Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 138, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 June 1913 — NEW YORK HIGHLANDERS UNEARTH PHENOM [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

NEW YORK HIGHLANDERS UNEARTH PHENOM

Trank L. Chance sincerely believes that Ray Keating, the hoy whom the Yanks secured from Lawrence, Mass., will be as good as Ed Walsh within a few years. “A great pitcher, that boy,” commented Chance as he gazed at the youngster. “He uses the spit ball almost ex> clusively, but has he the physique for a spit-ball pitcher?” was suggested. “I’ll agree with you that he isn’t as tall as Walsh, but he weighs 185 stripped, which isn’t being a light man by a good many pounds, and take a look at those shoulders. This boy is only twenty years old. He has a few years to grow.” Keating’s success is with the spit ball. He has a good fast ball, but relies on the salivated delivery. "Walsh uses the spltter. That’s all he has,” went on Chance, “that and a fast one, but ‘the spitter nearly all the time." “How do American league pitchers look to you?” “Some of those I have seen look pretty fair, to say the least. There is Walter Johnson —” “Would you call him better than Mathewson?” “No, I would hot say that Johnson is a better pitcher than Mathewson. You have to give Matty a lot of credit. He is a wonderful pitcher. He has speed, curves, a good slow ball and a great mind. Johnson has more speed than Matty, but lacks several of the other things. “I do not believe that Johnson-wJll last as long as Mathewson. A man cannot use as much speed as he does for many seasons. He is developing a curve ball that will be of great advantage to him. He showed a good curve when he pitched against us. He has no slow ball to speak of, but with that curve and speed he will be bet-

ter equipped than In previous years. As he grows older he will pitch more with his brain than his arm and last longer than if he depended on that speed and his curve. “In picking pitchers I think I would take Mordecai Brown If Ij, had one pitcher to choose of all those in the major leagues. Brown bad everything a pitcher needed —a great curve, good speed, slow ball and control. He was a wise pitcher, and I do not think 1 ever saw a better fielding pitcher. Besides that. Brown was always ready to work for you. He would go in any

day at any stage of the game and at way pitch good ball. I did not see a lefthander this spring, though, who, if he always pitches the kind of ball he pitched' against us, is the greatest southpaw in the country. That’s Plank of Philadelphia.” “Do you think him superior to Rucker and Marquard?” “I think him superior to anyone I ever saw.’ And Chance should know. He batted against the pick of the National league hurlers for several years, and managers were always sure that their star boxmen were at their best when the Cubs came to town. He had to face Walsh at the end of several seasons in the Chicago city series, and knows him well, and this spring he bumped againßt Johnson and Plank. If any man in the major leagues is In a position to know the relative value of the pitchers in high baseball society, Chance is that man.

Ray Keating, Spit Ball Artist.

Mordecai Brown.