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Show GREAT PITCHER WHS T1EE-FKR BROWN Release by Cubs Marks Passing of Remarkable Figure in Baseball. By Tribune Special Sport Service. NEW YORK, March 24. The passing of Mordecai Brown, who was handed hts unconditional un-conditional release by President Welshman Welsh-man of the Cubs a short time ago, marks the outgoing of one of the greatest slab-men slab-men who ever graced a National league diamond. Brown wiLl probably never pitch another gamo In a major league uniform. The , trusty old salary wing has stiffened some- ' what under the strain of long se -vice, but his name win go down in baseball rumMld along with those of other great atais. Regardless of the fact that lie iau red under the handicap of having but ihi-;e fingers on his pitching hand, he was one of the most capable hurlers that baseball base-ball lins ever produced. Brown did all of his pitching minus his foiefinger. And the forefinger of any plnyer'y hand is the most valuable rf all hia digits. But those who played with and against Brown came to the conclusion during his heyday in the majors thai he was n:cre effu':t;ve without that forefinger, as there arc. Tew, if any. pitchers on record who have boasted boast-ed of better conirol. On top of th's Brown was a steady fielder, and he could throw with swiftness and accuracy to any of the i ases. Brown at his best was always accounted the most reliable of pitchers in Ll-a National Na-tional league. He was game to the core, and he knew how to use the grav matter that nature gave htm. In the tight places there was never a cooler pitcher than Brown, and he generally showed to the best advantage when his club had most at stake. As a .-judge of batsmen there were few who cculd hold p. candle to him. He had an uncanny habit of knowing what to throw to the batter and when to throw It. He stTiMed batters always, and when he faced a batsman who was new to him he had no peer when !t came to getting a quick line rn that batter's weaknesses. It is generally the fellow who pulls the unexpected in a gpme of ball that gets by. Brown had this trait. He was never afraid to take a chance. He would gamble gam-ble with the b:ttier and he never forgot for a moment that he had the edge, fcr .there weie eight men behind him and he generally knew uist where the old apple ap-ple was going when he cut loose. Another thing that made Brown's pitching pitch-ing success more remarkable was the fact thEtt he never was gifted with an arm like Walter Johnson, nor the varied curves that other pitchers are capable of uslnpr because they have all of their dibits to help them out. Me had the old "rouiid house" and a grooci change of pace, and .hese, coupled with wonderful conirol and a good head, n:adc it possible for him to rank amontj the t op-no tchers. Hrovm :ol his first real lea-ziie experience experi-ence with the Terre Haute club of the Central leasee, and lie was soon grabbed by the Cardinals, from which club the Cubs got him in 1 f)0-t. For I wo years Brown was regarded as a pitcher of or--linary efficiency, but from 190t on his name was coupled with those of other major ma-jor league stars. |