The Washington times., 1929-02-28
AIM
Of GR|FF
PILOT
By R, d. Thomas

TAMPA, Fla, Feb. 2S.--A
belief that the rabbit ball will
be abolished or at least tanned
is one of the reasons Walter
johnson will try to develop
the fastest team afoot in the
American League.
The Griffmen's manager is firmly
that a, return to seieif'
tific baseball, in which ingenious
pitching and smart base running
will be given more Importance than
now, is contemplated by the powers
that be. so he declared today.
Nobody has mentioned it," said
the man who can see lots OF things
from a pitchers viewpoint, "Du!
/ have a hunch that the ban viii
be changed. We've been told that
nothing ever has been done win
It but / know better. So do AL
the others who played with the
old ball. And by making the thing
SO lively they haven't helped the
game"
Omitting to give his opinion
"a to why the sport hasn't been
improved. except that clever.
ness has been mlnimized, Wal
ter went on:
1--WE have a collection of un
usually fast men and we hope
to take full advantage of their
speed. One of the smartaSt base
stealers I've ever known, Clyde
Milan, will be in there showing
the boys all he knows. There art
many tricks in stealing bags anc
Milan. believe. knows them all
we have that in plenty
THE pitcher hasn't had much Of 9
chance to show his smartness since
the rabbit ball came IN. What usee
to be an easy fly is now home rur
over the fence. And many a ball hi
on the ground that would have beer
almost soft for an infielder is too hot
to handle. In the last few years I've
seen a number of base hits result
from a batter trying to get out o.
the way of a pitched ball. The bai
and ball collided by accident.
There is happy medium in thu
liveliness of a ball as concerns batter
and pitcher and I believe the pitchel
is getting the worst of it. So is thu
fielder. The smart fielding play. ir
the infield or outfieId, is about al
punchy as a basehsG. both to thu
player and the fan.
81 honestly believe that the
game as played with the rabbit
ball is not as interesting as it
was when basehit called for
solid smash, when a stolen base
was generally important, when a
home run was something for fel-
lows to write about"
Johnson hopes to develop a cracl
pitching staff. He has spotted sev
eral youngsters who, he says, hands
themselves" like pitchers.
One is 22-year-old Ad Lisks
Another is Lloyd Brown, %, VIII
was with the Griffs last year, bu
was handicapped by sore arm:
Brown" said Waiter, has ha
some tough luck. But apparently
it hasn't discouraged him. He wa
here a month ahead of the res
of us and he has been working lik
a beaver to get in shape. So ia
as general physical condition is COZ
cerned, he looks great. hadn'
noticed him much until we cam
here but / have been told that h
has a world of stuff.
eff he can learn to use 1t
right we'll probably make him
a starting pitcher. We need
another one"
Johnson has little regard for tn
finger with "a world of stuff bu
who doesn't know how to use 1t.
He mentions a number of pitcher
who have little" but are maxim
good in the big show. -.
Just as Willie Keeler advised
"Hit 'em where they amt" Johl
son. on the other side. says: "Pl
'em where they can't" And tn
intelligent pitchers-but the boy
who can throw a yard-wide curv
and a quick-hopping fast one witt
out iudgment-are the winner
says he.
"Almost every batter has
groove" says the big train, IAN
| if YOU stick a curve or a fast or
/ in there he will hit it. The rel
art of pitching lies in putting th
ball over the plate outside of til
batter's groove.
"The young pitcher. just COM
ing up to the major league,
isn't always easily convinced
Of this. He's been used to
thrOwin' 'em past batters In
the minors. Some of those
with the most stuff fail the
quickest. They refuse to take
veteran catcher's tips ON
batters' weaknesses. They don't
pitch-they throw"
One of the most uncertai
auesses in big time baseball
whether a pitcher will make goo
saws Griff's new boss. But he pr
diets success for Brown and Lisk
To quote him again: "They loe
like pitchers"
Iiska signed his contract on
last night. He and Clark Griffith
keener of the Washington ba
| clubs money bags. were in a tw
| hour huddle.