| Show 1 II liMy Thirty Years l- l Of Baseball By John J. J M cG raw Christy Mathewson Tops List of f Pitchers on Grand American All J Article 42 r HAVE selected Christy Mathewson to top my staff of ot pitchers forthe for tor I I. I the Grand All American team of ot all time I am Inclined to believe I that ninety nine baseball men out of ot every hundred will agree with me There has never been a pitcher like Mathewson In the past and I do not expect to see another like him for tor the next quarter of of ot a century Men who combine all the coordinated qualities that he possessed possessed pos poe are not born often And there are are few tew who have the trend of mInd that will w develop these unusual QualIties qualities qualities ties that are re given b by birth It was my fortune to be Mathewson's Mathewson's Mathewson's Mathew- Mathew sons son's manager during the years cars of his greatness and I was In Ina a better I position to observe his development perhaps than any other man To my my mind Mattys Matty's reputation will live as long as baseball lives JIves In addition to physical ability Mathewson Mathewson Mathewson Math Math- i ewson had the perfect temp temperament for a great Ireat ballplayer Always he sought to learn something new and ho never forgot what he had learned In the past lie He had everything I strength Intelligence courage andI and I I willingness I MATTYS MATTY'S GREATEST FEAT WAS CONTROL I Earl Early in his career Matty saw the necessity of control and change of of I pace Then Theis he Ito originated the fade fade- I Iwer I away curve cur an other deliveries that were equally puzzling and effective To his ability ab I give a large share of ot I the credit for my success with the Giants especially in the earlier days das II I I I Mathewson's record is so well known I I that I need not go into details I IJohn I John McMahon Sadie Sade he was wasI I nicknamed Baltimore t r r dO Orioles was j res with We me had bad on a the h great old I string of victories to our credit and to McMahon is due a large larCo share or I tho the credit He lie was one of the gamest gam- gam est eat that I ever knew I gam-I He lie had practically everything that a good pitcher needs but his one great quality was yas nerve In the most critical critical I crill-I I cal moments he was waR as cool ool as a cu- cu cumber The harder the fight the i 1 more effective he grew I never knew him to weaken John Clarkson the third pitcher pilcher of I my city all American staff was wan wun the th Chicago club for tor years ears under Cap An- An son Clarkson w v T s easily the most I brilliant pitcher pilcher tf r f his Ma da day There Is no doubt in my his right to a place on oit the list I I AMOS RUSIE WAS ONE I OF GIANTS GIANT'S BEST Amos Rush Rusie the Hoosier Hoosier Cyclone as he be was Vias called was the best pitcher the Giants ever had up to the time of Mathewson His tremendous speed accounts for the nickname of Hoosier While Cyclone C n great He speed came Is usually from I Indiana associated associated t with a fast tast ball ban rather than with a curve Rusie's Rusle's particular greatness great ness nees was the great reat force he could put I behind the tha curve EVen with the count two to and three Rusle Rusie would not notI I hesitate to shoot a curve over the I I pl plate pite te with the speed of a 0 bullet Later t ho be developed a II- slow ball and thin thia J t proved a perfect foil foll for the tIle smoke h he could use If fC necessary Owing to trouble that arose between the Hoo floe Hoosier Hoosier I sier Cyclone and Andrew Freedman owner of the Giants Glants at that time this great speed artists artist's engagement with I New York was curtailed Ills one I years year's absence from baseball proved very Injurious to Rusie's Rusle's rare effectiveness effectiveness and he soon retired from tho the game Amos Amos' is now employed at the Polo grounds In New York As I have havo mentioned before It was the work of I Rusle Rusie and Jouett that boat bent the Orioles In the first Temple cup series They pitched all the games What's more they pitched all the games the last month of the season Walter Valter Johnson of the Washington club is a pitching star whose reputation reputation tion tien for speed challenges that of Ru Ru- ale It Is to be regretted that Johnson Johnson Johnson John John- son never had the good fortune to be beOn beon beon on a championship club Ills His fame would have been greatly enhanced There have been few greater pitchers in all the history of or baseball than thanh Walter Johnson o I shall never forget o h rw otto rt fi fian when we went to Washington V to play an exhibition game with the Senators and anti Josh Devore for tor the first time tim saw the great s Johnson There had l been much among rS' rS al Johnson Is Fastest I j. j Hurler in Big SHOW SHOW- WALTER JOHNSON to whether Walter really had so much smoke or if it was Just ran fan taK DEVORE COULDN'T O T SEE JOHNSONS JOHNSON'S O N BALL Devore a whimsical little fellow walked up to the bat and set himself Immediately Jonnson one by him so fast tast that he didn't even see seethe seethe seethe the ball He looked around sort of ot dazed and as he did so 80 Johnson whipped over another By this time Devore was starin staring in wonder Then Ihen Johnson popped one Into the tile catchers catcher's hands so quickly that Devore didn't get a a. chance to draw back his hat back the Say he said coming to Pf bench shaking h f ft his mh head ao you I ek k know that's s so what t them fellows va vs e been saying about that guy Hes He's got It In n addition i o to his smoke ball Johnson John John- h so son eon lt had fiad a a. wonderful o f t curve Also he ho knew how to pitch He belongs on onan an any all team Addle Joss was another of ot the star pitchers of the American league along with Johnson He was what ballplayers ballplayers ball ball- ballI I players knew as a thinking pitcher joss 1085 was ver very tall taU and had such an easy motion that he could keep keel the ball bail on top of the batter all an the time without the latter realizing that he was being fooled Against Joss Jos' the ordinary batter was always vas on the de defensive defensive defensive de- de Instead of ot the tile offensive He knew the weaknesses of his opponents and played them as a cat would a mouse Addle Joss was In indeed eed a great pitcher He lie was one of the best loved men in the game game- Sadly badly enough he died while still quite young RUBE WADDELL WAS MOST UNIQUE HURLER Rube Waddell was perhaps the most moat picturesque of ot all pitchers as I have pointed out by incidents In previous previous pre pro chapters He was more nor less wan man a I southpaw freaK Nobody Nobody Nobody No No- body ever knew exactly the tho mental process that enabled Waddell to think so eo clearly and quickly on the field an and ana 1 then ten do 10 such Buch nonsensical and freakish things Icings off oft the Held fIeld lucre was wa lover hover like him 1 I am ens Inclined to beleve be- be e lio there r reyer rever er will be The nearest to him In mental characteristics was waa Dugs Bugs though they were in no non noway n way iy alike In Ill pitching Waddell had haa su such such h tremendous speed peed and ami such puzzling deliveries coining coming al always always al- al ways as Ii a II surprise that he was waa practically practicallY unbeatable l When In good phys phy I loal ai condition Waddell always baa haa in the I I game alme ans In the palm of or his hIs' hand IncIdentally Joel IncI dentally th that was a 1 moat most rom remarkable 1 hand had Rubes Rube's left hand was wal so as large larae that he could completely hide a a. billiard bUllard bull in It He lie waa on one of or the few V men inca who could n nako their fingers meet roee around a baseball That gave ave him his hi I steed A baseball to him bIns was like a a. billiard or pool ball to the he I average avera pitcher By being able to com com- c encircle the tho ball with his hla fingers I IW W could put any ny kind of or a 0 twist oa on It 11 that he be desired 1 In a chapter I have havo mentioned mentioned men men- Waddells Waddell's eccentricities One that will always alway live In tho the memories of ot fans was his hi trIck ot of callIng In all the outfield out field and ond Infield wish the exception or of orI I tile the first baseman toman Then he be would wind wied windI I 1 the aide b by strIkIng out the batter or melting making thom them bounce the ball to him Ho Re did that In iii several exhibition games very ry much to tu tho the delight of ot the th fans tan and t th tho satisfaction of ot hlo hIs own sense ense of ot humor Willi Val ol was waa eccentric eccentric did did cue nUl many crazy things dut don't dont set get the tb Im that he lie didn't know what he was waa doing when In the pitcher pitchers box I NI N. alI tram team would be bo complete without Ru Hub BoDe my selections for the Ih theon theone on one greut team lIm of all time In the tha Cu u. u.- I Ch chapters chapter op un 1 will present m my st- st I of the American All 1 I 1 lid and I National All lorgus teams Copyright 1921 1021 United States StUn and Canad Can Can- ada ad b by the Christy Walsh Valah Syndicate I |
