Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1915-07-04 | Page 20 | Pitchers of Old Had Things Soft Compared to Now

Ii Pit Pitchers hers of OU Had Things Soft Compared i N Now flow tor U I Oc Occasionally the oldest Inhabitant begins harking back to the days dayl when pitchers worked day and and played l in the outfield when not Ip performing 11 In t the o box bc x lit It l is asked ked Wh Why Is III the modern f linger able to tow w work rk but but once in four or five days resting from ill all l labor bor In ln In the Interim Thu Tho Iii Is en easy easy- yi Pitching re- re are aie entirely different Here are ar are sonic some o of r c under der which the thel the hurler hur er worked In ln 1818 th the first the he National lea leagues league's ex I J Pitching distance n 45 feet Three strikes strike out nine balls bans allowed Pitchers Pitcher's box sl six feet teet I quare Pitcher litcher could fak fake indro n ro than one step In delivering the ball bailE Batter BaUer cou could not take first bale when hit by by a pitched d ball No Nb balk rule existed for tor te feints nta to- to ward first bl b se Imagine e Walter Waiter Johnson Johno shooting hooting s- s his hla fireball ll only 45 t fet feet distant and no re Ie restriction restriction re- re on the movements of ot his hJ body In delivering the same came s me Imagine the efforts effort of oC wait alt him out ut ut until Walter WaUer wasted nine bU balls bails And picture the chance a runner would pave have Ave to get gel a lead lend if it the there were were no penalty on th the pitcher to for a false m motion U n to o Ir t The cle would be if it any batman batsman bats man man maneer ever er got to first at all aU If Jt such pitching pitching- conditions condition existed t today day Handicapped In Jq it er e every every- way gray pitching tr from m a fifteen en foot greater distance e and nd lab I K under Inci increased a ad d strain due to more more scientifically Uy de developed developed di- di att attack k at bat and nd on on the base linn lines If it is I. no wonder onder the modern rn hurler is la not able abl to work more than once Iq t four u day dys