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Show I SPORTLIGHT 1 Baseball, 1951, Hard on Pitchers By GRANTLAND RICE J A VETERAN pitcher was talk- . lng about the troubles, trials, tribulations and woes that attack modern pitchers. "In the old days," he said, "up to 1920, pitchers were throwing a comparatively dead ball. Frank Baker earned his nickname of Home-run Baker with nine home runs one season. Gil Hodges of the Dodgers already had nine this sea-ion sea-ion before the first month was over. "Today, a flock of ballplayers hit from 20 to 50 home runs a year. So doesn't quite work out that way. With the big purses thrown onto the scene, the art or science or luck of breeding has brought an Investment In-vestment angle to the turf that is sound enough for many breeders to follow with a smile. For example, you can take the breeding farms of George Wldencr's Elmendorf Farm and Dale Shaffer's Coldstream btud at Lexington, Ky. An excited statistician bas figured fig-ured It out that In recent years these two breeding centers have old 374 yearlings. These horses won a total of $5,788,066, an average of $15,476 each. Their Aggregate selling price, we are Informed,, was $3,582,860, an average of $9,579 each. This is an average of some $5,000 per horse profit for the buyer, which In bulk Is m handsome dividend and encourages future sales. For many years Calumet, through purses and sales, passed a $1,000,000 or more rate each year. We have an Idea that no one the pitcher can't afford af-ford to give good hitters a good-looking ball. They must work for the corners, corn-ers, high and low. Also, there are too many short fences or walls where a pop fly is good for a home run. Gr.ntl.no Rxt "There's another matter that works against modern pitching. In the old days most of the good pitchers corn-Dieted corn-Dieted most of their carries. They stable will reach, or come close to reaching, the million dollar mark In 1951. Owner Jack Amiel has already lifted nearly $100,000 from the Derby. Great Rush won close to $150,000 in the Maturity Stakes, but this stable won't win very much more. Certainly, Mr. Amiel has no vision of a big clean-up. Jimmy Jones finally got another win out of Coaltown, but Citation blew another start. You feel almost the same way about Citation as you do about Joe Louis. You remember great years and then to see these two brilliant ex-champions ex-champions floundering. Both at their peaks were rated with the best in the game. Now both have lost stature and prestige by their closing efforts to handle time. No one can handle time except the sun. Even clocks and calendars wear out. were allowed to give up a few hits, bases on balls and runs. But today it's different. After a hit and a base on balls the bullpen gets busy. At least two relief pitchers are hard at work. Somebody comes from the bench to talk it over with the pitcher. pitch-er. The pitcher knows that one more hit or one more pass means his day's work is over. "I know what that feeling Is. , Ton begin tightening up. Ton 1 start steering the ball, or try- lng to steer It. Anyway, all your confidence Is gone. How many time this season have you seen one team nse from fonr to ' six pitchers? It happens a lot. , You're . in a rongb spot when yon know you can't afford to i make one more mistake. Alexander, Alex-ander, Mathewson, Johnson, , Young, etc., never had to face situations like that" It might be whispered, however, that Alexander. Matty, etc.. had a Natural Hitter "Just what is a natural hitter?" I once asked Johnny Mize. "I guess you just like to swing a bat," he said. "I know I always did. I learned to follow the ball with my eyes all the way." Johnny Mize was never a fast or an active man. He had a bad knee when he came to the Cardinals, was sent to the Reds, and came back to the Cardinals. He was supposed to be through with big-league baseball back in 1935. That was 16 years ago. But he'e's the Demorest Demon De-mon back under the Big Tent in 1951, swinging one of the most dangerous dan-gerous bats in the game. The chances are that an odd collection col-lection known as Mantle, Morgan and Mize will have quite a bit to say about the Yankees continued success suc-cess this season. much clearer idea of where the plate is located than most of the modern bunch. Alexander rarely gave anybody a good ball to hit. The same was true of Mathewson, until Matty got well ahead. Knowing he had to work In 40 or more games he always saved his arm when he had a good lead. "Now the outfielders can get in the game," he'd tell you. For example, tn 1908, Ed Walsh worked in 68 games, winning 40 and saving 10 others. Matty worked In well over 50 games, winning 37 and saving eight or ten others. When he pitched that play-off game in 1908 against the Cubs, he could just about lift his arm. Taking Out the Gamble Everything connected with racing Is supposed to be a gamble. It |