El Paso Morning Times (El Paso, Tex.), Vol. 30, Ed. 1 Sunday, May 29, 1910 Page: 9 of 24
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EDITORIAL SECTION
r
sporting ) The El Paso Morning Times
CLASSIFIED
TWENTY-EIGHT PAGES
’v
V
EL PASO, TEXAS, SUNDAY, MAY 29. 1910.
PAGES 9 TO 16
FREAK DELIVERY BOON
TO ALL BIG PITCHERS
(By Harry Mclntire.)
Any small boy can ptteh the spit-ball
with a little practice- But pitching
and cuntrol are two vastly different
arts. It's a simple matter to take a
baseball, moisten two fingers and
hurl the object toward a batsman. In
fact, that is mere Child’s play com-
pared to the skill required to send the
ball whirling with a sharp, dectivlng
break which comes almost at the
plate. I learned to throw the spit-
hall in ten minutes. Then I practiced
daily for six months before I acquired
control.
The average baseball fan labors un-
der the impression that ihe moist ball
can be thrown only with an overhand
delivery. That’s a mistake. Nine out
of ten pitchers using this freak start
their delivery overhead, but l prefer
the side-arm swing, which gives great-
er accuracy, is less-of a strain on the
pitcher and permits of a sharper hook
as the ball approaches the batsman.
What success I have experienced
while pitching the “spitler" in the last
five years 1 attribute to the manner in
which it is mixed with the old-time,
every-day curve ball.
My motto is. "When in doubt, use
the spitler.’’ Otherwise I am content
to take my chances with speed, con-
trol, ordinary curves and the time-hon-
ored play of trying to outguess your
opponents. For strlke-out purposes
to my notion there isn’t another ball
to be compared in point or effective-
ness with the "spitter."
Pitchers find their greatest difficulty
in handling the freak owing to the
heavy friction required. The ball Is
twirled with two fingers gripped on
one side and the thumb on the other,
much the same as any other curve.
The object is made slippery at the
point touched by the fingers, so that
it rolls off with just the slightest de-
gree of friction. The part played by
the thumb adds to the friction, caus-
ing die ball to rake a whirling flight
over a short distance until the friction
overcomes the revolving motion, when
the break occurs—the sharp, zigzag-
ging jump that has baffled some of the
greatest curve ball hitters-ever known
to the game.
When pitched with an overhand mo-
tion the spltbal! shoots almost straight
downward, and when the side-arm
movement, such as 1 employ, is
brought into play with the thumb to-
ward the I tody It breaks as a fast
curve does. Most pitciiers who use
the spitter are men of powerful physi-
cal build, tor they must possess great
stroiigth in order to bear up— that is,
If they g > into the box in their regular
turn, say, everv third day. and hope to
pitch winning ball with the aid of the
spitter.
The big men who have used it with
success include Ed Walsh and Frank
Oheshro of the New York Highland-
ehesbro of the New York Highland-
ers. Arthur Raymond of the Giants
and Bob Ewing of the Phillies. All
these men employ their strength to
pitch the spitter successfully, as the
faster It is hurled the faster and more
deceiving the break that follows.
Scores of pitchers are still earning
money in the minor leagues and win-
ning ball games that they might have
lost by onesided scores but for their
adoption of the apitbali. The over
land slant opened a new- avenue to
employment and continued successes
on the slab tor {lingers w hose careers
were about on the blink. Likewise a
ict of husky boys with little knowl
edge of the curve ball managed to
break into the top circles simply be
cause they bad smoke and a fast
effective break to their moist ball Al-
most every pitcher tried his hand ai
it. but few of the stars who were shin
ing brightest when the freak was dis-
covered by Elmer Stricklett back in
1903 cared to master it for regular use
in championship games
Gradually these newcomers devel-
oped variations in the mode of deliv-
ery. Licorice, slippery elm, oil and
numerous other applications were
used to reduce the friction of the fin-
gers. Others took to tiBlng gum. rosin
or tape on their thumbs, with more or
less success. While I have been
classed among the spitball pitchers of
the National League 1 do not regard
myself in the light of that class using
the spitter exclusively. It’s only when
I am forced into tight corners that 1
cut loose with the side-arm freak.
Ed Walsh of the White Sox goes
about his work in plain, ordinary way,
using a piece of Slippery elm bark in
his mouth to keep up the stock of
moisture needed through a nine-inning
or possibly an extra inning contest.
He moistens a spot an Inch square on
the ball between the seams. His
thumb clutches the sphere lengthwise
on the opposite seam and with a
mighty overhand swinging delivery the
big fellow hurls the hall straight to-
ward the pan. Sometimes it will jump
two feet downward or outward, all this
depending wholly upon the way his
arm swings.
Many pitchers using the freak make
it a practice to mix up straight, fast
-balls with ihe spitter, faking as It
were, in order to outguess ihe oppos-
ing hatters. The pitcher with steady
control can get away with this line of
work and oftentimes pitrh no-hit.
games.
All hatters look alike to the spitball
artist when he has a fast break and
control. When things are going al-
most smoothly the freak will cause
the most dangerous hitters to hoist
weak pop-ups in the infield, while the
strikeout column usually takes on a
heavily dotted appearance. But once
the spitter fails, most any old fate is
likely to befall the twirler.
won; Fancy second; Redeem third
Time. 1:3* 3-6.
Fifth race, mile and 70 yards, sell-
ing; Beau Man won; Tremargq sec-
ond; Edwin T. Freer third. Time,
1:43 1-5.
Sixth race, Futurity course, selling;
Billjr Myer won; 1-adv Panchila sec-
ond; Eiectrowan third. Time. 1:00 3-5.
DOESN’T PAY TO BE “IKON MAN.”
WITNESS JOE M’GINMTY AND CHESBRO
It doesn’t pay to be- tin iron man"
in baseball, says Pat Malone, in the
New Orleans Unity States, if you
don't believe it. look at -toe McGln-
nltv, Jack Cheabro, Ed Walsh ami
Stony McGlynn. the four most famous
of the so-called iron men.
When John Mot!run whs stringing
pennants on the flat staff in the cen-
ter field of the Polo grounds. Mctiin.
nitv was his one best bet as a pitcher.
Not even the famed Mathewson had
anything on Joseph. He pitch
double-heuders with the ease of a
hungry hobo going against the free
lunch counter. But >on net ice Me
j Glnnity isn't In the big show any
AT LOUISVILLE.
Louisville, May 2*.—First tace.
4 1-2 furlongs: Delaney won: Little
Oasis second ;v'.l$mes Me. third. Time.
:53.
Second race^ 5 1-2 furlongs: Gypsy
King won; Dainty Dame second; Ber-
wick third Time. 1:(Hi 3-5.
Third race, 6 furlongs: Colloquy
won; Jack Parker second. A! Muller
third- Time. 1:13 2-5,
Fourth race, mile: .1. Q. Reed won;
Ktwhrighi second: Long Hand third.
Time.ntSS 3-5. - , ,
Fifth race, mile: Dander won: Orn- I mere He Is now pan owner of the
a moss second. Countermand ;h!rd.1 Newark team In the Listen, league.
Time 1 44 3*6 ! H.nd pitching occasional!,.
Sixth race.'1 1-16 miles: John Car | Cheabro It) now loading J'*
II won: Molf
third. Time, 1:47.
and his arm troubled him all season
It is uot strong this year, and the big
fellow's friends are worried.
'titony" MeGlynns great work on
the mound made .Milwaukee a eon
tender tor the American Association
pennant right up to the final game of
the season. He worked In sixty-six
games and he won a big majority of
them. But lie isn't doing so well tilts
year. tMcGlynn has been bumped on
the mound each time out from the
stable this season He worked too
hard last year
So tt doesn't par to la1 an "Iron
man.'' Baseball managers won t ob-
ject to a pitcher doing more work
tJiau Is his share, if the pitcher wants
squirrel whiskey upon the tender
I tissues of the young and promising
athlete That's one .'ause. Another
one is that there are more ball play-
ers now than there used to be, and
if the bibulous one goes out und col-
lects for himself such a load that ne
can barely waddle home with It. the
manager will stick one of the sub-
stitutes in his place. And still again
baseball has become a real profes-
sion which attracts the college man.
Nowadays the hoy who plays on the
college team and shows a lot of class
receives offers which make him think
the law or the ministry isn't so pro-
fitable after all If you pay enough
money yon are .going to attract the
high-class people, and at the present
time professional baseball draws an
army of sober, clear-eyed, big-brain-
ed young men, who regard baseball
as a profession, and not as a sport or
a trade.
"The class" of the player has Un-
roll won: Molesev second: St. llarloj almple life of a farmer on his New j pitchers u protect themseles
t .re—i—, i---- ...... .... . —rs I like Mathewson. Joss, Cy
AT BELMONT PARK.
-Belmont Park. May 38.—First race,
5 furlongs: Feather Duster won:
White Wool second: Mystic River
third. Time, 1:02 2-5.
Second race, ti furlongs: Candle-
berry won; King Olympian second:
Bang third. Time, 1:15 1-5.
Third race, the Meadow-brook stee-
plechase. about three miles: Sir Rit-
rhle won: Conover second. Time.
6:38. Diebold fell Three starters.
Fourth race, 4 1-2 furlongs: House-
maid wen; Horizon second; Hermola
third. Time. :53 3-5.
Fifth race, 6 furlongs: Mary Davis
woiw Dreamer second: Field Mouse
third. Time. 1:14.
Sixth race, mile: Dull Care won:
Bar None second; Pins and Needles
third Time. 1:41 3-5.
Seventh race, one mile: Bonnie
Kelso won: Igid of Langdon second;
Wanderer third. Time, 1:49.
-England farm, and tom or five tears
ago .lack was Just aimut the best in
the business. It v«> his pitching
which put the New York Americans
In the running for the pennant, the
onb time they came within hailing
distance of the rag. .
Kii. Walsh was the iron man of
1908, pitching sixty-sh games and
winning forty of them What did he
do last season. Well, not vet'v much.
He w n fifteen and lost eleven games
do it amt can get away with his I proved in the past ten years, due no
Ties, as t lie re are alwftv* more dou-ht to the sort of young men who
It is up to the »>'« entering the clubs.
Men Take any team you like In eillier one
Young, of the big leagues and count the col
games, as there are
pitchers In the brush
Bender and others pitch their fill! I lege men on the roster Thou dig up
share of the games and win them sea
son after season, tint von don't read
of them going in ami pitching double-
headers once or tw ice a. week. Nix
on that staff for wise boys, and they
stay in the game, while the 'i ron
men." the wonders of the league,
blow up in a year or two and drift business like
hack to minors or out of baseball on
ttrely.
More Interesting.
Fair Girl—My father made his for-
tune when he was a young mail.
Would you like to know how he did
it?
Gallant Youth—Not particularly:
but I would like to know if he still
has it.
If you would know what a woman
doesn't mean, listen to what she says.
PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL ON
PERMANENT BUSINESS FOOTING
By C- E. Vao Loan. | latitude in those days If ho stayed
New York. Mai 26.—Hughey Jen- , out of jail he was doing right well
nlngs, the Nebuchadnezzar -t f the big
leagues, remarked the other day that. ; ribbom r till this time. That is why tie
the booze fighter was "i.ix" or words j is g ill in the business. He was not
to that effect speaking from personal experience.
Hunley. who is older than lie looks, J*™" **° ''vf!' ,’,a8el!"!!
, , ,, , , . club had its Iipuvvweight champion
ami a lot older than he acta cr feels, . bo0!t|. flghu,r ,iloug|, nothing of It.
played baseball in the days when It] Today the-tnnt, who goes oat and
was no particular disgrace for a play-j look* hard liquor In ihe eye finds him
cr to go out In the fire water in the self in serious trouble with the man-
village. of course, it wasn't godd tor j agement There are a great many
the said ball player to irrigate his j good rear ns tor this. In the first
system with rum, hut at the same thin-1 place. “The world do move." Of
It wasn’t- ft crime ill the eves of the! la'o years there has beep some *-n-
management. A ball player had some I lightiMtineiYt romt rilin',' the action of
Spalding's Guide, go back fifteen or
twenty years amt loo!: for college men.
The comparison will he significant to
say the least.
Of course, not all college men have
class. Some of them have been hanjb
ed for horse-stealing. When a big
professional baseball
begins to attract the men of good
education, you can bet that same busi-j
ness Is going to he elevated a trifle.
Baseball Is being systematized
down to a fine point, just as are all
the other big businesses of the
country Railroads do not hire a
drinking man If they know it. Banks
will not take a clerk of loose morals
and a thirst—if they know It. The
national game, being one of the great-
est money makers in the country, has
fallen for the most part into the hands
of shrewd business men. ami these
,, , ,, men waul value received from their
Understand that Hughey was a blue j |lalu]s „
You will find a few competent
drunkards in the hl/j league at Ihe
present day. They haven’t been there
long and they will not remain much
longer. Keep your eve on these fel-
lows and see where they are two or
three years from now.
Team captains and managers have
the idea that as they pay big money
to a player, they have the light to
expect that the player Will keep him-
self iti condition to play the best hall
there is in him If a man does not
<! t this, and persists in diving off the
water wagon every few weeks, the
time conies when the management
loses patience and ships the thirsty
fellow out, to some minor league,
where there will he less to Interfere
with his -habits.
Baseball has been put on a busi-
ness footing. If a man's name is on
ithe pay roll, it’s not there out of any
sentiment, but because be is worth
something to the club management.
The minute he ceases to be worth
the sulury check, he will hear from
the driver of the pay wagon.
Butt White was right, "The old ord-
er changeth,’’
DOUGLAS DEMONS
WALLOP CANANEA
Punk Game Results Ib Fifth Suc-
cessive Defeat of Mexican
Team.
Special to The Times.
Douglas, Ariz,. May 28—Cananea
continues to he the goat of the Cac-
tus League, and upon their arrival"
here after four straight defeats at
the hands of Dairy tuple's Maroons of
Blsbee, were trimmed today by O'Pon-
ovan's Demons. 11 u> 9. Mathewson.
brother of the mighty Christy, and a
weighty wielder of the willow, was on
the ground for the locals, and proved
competent to lake care of the Qulen
Babes. Reardon performed for the
visiters.
Today’s game was punk, from sev-
eral standpoint*. Neither pitcher was
immune from slugging, and errors
were common on both sides. The um-
piring, If it may he dignified by that
term, was the worst, ever, and Mana-
ger O'Donovan of the locals says that
(toyheneix will not be allowed on the
grounds tomorrow, as his team won't
stand for it Score:
Douglas ................• 11 1* T
Cananea .................. 9 11 6
Batteries: Mathewson and Lc
brand; Reardon and Whalen.
Many a woman has lived to regret
the day she discovered her affinity.
Even a worthless man thinks he'd
be able to make good as a critic.
ADVICE TO YOUNG
BASEBALL PLAYERS
By an Old-Timer.
s’eive is one of the best qualities a
[•her, or. in fact, a player in any
lition, eati possess. It is absolutely
entiai in the major leagues today,
without it a man can never shine
even hold his own with the other
tv on the’club.
rhe Minneapolis club of the Ameri-
i j Association has cue pitcher who
;*more nerve -than a government
lt> and who can j*t##aa mfr»l ft<t
ifagq whenever {he otS-aftiiw dot
pris. t That distinguished person-
als nonij other than the illustrious
a) id some Nick" Altroek, the man
<i is said to tie the homelist man
,i n to the sporting world, but who
li exception to talcing the beauty
gprs away from "Kid" Broad, the
tilist. ,
.V'hen Nick was with Chicago m j
. American League he was a star
efly because he had plenty of
■ve. Fielder .Jones, ex-manager ’>!
s White Sox, in speaking of the
:kv southpaw, attributed the suc-
iS of Alt reck to nerve just as mttep
to his curves or speed. Said
tes:
Many games have I stood out in
iter field and watched Nick pitch
dm tout on his nerve. It was my
ttom to select three -or four ptay-
; whom I thought ought to warm
and while they were pitching pre-
linary to the game watch them .n
ion. Frequently (Tick would be
-
BASEBALL
BISBEE
vc
EL PASO
Sunday *nd Monday 3 P- M.
about due—that Is. it would be his
turn, and to save his life he couldn't
show me much more than a tricky
delivery or a fake dope hall or some-
thing along that order.
"If I asked Nick how he felt he
would say Fine.’ Many times I al-
lowed him to enter the game, wond-
ering how In the world he would get
away with It- But never In my life
did 1 see Nick feased. It was gene-
rally the other way. He had half the
batters lie faced buffaloed with a
smile of confidence and a clever mo-
tion.
“1 do not mean that Alirocdi hadn't
the curves, however, Why, he has
one of the besi and quickest-breaking
drop h»*ls in the busines today But
where Nick shines is in his abund-
ant display of nerve, and nerve
counts a whole lot in baseball to-
day.’’
Nerve “as won more baseball games
titan the average fan believes Many
a batter has "been fanned by a picher
who does the unexpected, especially
in a trying situation.
For Instance, there is a man on
second and third, two ottts, two
strikes and no balls on the batter.
-Naturaly tha»inan at the plate is ex-
pected to he “worked" with a wide
curve or a high one close in. He
is almost certain it is going to be a
ball, for the accepted belief is that
a pitcher should make a man "bite”
on a bad one in a case such as this
If posthle.
Now the pitcher knows the frame of
mind the •hatter is in. There is
where a nervy twirler can show his
worth, bnt he is taking a long
chance. Time after time Altroek has
done the unexpected by puting the
ball directly over the center of the
pan for the third strike, catching the
batter, who wag expecting a wide one,
asleep.
To pitchers who are ambitiuos to
some day break into the big leagues
I wish to emphasize the fact that in
njv estimation nerve and headwork
are gnideposts along the path to
baseball fame.
Autos For Hire
5 and 7 passenger car*.
Trip* to and from country.
Shopping and Joy Ride*.
Day and night service,
of service guaranteed.
Automobile
Association
PHONE.............449
PHONE ......-.1149
RACE RESULTS t
AT EMERYVILLE.
Oakland. May 28.-—First race, 6 fur-
longs. selling: Beda won: Ampedo
second: Buckthorn third. Time,
1:13 1-5.
Second race. 5 furlongs: Salall
won; Pawhuska second; Maxdfce
third. Time, 1:00 2-5.
Third race. 5 1-2 furlong*; Metro-
politan won: Salvage second; Sliver
Stocking! third. Time. 1:06 2-6.
Fmirtm race, mile: Eddie Graney
Two-Piece
Suits
A LL this week wc will continue
the splendid low price offerings
in Men's Hand Tailored, two-piece
suits'•■for summer wear. Our entire
lines of two-picce suits of the famous
Kuppenheimer and Harr Scliaffner i\
Marx makes are offered at a saving of
•V> per cent or more.
These are shown in men’s and
young men's styles, made of fa no
twills, hard and soft finish worsted-,
blue serges and Priestley's cravenel
ted English mohairs.
The shoulders are padded, tin
fronts stayed and guaranteed to n
tain their shape.
Prices Reduced 1-3 and More.
T ropical
Clothes
Weights and Styles Designed for Hot
Climate.
This season we show a very cotupleu
line of suits, separate coats and troti
ers in weights, colors and textun
adapted to wear during the extretm
hot weather.
The materials used are, for the suit
mohair, linen and serge; for the coats,
mohair, pongee, serge and linen;
the trousers, linen, duck ami novel1;
woolens. silt 41
for
The Store for Men
IMS store is the logical shopping place for men
Who are particular about their appearance.
JL II. S. iV .\j. and Kuppenheimer hand tailored
suits, t igefhcr with a superb line of ever}' ar-
ticle for men's, wear makes it possible lor even
the most fastidious to clothe themselves correctly
here. And another point in favor of this store is the
remarkable reasonableness of its prices. The im-
mense quantities we Inty gives ns the lowest price—
the quantities we sell allows ns to sell at a smaller
margin of profit than we could possibly do if the vol-
ume of business was less. Taking into consideration
both of these verv essential points you'll see just why
you should make this your shopping place.
lLarly Summer Sale
of Men’s Hats
Values up to $3.50 for $2.25
Monday wv place on sale soft felt hats in styles suit a
hie for men of every age, in all shapes and colors. Thi>
includes the famous Hawes von Gal, the ShOebel, and
No Name brands in the season's l est shapes.
Regular $3.00 and $3.50 Styles, $2.25
sMeSbfudal^
Men’s
F urnishing's
To save a part of the.cost is worth
while, no matter how long and fat
your purse may he. Tor this week’s
sale we have selected items that are
needed for immediate use, at [trices
that mean a worth while saving.
ELASTIC SEAM DRAWERS
Drawers made of good quality I’ep-
per’ell twill drilling, with elastic seams.
All sizes in the regular 50c quality;
specially priced. QQ —
a pair...................J**
“POROSKNIT” UNDERWEAR
Genuine "Torosknit" Undershirts and
drawers, the coolest, most comforta-
ble and most durable summer under-
wear made. The 50c quality
white and tan, each.......
I’orosknit Union Suits, for
men, regular $1 quality.....*
SUMMER UNDERWEAR
All broken lines of men’s balbriggan,
Trench lisle. Sea Island and mercer-
ized “Dollar Silk" underwear, plain
and fancy colors, regular $1.00 and
$1.50 qualities, in one
special lot at .............
HALF HOSE
Taney lisle and cotton half hose in
black and good colors. Regular 35c
and 25c qualities,
a pair...................■
Men's Half Hose, 50c qualities, 3 pairs
$1.00.
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El Paso Morning Times (El Paso, Tex.), Vol. 30, Ed. 1 Sunday, May 29, 1910, newspaper, May 29, 1910; El Paso, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth583084/m1/9/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Library Consortium.