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Show PITCHER'S TASK NOW EASIER, SAYS D1NEEN Arbiter Takes Lively Ball Into Consideration. "Pitching In the majors Is a far easier Job today than it was 10 or 15 years ago," remarks Bill DIneen, former star pitcher, now an American Ameri-can league umpire. "In making such a statement I am taking Into consideration the lively ball now In use. A great many fan believe the rabbit ball has made pitching pitch-ing more difficult. My observations are otherwise. "With the lively ball a pitcher with ordinary stuff who can mix them up has a good a chance to win, often a better one, than some pitcher with twice as much stuff. "My main reason for believing that pitching today is easier than years ago is that nine out of every ten batters bat-ters who step to the plate are up there to take their healthy swing. A majority of the batters are always swinging for extra bases. "The percentage of good lead off men has dwindled greatly In the last 10 years. There are few batters who wait the pitcher out to the limit. Incidentally In-cidentally the players who mix up their batting style on the pitcher are greatly in the minority. "Johnny Tobln, of St. Louis, and Jamieson, of Cleveland, are two American league batters who give the pitchers much trouble. They look 'em over carefully, take a healthy swing when they get the pitcher Into the hole, bunt well and drag the ball down the first base line In a most annoying manner for the pitcher and first sacker. "In the old days there were plenty of batters of that style. That kind of batter made pitching a tough Job. It's different now, as most of them are up there to take a swing. "If I was a pitcher these days my big aim would be to get the ball over. Control Is a greater asset than ever with the lively ball in use. Get the ball over, but keep it where th' batter doesn't like it "The fellow with control can constantly con-stantly keep the batter in the hole, and that's the big thing In pitching." |