Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-25

and present their line-ups . The
starting pitcher takes his place on the
mound.
And then, in these days of the lively ball. the
parade of the undertakerS starts to the bull pen.
The undertakers of base ball are the relief
pitchers who are called upon to work when the
game is going or gone. They spend their days
pitching whole ball games in the bull pen.
The parade of the undertakerS usually in
cludes a veteran pitcher or two, a rookie or Two
and a couple of catchers. Their errand is to
keep their arms warm and await the reckoning
signal from the manager on the bench.
There were famous undertakers in the days
before they injected the rabbit In the ball, but
in the strict sense of the word they were not
undertakers. They were starting pitchers, such
as Crandall and Ed Walsh, who were strong
enough to work out of turn and willing enough
to come to the rescue when the pitcher in the
box was in dire trouble.
But in these days managers look around for
veteran pitchers In the minor leagues and hire
them for the sole purpose of having them on
hand when one of the regular pitchers gets in
trouble. Their job most always consists in 60
ing out with the bases filled and the winning
run on third base and getting the blame for
losing the game.
In the old days the catcher who went out to
the bull pen with the pitcher had a soft after
noon. All he had to do was sit in the shade
ana pOnQer ABOUT tnIngS tlat ola not nave any
thing 10 do with the ball game. Then get up
when the word came from the bench and eaten
a few balls from the undertaken. But times
have changed.
Matty Matthews is the official warm-up
catcher for the New York Yankees. He goes
out to the bull pen every day with a whole
parade because the entire Yankee pitching staff
has been in a bad way all season and the regu-
lars have to be ready for the call just as the
relief pitchers are.
There's nothing to this job any MORE"
Matthews says. 1t used to be an easy job.
There was one time when it was a real job, but
that was before this lively ball started to scare
the pitchers and made the games so hot a
pitcher can't go nine innings.
There was a time when a pitcher had to
warm up only twice during the ball game. Once
in the first inning just to see II the pitcher got
started good and the second time coming into
the ninth to see if q pinch hitter would be sent
in for the pitcner. If the team was ahead you
didn't have to warm up the second time. But
now every time the batter gets a hit you have
to jump up from the bench and warm up"
CELEBRATED undertakers of recent years ir-
clude first Of all Wilcey Moore of the New
York Yankees and Fred Marberry of the Wash
ington Senators. 1t is generally agreed that
their work as relief pitchers won pennants tor
the two ball clubs.
There is some romance in the story of Wilcey
Moore. He was an old fellow, as ball players
are rated. and he had spent what he thought
were his best days, travelling around through
the small minor leagues. He had long lost his
ambition to make the big time and was resigned
to go back to the farm and pitch hay.
In the Winter of 1926 when the base ball
averages were published Ed Barrow, a shrewd
base ball man. was sitting in his office. He is
the business manager of the New York Yankees,
former president of the International League
and the man who, as manager of the Boston
Red SoX, turned Babe Ruth into an outfielder.
1t was a gray bleak day, such as only New
York can produce and there wasn't much doing.
Barrow was chatting with the base ball writers
who gather each afternoon in the Yank office
during the off season. He had the averages III
his hand, looking through them with a rather
bored expression, when suddenly he frightened
up.
Say, fellows, here's q guy that looks like
something he said. "A fellow named Moore.
Pitching for the Greenville Club in the South
Atlantic League. He was in Al games. Won 30
and lost 4. That's a punk league maybe, but
any fellow who wins 30 games and loses only 4
In any league is worth having a look at"
Barrow reached for q telegraph blank and
the offer of a contract for Moore was OH the
way to the Greenvillc club.
Moore was signed for $4,000 a year and ne
reported in great glee. He told Miller Higgins.
manager of the club, that he could throw a
Snker and DrOceodpd tn Droye II tn uuuoips,