1941-07-12 — Page 6

Saturday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

July 12, 1941.

"Ball Fan's" Baseball

Baseball Notes

Illegal Methods

Discovery Of "Spitball"

Used By Pitchers

And Its Odd Effects

Banned By Association

With Hongkong's summer liquid sunshino descending upon us, the past month and a half, in such superfluous abundance, and with the in- creasing tempo of heated umpire v. player argu- ments over anything and everything, I've often wondered, in fact I believe that the time will soon como in our daffy ball loop's spicy gabfests, when some goofy player will actually string the above two incidents together to start an argument,

He will probably bear down on some unsuspecting pitcher, and claim that the wet ball the unfortunate hurler is tossing; is really a "spitter," the abbreviation for an illegal spitball delivery.

Although I've seen that form-¡ ̈ er big league ball player with the fighting heart, Burleigh Grimes, sizzling them over from the hillock, I've never actually seen him twirl over a spitball. However, old timers have given us the impression that a spitball, when delivered with the right tempo, does a "hula hula" with a crazy hop, on its way to the platter:

The spitball was oficially shoug- haled out of existence by baseball's uppererust back in the winter of „1919-20. It came under the decision

preventing pitchers from applying) foreign substances to the ball. flow- ever I permitted existing spitbull twirlers to remain in the game, but forbade its use lo neweviners.

❤

*

THE "spitter" delivery argu-

ment arose from the ranks of the forgotten once again carly this year in the American League when the New York Yankees complained vociferous- ly about Tommy Bridges' de-, livery during a game in Detroit, claiming the Tiger pitcher was breaking a rule by employing a spitball.

This most recent "to do" under} the big fent, occurred early this season. when Joe "flash" Gordon, Yanks slugging inflelder, claimed Bridges used a spitball. The Yankees demanded an inspection of the ball, but Tiger catcher Birdie Tebbetts rolled the horsehide to the third sacker, obylously thinking the pitchi was a third strike. Umpire Bili McGowan could and no

Way of detecting the alleged witball. All agreed, however, that the ball did funny things.

IT

Since the abolition of the "spit- ter," some players and umpires are reported to have suspected the use of this legal delivery, but have been able to prove their never convictions.

•

was perspiration that led to the discovery of the spitbali, One hot sultry summer day back in the late nineties, Elmor Strickland Was pitching for Minneapolis.

Thick beads of perspiration gathered! on the pitcher's brow, and just before

Weekly Wind-up

In work history June 14, 1910 stanis as the date of the German entrance Into Paris-But in Brook- lyn it's remembered as the date of Joe "Dacky" Medwick's (1)- trance Into The Dodger balling oriler.

The Chung Hwa Maroon lassies held their important post season softball meeting a few days ago- P. R. Lau was elected to coacli and handle the team-Petite Lily Stu was chosen manageress and Ella "Venus" Chian will again captain iltese Maroon. styled belles.

Johnny Schaberg displayed meat fossing wing on the hillock last week-But he's also the spark plug of the Mohawk bifield- Which will it be, my dear Charlle. the windy alley or the slab for the peppery Jobuny.

Baseball is begining Lo take hold as the most popular sport in Burma--Pushing the British game

games

are

At excellent view of the Army swimming pool, Victoria Barracks, in which the Hongkong nurses will hold their gala

modation for spectators on the left and the diving platforms are at the far end of the pool.

Mindanao-Brewers this evening. The changing rooms are on the right, accom-

Clash This Afternoon

Mohawks' Busy Week-End

(By "Ball Fan")

HITTING into a whirl. wind lenders duel over the week-end, Mindanao's cham- pionship nine clash with the powerful H. B. Brewers in

the opener of the two-day baseball card, slated for 2.15 p.m., this afternoon at the Chatham Road ball park, ·

loop.

the

of cricket to the background- Grandpy Leung. Tanmy Chán Reason: the advent of Americans

anand Dick Chung are booked to there, in The United States Army and Navy, and efvillans in the con- umpire. struction camps-Ball being staged regularly diere—Many Bermudians believe baseball will soon hold *VLy in Bermuda scholastic

Holastic sparis. Talking about wearing out score- keepers The Hot Springs, Arkan $34. Da

ball team of the Cotton States

Jost League

Its second

ofletal scorer in two weeks recently Ralph Taylor, Hot Springs news- paperman announced his resigna tion an official scarce after a 44 hit: night, game in which Texarkana beat the Slot Springs Bathers 26- 15 and 112 batters faced seven pitchers-toy Bosson who started the season"us" scorer" resigned when' 68 runs were scored on 80 base hits in two games.

Lawn Bowls League Programme

The following Is the Lawn Bowls

after

for this

FIRST DIVISION

he delivered a pitch he "wiped" his League programme forehead with his pitching hand, then! noon: let y toward the plate. The ball hopped crazily. The batter never) goi his bnt close to it and the catcher Just didn't know what it was all about.

Strickland couldn't explain at the moment just what had happened, but when the ball, still moist, continued Its capers, he realized it was the perspiration.

it

Ile worked on the pich, perfecting with saliva when he wasn't per- spiring, and became the most effec~| tive hurler in the American Associa- tion,

being

by the Brooklyn i bought Dodgers. However he never clicked | as a Major Leaguer.

Other pitchers who capitalized on Strickland's discovery and who were quite successful with the saliva ball delivery in the Majors were, Big Ed Walsh of the Chicago While

Sox, lefty Jack Quinn Clarence Mitchall Urban Shocker, Dan Fullingin, BIIL Doak Burleigh Grimes.

and

IN line with the spitball, base- ball czara prohibited the use of the shine ball, licorico ball,) tobacco ball, omery ball and

on

v. K.C.C.

v, Police

Recreio "A" K. Docks v. C.C.C. C.S.C.C. 1.It.C.

Becrelo "n" K.D.G.C. "B" v. Kn.G.C. "A"

SECOND DIVISION

V. K. Ton

Recreio K.C.C. £.C.C. R.F.C.

C.C.C.

1.X.F.C. Police IL.K.C.C.

v. Prison 0.G

v. 11.K.F.C.

v. Taikoo

THIRD DIVISION

V. K.F.C.

V. I.lt.C.

V. Recreio

Y. Electric

Rugger Match

Lost Through Forgetfulness

LONDON-During a match in a Sevens Rugby tournament, a well- fancled

awarded a team were

the posts. penalty try,, between with a minule to go. A success- ful kick would take them into the Anal.

The place-kicker, a London player, other deliveries which required England International, treated the the direction of his captain, an

penalty, and not as a con version. He forgot the law on

a foreign substanco to be ap-kick as a

plied.

They also banned roughing the kicking and pinged the ball himself.

The kick was disallowed,

little tricks which increased A

extra

ball, nicking the seams and sundry time find to be played, and the other hurler's effectiveness. Chlef op team won and went on, to win the position to the spitball was not, final--Our Own Correspondent,

that if required a foreign sub-|

stance, but that it was unhealthy.

After the saliva ball was thrown delivery through with real effective-

out of the books, coaches tried vari-¡nesa.

ous ways of dupileating the delivery without using saliva. Andy Coakly, one of America's leading, university baseball coaches, seems to have per- fected an effective "dry spliter." Tho pitcher grips the seams as for a curve bail, but raises his thumb towards the label.

Thrown correctly the seems to make the ball act as though moisted] with first grado sallya, but it takes

There's no way in proving that

DHI

a plicher is tossing over a spitball unless caught red-handed in the act of injecting saliva on the

Ilowever, as our local yokels dish In with an argument over prac- Bically anything and everything we wouldn't be a bit surprised if the abivo teplo came in for, lis share of "yað, rav, · yappior." al

Comparison Of Defence Systems In Basketball

Man-to-man or Zone Tactics

AT THE ANNUAL spring meeting of the National Association of Basketball Coaches this year, members attending the conference demonstrated clearly that they are definitely opposed to the zone system of defence in the modern basketball realm,

Co-

Baseball Schedule

At Chatham Road

TO-DAY

The comparative advantages [of a man-to-man defence as against the zone system has The Terrifie M edged in with a different stages of the court always been, down through the close opening day win over bcer-belehing Brewers, and all game, and will probably signs point towards à real tough tinue to be, big, subject for tussle for the leadership of the debate between the two schools

of thought, A bottom spot special features the In the early days of basketball the nightcap fracas when the "down-tactics were universally man-to-man

og Mohawks take on C. B. in a very crude sense, with n bark 2.15 pau. H.B. Beer v. U.SS. Min- Wong's "already there" South Chinu ard remaining constantly in the

defensive area. Kang

The offensive in those days was fast breaking in the Ski Powlawski, Muddy Ruet and extreme. Surge Welford will handle this one. When the ball was lost, the idea was to pick the nearest man und With the peppery Johnny-Scha-tick-by-him. Although it afforded berg on the mound, the Redskin

a fast type of Tribe should chalk up their first crowd pleaser, this style of guarding game and was a great win of the year.

was very weak,

The Caroline Hillmen have a weak It possessed neither the <direct ball-shagging team, and the "swing-responsibility afforded by the sys- ing brigade"-well they're just out tematic man-to-inan defence, nor the there swinging and that's about all. mass obstacle presented by the zone,

danao.

p.m. LK.B.C. v. South Chinu,

TO-MORROW

10 .. U.S.S. Asheville v. 11.K.

B.C.

have seen was the air-tight zone guarding dished up by California's 20th Century Fox cage stars when they took an exhibition ill here a few months ago.

The zone system got its early

The rangy Americans, with their start from the massed or position long outstretched arms, well-nigh defence which was brought about covered their entire defensive area in as a result of the introduction of co-ordinated style.

Any one of the first string Iroquois | hurlers can take this gam !! breeze If he forgets about "Annle Oakley", and

siege tacties. The position defence can just locate that

Why did these tall Californians hard-finding platter.

was therefore based upon the con-use the zone defence system that ception that is very mass would eventful night?

be a great obstacle to slege tactics.

The extremely small Chinese "Y"

CUNDAY'S U starting at 10 am. The question as to which of the court on Bridges Street, with its brings Charlie Waggoner's Ma- two is superior to the other is not to crowded cage faun bulging over the hawks back to the ball pack again be answered with positive assertions. sidelines, made it a "zone system in a session with the U.S.S. Ashevill:, A coach must take into considera- special" for these giant cngers. if the sailors return to port in time. tion the size of the playing court, the

Our players were much shorter, schedule requirements and above all {less experienced and relied mainly Referees are grandpa. Leung, Nip] the opponents' style of play.

"on speed. Lu and P. F. Choy.

Governate's Tennesi ceans haven't

4

limbered up with the old apple for a' small playing area, highlstresome sea voyage, only had one

trained quintettes ind the system a perféel answer their victory prayers.

Best example of its effective use, which we, living in the Colony,

many weeks, but from this angle zone, they appear to have enough class for an easy win over the Five Nation Tribemen.

Grandpa Leung, Chung Hwa Maroons, sliding into first

the Chatham Rond ball part in our with Dave Leonard, Brewery, seeking a tag. M. et Arculli,

as strong-arm to gush this kind of---class. 2.2. Ioann.

pitcher, in the background-Ming Yuaha

The Americans, who had just disembarked that morning from n

alternate sitting on the bench, and as a result could not keep up with the fatigue-producing pace of a mun

to-man system.

On a larger ploying area, with enough players, they would probably have been in there playing the man- to-man system.

COMPROMISE between the two

defence," used extensively by leading teums in the United States and Canada, seeks to retain the zone mALS formation ns far as possible, but ot the came time It features individual responsibility once the offensive men have

been

pliked crossing over the centre line.

This so-called compromise system in reality works into a man-to-man defence, ultimately,

A systems, known as the "checklist

•

HIGHLY important recommende- tion udvocated by the National Association of Basketball Coaches to the Rules Committee this spring, was the elimination of the three-second rule from the back part of the foul elrete.

The three-second rule forbids man staying within any part

of the foul zone for more than three seconds. The foul rene includes the lane from the out-of-bounds marit to the back part of the circle.

The conches' recommendation would permit a player with the ball [in take any position in the back part of the circle, which territory includes the space from the line a · player shoots a foul to the end of the circle. This spot is known as the key hoja. This Would just about break the backbone of a zone defence for, with

A player in the pivot spot, no zone Kystem, can work effectivelyD!!! Woo.

A famous cowboy named Dinke

By Indiano was tied to a slako.

When they tighted a fire,

"

nevar parspire,

In Jockeys" was all that he spake.

YOU, TOO, CAN KEEP COOL IN

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