Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1894 — THE SCIENCE OF CURVES. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE SCIENCE OF CURVES.

Which AU Pitchers Most Master to Be ot L T »e to Their Teams. It is pretty generally admitted that the pitcher is the most important player on the diamond, says the New

York World. To be a good pitcher requires net only perfect control of the ball in all methods of itsstraight delivery, but the ability to toss it in puzzling curves which lead to so many strikeouts. \ Arthur Cummings, Jof the old Star team of Brooklyn, was the

first ball player to make practical use of the curves. He experimented and practiced for a long time before he could exp ain the apparent anomaly of a ball thrown from the hand changing its direction horizontally during the course of its fight. Scientists have found many theories trying to explain why this is so. The one generally accepted as correct is simple. If one side of a ball can be made to pass through the air with greater rapidity than the ouher side there is greater friction produced by the atmosphere on the side moving most rapidly. This retarding effect drags the ball to one side and produces the so-called curve. To curve a ball, therefore, it is only necessary to make one side travel faster than the other. This is accomplished by twisting the hand sharply at the moment of delivery, allowing the ball to roll off the fingers instead of being released from all points at the same moment. To produce the in-curve grasp the ball firmly between the thumb and first two fingers, the remaining fin-

gers being doubled ini the band. Throw the ball at a height equal to the shoulder. At the instant of releasit from the hand twist the 11 nge r s sharply toward the body, allowing the ball to roll off their ends. The firm hold on the ball in throwing this “shoot” permits both greater speed and greater ac-

curacy than in almost any other delivery. For the out-curve secure the ball in the hand by pressing it firmly between the fingers and base of the thumb. In delivering the ball to the batsman throw the arm forward midway between the shoulder and waist, the palm of the hand up. At the moment of releasing the ball turn or twist the hand quickly to the left, allowing the ball to roll off the side of the first finger. Although this is the easiest of all curves to pitch, It is the most difficult to control. Only practice will make perfect in this. As great speed as possible should be used, for a swift ball changing direction only a few feet from the batsman is much more difficult to hit than cne traveling slowly and curving half a dozen yards from the home plate. For an up-shoot the ball is grasped In the same manner as for the in-curve. In throwing, however, the hand is brought down palm

forward, perpendicularly in front ot the body, the ball rolling off the end of the fingers as the hand is twisted suddenly downward. Very few but professional players every master the drop curve. Almost all amateurs throw instead the “outdrop,” which, as its name indicates, is a curve half way between the out and the drop. This is not at all difficult to pitch. The ball is grasped

as for the out-curve, but in throwing the hand passes diagonally across the body from a little above the right shoulder to about the height of the belt on the left side. The ball is released when directly in front of the home plate.

THE OUTCURVE.

POSITION FOR OUT-CURVE.

POSITION FOR IN-CURVE.

THE INCURVE.