Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-22
GREATEST PITCHER
STAR EVER FACED
Rogers Considers Lively Ball
Responsible for SIugging
Nowadays.
BY ROGERS HORNSBY.

ANOo1Ae0 AAOAsANoOAs
(Copyrisht. 1929. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance)
HERE are two questions I have
been asked many times in re-
cent years, and / can't answer
Il either of them with any as
surance of being correct.
/. Who was the greatest pitcher
you ever faced?
2. Are pitchers today better or
worse than 10 or IL years ago?
Taking up the first question, all l
can say Is that 1 always have rated
Grover Cleveland Alexander as the
best moundsman of my time. Mathew
son was about through when l came
up. 1 batted against him only few
times.
/ don't doubt some one might prove
to me, if figures were available, that
more than one among the many other
pitchers of that period established bet
ter records against me than Alec, that
that can't change my feeling.
When I first made good In the
majors, in 1916, Alec. Was already at
the top of them all in the record book.
and perhaps, for that reason. caused me
to have a wholesome respect for him.
Even if was successful in hitting well
against him, his record placed him on
the heights in my mind and conse-
uuently caused me to consider nlm
with awe when went to bat.
Early in my big league experiences
I decided it was better to forget who
was pitching when I went to bat and
Just go up with the intention of watch
ing the ball and hitting it when it came
over.
Watch Ball, Not Pitcher.
OF course, there were pitchers then,
and there are now, who simply will not
let one forget who they are. II one
does forget them. he is likely to be
beaned. But as general thing think
it better for the batter to keep his at
tention on the ball instead of on the
man throwing it.
Regarding the second question, one
can look at the record books and be-
lieve that the pitchers of 10 or a dozen
years back were better than those OF
today. Anyway, the books will show
that in the earlier days Alexander, out
standing pitcher of that time, was
winning about 80 games season. while
Dazzy Vance. outstanding pitcher OF
the later period was winning about 20.
At the same time the records will show
that almost twice as many players now
are hitting over 300.
4AC AANCAy OdA 10 AAahAi6 ~ bOhSh
for pitchers" Alexander said to me in
1926.
do you think you would have won
80 games 10 years ago with the pres
ent ball In use?" asked, and the big
fellows answer was: With lot of
luck"
1 guess Alec had the right dope. The
| lively ball has caused the difference.
l can recall Jim Vaughn, big left
handler of the Cubs 10 years ago. He
was whale of a pitcher. But maybe
today he would be no more effective
/ than Sherdel or Blake or Rixey.
Dick Rudolph. of those earlier times.
was tough man for most of us.
though he always said he couldn't do
thing with me. But I doubt II he
would do any better with the lively
ball than fellows like Donohue of the
Reds, Grimes of Pittsburgh, or Haincs
Of st. Louis.
Got Rudolph's Goat.
I remember. one day, that Rudolph
struck me out, and the next time j
came up he fed me the same thing. ]
swung and connected, for some reason
or other, and knocked the ball over
the fence.
rs there anything you can't hit,
yV0 1Ab bhoAACA' BAOWACQ do 4 was
| jogging in from third.
My own records in batting would
indicate that it was tougher to get the
base hits In the earlier days. For in
stance, hit only 1913 in 1916, 1927 in
1917, .281 in 1918, and .318 in 1919.
The lively ball first made its appear
ance in 1920. and I hit $40. Ever
since / have been able to make high
marks, and yet 1t seems to me I'm a
no better hitter than then.
My biggest year was 1922. when i
hit .424 and knocked AZ home runs
1t just seemed that year that I could
hit 'em where they amt, as the saying
goes. At one stage of that season /
got IA hits in 16 times at bat. Johnny
Morrison OF the Pirates. a great curve
ball pitcher, was a top-notcher that
year. One day got three drives OF
him, every one for extra bases.
(Next-Hornsby's First Job as
Manager.