Show Baseball Born Years Ago By GRANTLAND RICE IT TT SEEMS RATHER peculiar with baseball rated as the national pastime with the game sweeping the country today that no set et record record record re re- re- re cord of baseballs baseball's beginning Is 11 at hand Abner Doubleday has been credited with taking a commission from the tho dying Lincoln which of ot course never happened Baseball came in before Lincoln or Doubleday were ever known I have had records showing that base base- t ball baU was a game a around r 0 un d 1840 A well-known well g game a m e. e Will Irwin one of Arty our greatest writers writ writ- ers erg and reporters once wrote several articles pro proving v I n g that Gen Abner D Doubleday 0 U b bled l 6 d a l' l had Hlo Rice ice nothing to do dothe with the discovery or Invention of basebalL basebalL base- base balL As Will Irwin is I. the most responsible person Ive I've ever known to go fully Into the subject Ill I'll go along with him Now a worthy reader in Pelham NY sends me a copy of a letter that has been In his bis family since 1833 The letter was sent to Mr William H H. Butler Nathaniel Hall hail athaniel County Pa March 1833 The sender was Charles C. C Cain Here is a portion of the 1833 tetter letter I suppose nowadays you yon play ball baU considerably If I can judge by our conditions up here it is the time of the year to play ball I J think It U was a grea great pity that tha we couldn't teach these lazy rascals to play that beautiful beautiful ful game game Base Base Ball I have seen correspondence be- be ore that proved to me baseball was Has played around 1840 and there were Here fairly good teams before 1850 It is only natural that different of games were played in hose early days It may be that General Doubleday was the one vho measured out the modem modern dia dia- nond but there were many changes ear after year year such such as under under- land and pitching and out on the first ounce No game springs full blown nto oto existence over night This letter to William H II D. Butler Butter Butler But But- ler ter written March larch 22 2 1833 referring referring referring re re- ferring to baseball by Its Us right name Is th the first recorded In Instance Iu- Iu stance glance I know with full luU proof attached This makes baseball US years old which brings It U more dignity and tradition Two Ways to Hit Nit There are two ways way on tap when it comes to the matter of hitting a baseball well One is the system m Nap Lajoie used some ome 40 years year ago The other has a standard bearer bear er in Ted Williams one of the best of the modems moderns I believe in making a pitcher put one over the plate the Red ned Sox Sax star tells teUs you If U a ball is two Inches wide Ill I'll let it go That's why I watt walt so 0 late to swing on many occasions You can tell teU in advance whether a pitch is going to be good wild or near the cor cor- ners nerL Nap Lajoie never liked this I make mako mind mindIn Iy yU m. m up my In advance he said one day before a game came I make up my mind to sock Bock Ute the next Dext one if U it itis U is anywhere close Id I'd just Jud as soon loon swing at a ball eight Inches off oft the plate The main point Is that my mind is all set et to hit this next Dext one Naturally If II Its It's a bad pitch or too wide Ill I'll let It U go But you yon certainly get gd more timing In your swing when you are mentally set to tobit hit bit the next one I 1 never worked much on either theory Ty Cobb said ald J f always always' wanted to hit bit the ball baU as solidly as 81 possible It might be over oveE and too low It might not be over and just the right height There is I. one thing you have to watch in batting That's That your balance keeping your weight back of the swing One of 01 the chief faults In fn hitting la is or over anxiety This makes you throw threw your weight forward too soon Boon As you step Into the ball your bands hands and body must be working work work- big ing together Young ballplayers especially fall faU into this habit of lurching forward forward for for- ward ahead of schedule Their weight is 11 out of place I used to keep an timer old on the bench to tc watch me when I leet get into a slump lump Hed He'd tell me what fault I was committing swinging too fast last swinging too fast waiting fast waiting too long waiting too long long bad bad foot action It would be a smart mart thing thine for lor managers to have a veteran ob observer ob observer server erver on the bench today to check checkon on mistakes or faults In both golf goU and baseball the player can rarely tell teU what he be is N doing when something some ome thing goes wrong Your pro can help you in golf You should hould also elso have a good pro to help helpIn in base bale ball baU |