Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-25
ABILITY, AMBITION
CHIEF REQUISITES
Opportunity and Financial
Rewards Never Greater,
Says Howard Ehmke.
BY EDWARD J. NEIL.
Associated Press Sports Writer.

N YEW YORK, April 25.-How-
M ard Ehmke, the lanky
" blond veteran with the
slow smile and the slower
curve that COMPOUNDED experts
and Chicago Cubs alike in the
last world series, has a reaSSuring
message for base ball-minded
youth.
Not only are better young ball players
coming into the big leagues all the
time, but the caliber Of the youths has
improved steadily since Howard first
wandered out to big league pitching
mound in Detroit II years ago. Fur
thermore, opportunity and financial re-
wards for youngsters never were greater
than today.
"They say good young pitchers aren't
coming up to the big leagues any MORE"
he snorted as he warmed up in a hotel
lobby, for the chill outside prevented
any hope of ball game. That's false.
Look at Liebhardt, Mahon and Mahaf-
fey all newcomers to the Athletics this
Spring. All fine young pitchers.
"All kid coming in needs is natural
ability and ambition today. He'll find
all the veterans eager to teach him.
He'll find clean, wholesome athletes to
live and team with. The slack, I'M
kempt element has gone from base ball.
Have Things to Learn.
"Young pitchers usually arrive with
| lot of speed and stuff and things to
learn. Usually they learn rhythm, polse
and to field their position. Experience
comes with these and then you have a
real pitcher"
The big blond with the aching arm,
| permanent reminder of an old injury,
| climbed to his feet and scratched an
imaginary pitching rubber on the rug.
He took his stance and, except for his
| clothes, looked exactly as he did when
he stepped out Of obscurity last Fall
to battle the Cubs, win the first game
of the world series for the AS and pile
up 13 strikeoutS.
Most new pitchers place the forward
part of the right foot on the rubber so
that the foot points directly at the bat
| ter. During the wind up they must
turn the foot so that it points to third
base. That throws the body out of line,
the rhythm is lost and the ball doesn't
go exactly where you want it. The
cure Is to point your foot to third base
before you start to wind up"
Then Ehmke bent over as though
he had golf club in his hands. He
still looked like Ehmke, the pitcher.
It's the same principle in golf," he
explained. "I play q fair game, but
when I sway backward-like tlais-as I
swing I lose my rhythm and slice.
I've moved the wrong part of the body.
1t affects my control Of the golf bail
Just as twisting the foot affects the
pitch.
Sam Jones Stylist.
Youngsters should pick out four good
pitchers and study their styles instead
OF trying to copy something from every
thrower they see. advise the new
pitchers to study Herb Pennock of the
YankS, Ted Lyons of the White Sox,
George Uhle Of the Tigers and Sam
Jones of Washington. I believe thew
have the best styles.
"Nonchalant, easy-going kids make
the best pitchers because they are cool
under fire. They must have expert
ence-sitting on the bench does no
good. And finally, they must field the
| position. If a poor fielding pitcher
misses Is out Of 80 balls hit to him, half
will drive in runs and maybe four viii
win ball games. Those four games can
turn an ordinary pitcher, winning IS
and losing is, into great pitcher, win
ming 10 and losing 11.'
Ehmke likes the youngsters. He Is
coaching Connie Mack's rockies this
Spring. BY the middle of May, when
the sun comes out, he hopes to be in
there winning ball games. He wants
to be ready for the opening game of
the next world series.