Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-12
MARBERRY'S CASE
AN ILLUSTRATION
Moriarty Cites Incident in
New York-Heavy Scores
Also Tell Tale.
BY GEORGE MORIARTY,
BIC I.earile IImpire

THERE seems little doubt among
players that the base ball is
livelier. 1 have discussed this
with about 20 players in the
last month, and all agree that
The ball carries more dynamite than
the first type of lively ball.
The ball cannot possibly be made
any faster without ruinous effect In
a recent nine-inning game between
Brooklyn and Philadelphia, 10 pitchers
saw service, seven for Brooklyn. A few
days later the ST. Louis Cardinals piled
up % runs while their opponents made
six. The Chicago Cubs won eight
straight games from the Cardinals,
making a total of rs runs, or an aver
age of 9l2 a fracas.
The Cardinals made SO runs, an
average of nearly five a game, yet they
failed to win a single contest. Five
runs a game in the old days was con-
sidered pennant gait.
Marberry Is Cannonaded.
At the Yankee Stadium recently
Marherry, speed ball merchant of the
Washington staff barely escaped Teri-
GUS injury. In the first inning Combs
and Gehrig shot back line hits at the
finger, and in each instance the game
was suspended to allow Marberry to
recover.
The other day at Cleveland a batter
hit one back at Red Faber of the White
Sox. with injurious effect. The fact
that infielderS are also complaining
about the speed of the ball as it Streaks
through the diamond recalls a story
about Rube Lutzke former third base
man for Cleveland. LutZke by the way,
was one of the best defensive third
baSemen ever in major ranks.
few years ago two of the Yankees
heavy artillery rifled successive hits off
IutzkeS Shins. To show it was not
accidental Meusel came up and slashed
third bone breaker through Lutzke' S
helpless defense. On the way to the
bench after the inning the Cleveland
pitcher, in a sympathetic vein, said TO
Iutzke
You're not hurt, are you. Rube?"
No" responded Lutzke, but I was
safer in the war;"
Brings New Plays.
Regardless of criticism, the lively ball
has been the means of introducing a
few new features. One is the "tag-up''
play When first base is occupied and
an exceedingly long fly is hit, the alert
runner returns 10 the Dag ana SprlntS
to second after the ball is caught. 1t
Is usually close and affords plenty OF
speculation and excitement until the
play is finished. The play was not pos
Sible in the old DAYS when outfelders
safely could play closer to the infield
The other play is the squeeze" when
two are out. 1t is feasible with the
lively ball because the unsuspecting
third baSeman plays unusually deep at
this stage of proceedings. OF course.
these plays lack enough merit to offset
various other scientific features the
electric" ball has eliminated
The livelier ball may eventually re-
suit in a revision of the rule that now
bars Spitball pitchers. Almost all man.
ayers and players 1 have talked with
about this favor the spitters coming
back into the pitching fold. It is
thought that fresh crop of spitball
artists should aid materially in stopping
the murderous ba tiers who now swing
the bludgeons with such ruinous effect.
This opinion is based upon the un-
usual success of the few remaining
damp fingers in the ma jorS, such as
Grimes. Quinn, Faber and Mitchell.
The minors have many ordinary pitch
ers who might become consistent win
ners over night by adopting the wet
delivery as speciality.
tCopyright, 1920