The Washington times., 1929-10-23
By Bob Shawkey
oy OUU 111""A0J
Manager of the New York Yankees
As Told to Ford c. Frick

Manager of the New York Yankees
As Told to Ford c. Frick
As a youngster, I never
thought, of becoming a big
league ball player. Maybe
that's unusual.
It seems to be a sort of accepted
tradition. that all kids dream of be-
coming big league ball players. just
like they dream of being soldiers, or
engineers, But I didn't. In fact, l
never knew there was such a thing
as big leagues.
Looking back now, figure per
11aps that was a good thing. NOT
knowing about big league BAN
e. players as a kid, I was not nervous
abou. them later.
Most young ball players. 1t
seems to me, make two great
mistakes.
As YOUNGSTERS they adopt some
3avorite player as their own and try
10 ape him in everything ne ooes-
usually without any knowledge e2
cept what they may read IN tnS
newspapers or pick, up 1lrst manu-
from a seat in the bleachers:
The result is that when they 90
get their real chance they have a
lot of rnisinformation to forget.
1ot of over.emphasized notions and
actions that they have to unlearn
heforA thew are even ready to start
the business of playing big league
baseball.
There's another serious danger to
most kids. too. That is overplay-
ing. In their dreams of big league
greatness and their ambitions Tor
baseball success they work too haru
and too much.
The average boy isn't strong and
the constant strain of overplay mas
ruined more arms and DESTROYED
more potential ball players than
anything I know.
I was rather fortunate In
that way. [ never took base
ball seriously as a boy, and
never did any pitching until l
was fairly well grown. 1t was
funny the way / happened to
turn to pitching.
was playing ball with an anna
teur club around my home IN
Brookville, Pa. I was a first base
man then-a kid with sort OF
natural ability to throw a fast ball.
An older fellow was pitching lor
us, but one day he took sick ana
I went in there.
was wild as halter. but my
fast ball had the other fellows
swinging. I sort Of drifted into
the pitchers job. .,
Even then I never gave pitching
any really serious thought, and
didn't until Warren Cook, friend of
mine, asked me If I'd be interested
in attending the Slippery Rock Nor
nal School near Grove City. He
said he would pay my tuition If 1
would 60 down for the spring terms.
7 went.
There really started in as a
pitcher and during the college sea
SON I won eleven games and lost
none.
have to laugh now when I think
about it. Just d green country kid.
I knew nothing Of pitching except
throwing that ball. The first time
the coach saw me pitch he watched
for a. minute, then came over to me.
rs that the motion you use when
you're pitching" he asked.
Sure that's the way I throw" l
replied.
He took me in hand at once,
Whether the average fan appreci-
ates it or not, lot of a pitchers
success depends on his motion. Most
kids throw only with the arm.
Properly coached they can get their
body into the throw and put more
zip on their fast ball and make
their curve break better and with
less strain on the arm.
That coaching at Slippery Rock
Normal was the first ever had. And
it was the sort OF coaching that l
needed and that every kid needs. The
coach knew his business. He started
in teaching me proper motion
which is most important thing in
the beginning-more than all the
fast balls and all the trick curves
in the world.