first inning and
when the Tigers took the field Del
Pratt went to second, as Lefty Fuhr
was pitching for the Boston club.
Later in the game, when George Muir
ray, Charlie Rufflng and Alex FerEu.
son, all righthanders, took turns on
the firing line, Burke succeeded Pratt
| in the field and at bat.
| OF course pitcher must haYe good
control in order TO successfully battle
with the opposing batters. If a twirler
hasn't at least fair control he cannot
| hope TO write his name on the winning
| side Of the ledger, II a boxnaan has to
shoot that bali through the center OF
the plate, straight as string" with
the count three and two: If he has to
serve that cripple" so-called, all his
previous efforts have been in vain.
Johnsom's Fine Control.
Walter Johnson almost always has
excellent control and this is one reason
why he has been so effective in his boz
work Fits control also acts as q tonic
on his own teammates, while working
| In reverse fashion upon the opposing
club. We Know that when Barney
| is in there the game is going to be well
| taken care of, because we know that
the Speed King can shoot that ball just
! about where he wishes.
| When Walter is in real form and has
his old-time stuff on the ball the weak
ness of the opposing batsman does not
enter into his pitching plans enough
to watch the batting order II is mere
ly question of how many runs the
| Senator'S will tally. Only on days
when he is not ready does he apply ali
| his knowledge of opposing hitters, and
| with his ready control, he is generally
effective.
He is not strikeout pitcher, al.
though he has famed more batters
during his career than any big league
| hurier who ever lived It is not Bar.
ney's" intention TO fan every batter
who faces him. He merely throws
straight balls, with an occasional
--strike--ball--and so forth, with
no intention other than TO let the bat
/ ters hit. regardless OF whether they
are good or po,or hitters. Nor would
;, a base hit other than make him smile.
But ii is. corking to see him pull his
belt and his cap and go to work when
hits have put the game in danger. Op
posing stars, such as Ruth. Speaker
('oflfl Eddie Collins and SisleY. for in