Evening star., 1932-03-27
POPS BATTING EYE
WAS SNAPPY At &c
Washington Owner Relates
How Vet Fooled Smart
Red Pitcher.
BY WALTER TRUMBULL.

~ JLOXI, Miss, March 20
* Adrian c. Anson was the
II best hitter who ever played
base ball. And Bill Lange
was the best out1elder," says
Clark Griffith
"You tell that to these ball
players of today and they smile.
They just think you are an old
timer, talking about old-timers.
In another few years they will be
asking, Was Walter Johnson's
fast ball really so fast?' and Was
Babe Ruth honestly such a long
hitter?'
Il had the laugh on some of the
boys" continued Griffith. 1T was when
I was managing Cincinnati. Arson.
then 56 years old, had got together an
independent team and was scheduling
games. on off days, with big-leaeue
clubs. We all gave them to him be-
cause he was Anson. He had gathered
some pretty good ball players.
FHt Up 10 frOmme.
my men all started to have fun with
me. Well see this old man you always
are talking about, they said. Yes. and
he can hit yet I told them. They
thought that was very humorous. Arthur
Fromme was the one who kidded me
the most. Let. me pitch against this
old ruin he said. He won't get a FOUL
told him not to worry. III put you in
fer part Of the game said but / am
telling you to use all the stuff you have
We'll, the day came and sent From
me to the mound. Anson came to bat
fat around the belt line He stood fac
ing the pitcher, as he always did. with
his bat held straight up in front of him
The old Cap used to oil those big
bats and hang them up in his cellar
every Winter, so that they wouldn't
warp. Some of them were years old and
the finest pieces of wood 1 ever saw
They were so seasoned that you could
rap them with your knuckles and they
would ring.
Anson Fools EN-.
"Fromme buzzed the first ball over
for a strike: looked at me and grinned
He threw a second strike. and grinned
again. 1 did bit of smiling myself. 1
knew what he didn't know.
1T was an idioSyncrasy of Anson's
that he never would hit until two strikes
had been called ON him. He always fig
ured that one swing at ball was all
ne needed.
''Fromme thought it would be a good
joke to strike him out on three pitched
balls He broke one of those wicked
underhand curves of his over the plate
and Anson drove it on a line into the
outf1eld. He did the same thing on his
next trip to the plate. He got four
hits that day, and 1 want to tell Won
my pitchers were trying all they knew"
Grihith laughed again at the recol-
lection.
That habit of taking two strikes
cost me a ball game once" he went
on "Anson always used to pitch me
against Amos Rusie and 1 had mo
chance TO win. because we couldn't
hit Rusie and he generally shut us
out. l used to argue with the old
man, but he would just say, 'YoTI
pitch, and I pitched
Well, one day it looked as if I was
going to get a break. Rusie had us
l to 0, but We got the bases full in
the ninth, with two out and Anson
coming to bat"
This Swing Missed.
Il said to him, I've pitched a good
ball game for you, worked hard, and
I want you to do me favor. 1 want
you to hit at the first ball Young
man said Arson, you do the pitch
ing and I'll do the hitting
Just what knew would happen did
happen. Rusie knew as well as I did
that the cap would tske two strikes,
and he laid the first two across the
middle Then he threw that curve of
his: the sharpest breaking curve
pitcher ever had. For once Anson was
fooled. He swung, missed, and we had
lost another ball game
II suppose" added Grifflth, that
he struck out on other occasions. but
that is the only time I can ever re-
member. He was the greatest hitter
of them all"
Cnnyripht 1q22