Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-05
CHANGE IN SPHERE
SEEN HURL|NG AID
Vets Think 1t Will Make Them
More Effective, but John
son DiSagrees.
BY DENMAN THOMPSON,
Sports Editor of The Star.

tests than the Nationals have
been able to give it in their pre-
liminary training thus far. To
date they have only just begun
the round of activities through
which its possibilities may be de-
termined and it will have to be
subjected to exhaustive trials
under actual playing conditions
before a fair decision is possible,
but already there are conflicting
opinions.
A majority of the veteran fingers
with the Grifmen, for instance, are in
clined to think. after handling the re-
vised edition of the pill for more than
a week, that it will aid materially in
adding to the effectiveness Of a mounds
man. This because of the better grip
obtainable on it due to its raised seams
and the greater resistance offered by the
air, making for wider hooks on the
curve balls and sharper breaks on the
fast ones.
In support of this was the evidence
presented in the initial hitting practice
OF the training season staged yesterday
when several Of the young fingers were
suspected of eSsaying benderS when they
were supposed to use nothing but
straight stuff.
Makes Ball Sail.
This was particularly noticeable dur
ing the 10-minute session Of firing al
loted to George Grayson. The stick
wielderS, facing boXman for the first
time, yapped about the twisters being
served up to them, but the. youthful
Warrenton, Va, High School product
trutafully answered that he was tossing
nothing but fast ones. The effect he
was attaining could be attributed only
to the gyrationS caused by the pressure
exerted against these elevated stitches
by the stiff breeze blowing at that time.
Walter johnson, on the other hand,
Is inclined to doubt that any radical
1y different results viii be achieved and
even asserts he fails TO see where the
ball has been appreciably altered.
1T doesn't look or feel much diff
ferent TO me than the one we always
used before" asserted the big fellow,
who for span Of 20 years obtained his
livelihood exclusively through the me-
dium of manipulating base balls. and
incidentally set flock Of records in the
process.
Placed side by side it is hard to
distinguish with the eye which is the
old and which is the new ball, and in
the hand the raised stitches are not
very noticeable.
Cover Seems Tighter.
"The new ball does seem to have a
tighter cover, however. have noticed,
in using a ftngo bat to knock flies to
the boys chasing them in the outfield,
that there is plenty Of distance in the
ball. It seems to travel just like the
old one did, and so far as I can see, If
S~ - S,,~k Lor
and far as ever. don't expect to see
the tnielders and outfielders moving
in this season, and it's safe to say the
home-run hitter will continue to park
them outside of the lot If they get hold
Of them right"
Further evidence that the new ball.
even If 1t contains some snail" still
has a lot Of rabbit" is being fur
nished by Cliff Bolton, who is fully liv-
ing up TO all advance notices regarding
his pounding proves. Allowing for the
fact that the targets he has to cope
with now are nothing like so formidable
as those he will have to face later on,
when the hurlers get in shape to un-
cork their full line Of wares, the way
he sloughs that sphere is impressin2
even the players. He is portside hitter,
but 1t seems to make no difference to
him whether the man in the box is a
southpaw or a highlander. He Just
steps in and sends the pill soaring to
the outer stretches.
Have Hope for Bolton.
And despite his reputation for poor
defensive work, Manager johnson and
his aides are anything but discouraged
over the prospect Of making a smooth
working catcher out of Bolton. He has
a strong throwing arm and is surpriS-
1ngly fast on his feet, and with these
attributes TO start with, plus his I'M
questioned hitting ability, is believed
likely TO prove an exceedingly valuable
man TO have around.
AT the business of catching foul flies,
the department in which he was weak
est Of all, he already has displayed great
advancement. johnson has turned the
task Of drilling him on this angle over
70 Patsy Charity, for years a regular
catcher for the Griffmen, and the
coach, together with Ed Kenna, spends
about an hour each day in, tutoring the
youthful Tarheel.
When these sessions first started Boil
ton frequently failed to get even close
10 some of those twisting lofts, but he
has learned TO judge them pretty well
now, and, following instructions to take
them low instead Of raising his hands
for the catch, NUTS but few that he
can reach.
william Mckinley Hargraye, better
known as Pinkie because OF the color
of his thatch, checked in yesterday from
Hot Springs, and, with vest that hung
loosely on a front that formerly
stretched 1t tight, set at rest all Ques-
ton Of whether his Winter exercising
had brought about the desired result.
HargraYe Loses Weight.
When Hargraye was obtained from
Detroit via the draft route last Sep
TENDER he was so rotund 1t was all he
could do TO get out Of his own way.
He is at least 20 pounds lighter now
and with few additional layers of
lard melted OF should make a handy
understudy for Roy Spencer, chief of
the catching brigade, especially In view
OF his aptitude for hitting in turn
about fashion.
Hargrave brought word that Heinie
MsnuSh and Harry Rice, whom he left
at Hot Springs, both are in fine shape
and plan to leave there Saturday for
arrival here the following day while Joe
Judge was expected TO check in this
evening, accompanied on the trip from
the Capital by Fred Harveycutter,
Washington business man, who annually
makes 1t a practice to do little Spring
training with the bali tossers.
Sees Trouble for Cubs.
One Of the latest visitors to the camp
of the Nationals is Henry p. Edwards,
boss Of the American League Service
Bureau and a reformed sports writer.
Edwards makes 1t q rule to put the
! soft pedN 90 predictions REGARDING hisI