The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-04-28

THEY PLAYED THE GAME So. NO. b.
An Easy Underhand Up Curve
Enabled Iron Man McG innity
To Pitch Well Until He Was 81
Thirteenth OF q series
BY HARRY GRAYSON
NEA Sports Editor

Wilbert Robinson, who caught for
the old Baltimore Orioles and mani
aged the Brooklyn Dodgers, was
only one OF many competent au-
thorities who called Joseph Jerome
McGinnity one Of the smartest
pitchers OF all time.
Wilbert Robinson, who caught for
the old Baltimore Orioles and man.
aged the Brooklyn Dodgers, was
only one Of many competent au-
tlorities who called Joseph Jerome
McGinnity one Of the smartest
pitchers Of all time.
Joe Mc0innity schemed his way
back into baseball after quitting IL
as q failure following two years IN
the minors.
It was while running saloon in
Springfield, ILL.,, for four years, and
pitching mi-professional ball on
weekends for the purpose Of adver-
tising It, that Iron Man McGinnity
developed the slow underhand de-
livery that made him a baseball Inn
mortal, kept him in the majors for
II years and enabled him to pitch
well in the organized game until he
was So.
While polishing glasses and ma
hogany, McGihnity studied the ia
nous pitchers Of the day. Amos
Rusie, Keefe, Meekin, all the lead
ers depended on blazing speed. Nc
Mahon was the only slow ball Pitch
er he could think Of.
What baseball needed was a new
delivery so young McGinnity
worked on his deep underhand mo-
ton. Carl Mays was the closest
thing to him in more recent years.
Eden Auker has the idea.
NO SIGNS FROM CATCHER
McGinnity held the bali as though
he we're pitching an outcurve, which
accounts for the fact that nearly
every ball he threw was curve.
He was not too fast, didn't have
TO be.
Catchers caught him without
signs.
McGinnity's pitch was q curve
rather than q sharp break, and the
peculiar delivery--his fingers almost
touched the mound--permitted him
to curve the ball with minimum
snap Of the wrist, which explains
his remarkable Iron Man stunts and
longevity as an active combatant.
McGinnity had remarkable con-
troll, could break his curve low, high,
inside or outside. He usually aimed
the ball to pass just below the bat
ter's shoulders, so that the sphere
released near the ground shot up
ward five feet In Its course. He
threw an up-curve which more
often than not caused batters 10
swing under the ball.
McGinnity won 20 games in his
first year In the National League
with the Orioles. where he met
players revolutionizing the game.
The following year McGinnity
went to Brooklyn, where he won the
sobriquet, Iron Man." by winning
I'VE games In six days. His 30 VIC
tories helped the Superbas TO the
pennant.
A star, McGinnity then jumped to
the Baltimore Americans to win 70
more, but II wasn't until 1902 that
he came to New York to write glori-
Gus chapters with Christy Mathew.
son and the Giants.
TAUGHT MATTY 10 FIELD
The Orioles introduced the bunt
and drag and, practicing with them,
McGinnity became one of the more
skiIlful fielding pitchers. He irnpart-
ed this knowledge TO Matty, the re-
cruit.
For the next seven years, through
1908, McGinntty and Matty were
the aces Of the Giants. Between
them, they beat the Athletics in the
World Series Of 1905, when Matty
thrice BANKED Connie Macks fine
club In the greatest pitching feat In
history.
McGinnity's biggest year was 1904
when he baggcd IS and lost g. He
won 81 In %, 81 In '05, ~ In '06 and
10 In OF.
Despite HIS brilliant record, Nc
Ginnity Is best remembered as q
pitcher Of double-headers some
thing he continued to do In the
minors after running his course on
big time. He won three double-head-
ers for the Giants In a month in 90.
Iron Man McGinnity's delivery
was difiicult for everyone save HIM
self.
NEXT: From Tinker to Evers 70
/ Chance