Clipping:Modern pitching
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| Date | Saturday, December 28, 1872 |
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| Text | Pitching in base ball has been brought down to more of a science than the originators of the game ever dreamed of. The duties of a first-class pitcher now require a far greater amount of skill than formerly appertained to the position, and especially has a marked improvement in the style of the delivery of the ball to the bat been noticeable within the past year. ... It should be borne in mind that no matter how swift a player can deliver the ball to the bat by this or that method, the speed must always be governed by the ability of the catcher to stop and hold the ball. If, therefore, a player is found who can either pitch or throw a ball to the bat with more than ordinary speed, no rule is required to prohibit the delivery which admits of it, as the speed itself is prohibitory in its effect, from the lack of any player able to stop or hold the ball from such a delivery. Therefore so long as the speed is only such as will admit of the ball being caught being the bat, such delivery, whether by underhand throwing or jerking, should be regarded as legitimate. But speed is no longer regarded as the point of excellence in a pitcher; on the contrary experience has conclusively shown that mere speed, without the accompanying essentials of a thorough command of the ball and judge in its delivery, is too costly a feature to be made available in winning matches, except against a party of the merest tyros in a practical knowledge of the game. The great essential of success in the position if the ability to outwit the batsman. If you can achieve this object by intimidating him by your speed, and thereby deceiving his sight, well and good; but his cannot be done against experienced and plucky batsmen. The scientific pitcher no a-days is he who, with the aid of a swift delivery and a thorough command of the ball, has also sound judgment to assist him. Such a one will send in one ball swiftly, another slowly, and in every legitimate way use his best endeavors to bother the sight and judgment of the batsman; in other words, he will try his best to send him in a ball he cannot hit. The habit of sending in swift “pacers,” without any idea as to where the ball is going after it leaves the pitcher’s hands, and with no other object in view save that fo delivering it as swift as possible, is a style of delivery which now only marks the play of the poorest pitchers in the fraternity. Wild pitching is now properly punished by the rule governing the calling of balls, every all illegitimately wide of the bat being an “unfair fall” and that must be called. To conclude our preface, we have to state that the model pitcher of the period, as far as the delivery of the ball is concerned, is he who has a thorough command of the ball, the judgment to direct its delivery with effect, and the pluck, nerve and endurance to face hot balls and to stand being punished without “losing his head,” or becoming demoralized. |
| Source | New York Clipper |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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