Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 March 1912 — FORD’S NEW SPITTER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FORD’S NEW SPITTER

Yankee’s Star Twirier Adds Another Variety to Collection. Champion Spitball Artist Unearths Another Slant That is Expected to Puzzle the Heavy Sluggers of American /League. “Just discovered a new spitter that is the best ever.” Russell Ford, the New York Yankees’ star flinger and champion spitball pitcher of the country, sent a postal to a friend in New York that bore the above message. Russ had fourteen different assortments last season and now he has discovered another. What chance will the poor batters —T. Cobb, S. Crawford, N. Lajoie, T. Speaker and J. Jackson —have when they face Ford this year? If Izzy Ham were laying odds it’s a cinch he would use the sponge quickly. But Yankee rooters don’t care a rap about all the ciouters that belong to any other team, and if Ford has unearthed a spitter that has even a shade on the bear he worked all last season, then there are hopes of the pennant going to N.ew York after all. Ford won twenty-six and lost six games in 1909, and won twenty-twcf and lost eleven last season —with a most slipshop aggregation behind him last year. Now, if he can do that well •with one spitter, what can we expect of him with two spftters? But Ed Sweeney, the only catcher ■who has been able to receive Ford’s slants properly, is in for a hard season, and he probably won’t greet the antaouncement of Ford’s new wet fling ■with any too much pleasure. Russ’ spitter has never failed to put Sweeney’s hand on the blink at one time or another during the season, and ■with two of ’em working it is doubtful if "Big Eddie" performs more than 50 or 60 times. Although Ford pitched 14 different kinds of balls last season —and this year he is going to fling 15 brands—he and Sweeney used but two signs. When any other catcher than Sweeney “fcOTUte-receivingend,-FordOtways

has been forced to sign for everything he throws. This puts him at a disadvantage, and here is the reason why. He holds the ball in his hand the same for every delivery, matter whether It is going to be sharp-break-ing spitter or a raising-hop ball. it all depends upon the position of the batter at the plate with Ford, and as he winds up, the man with the willow Is likely to shift slightly from the attitude he struck before he sets himself in motion. . It is then that Ford may be forced to shift from an “in” breaking fitter to an “out" breaking one, or something else. He is forced to shift on the instant, and, of course, has no, time to stop and resignal his back-1 Stop. If be did, M would be a deliber-, ate balk. Therefore, it is up to j Bweeney. like the batter, to guess, Wtat Jdnd of a ball Ford is going to j

Russell Ford.