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Show IPS! td L:JS PC f. t A THE eyes of a smart catcher should be able to study batting form at closest range. This being true, Bill Dickey's slant on Ted Williams is worth noting. Dickey was working in Hollywood on the Lou Gehrig picture when the argument was started about great hitters. "In my opinion," Bill said, "Ted Williams last season was the greatest great-est single-year hitter I ever saw, and I've been around quite a while. I've also seen a lot of good ones, or better bet-ter than good, "But Williams in 1941 was super-good. super-good. I worked on him with our pitchers in something like 22 games and I know what a tough job it was to get him out or keep him off the bases. He was always a hundred per cent poison." What Makes Great Hitters? "What were the main factors in the Williams swing?" I asked the Yankee catcher. "There were a flock of main factors," fac-tors," Dickey answered. "In the first place, you just can't get Ted to hit at a bad ball even one only an inch or two wide. He must have eyes like a hawk. You've got to get it over or he'll wait and walk. Time and again I've seen him let balls slip by that couldn't have missed the plate by more than an inch. "In the second place, Williams has a great pair of hands, wrists and forearms. Weighing only 170 or maybe 175 pounds, he has almost as much power as the Babe and Lou used to have. His timing is perfect. per-fect. He seems to wait until the ball ijjp ' ' I it " V f y TED WILLIAMS is almost in your mitt before he swings. I've never seen a hitter who could wait longer before taking his cut Few can do this. Everyone Every-one is a little too anxious at the bat and quick hitting or swinging is a general fault But not with Ted Williams." No Weak Spots "Another thing about Williams," Dickey continued, "is that he has no weak spots. We've tried everything every-thing against him keeping them low keeping them up fast balls and slow balls curves and everything every-thing else. But his bat seems to be in the road, no matter what he is served. "Remember, Ted is still a kid around 23, as I recall it. There isn't any telling how many records he might have broken if there had been no war. "Joe DiMaggio is another great hitter who knows how to wait on a pitch. Joe also keeps a pitcher at work. He hits at few bad balls and you never see him rushing any swing. I've heard that good timing was simply taking your time, and that seems to fit both Williams and DiMaggio." Another Good Year It might be noted here that the Arkansas Sniper is apparently headed head-ed for another big year. "I'm feeling physically better than I have felt in a long time," Bill said. "I'd like to catch another hundred hun-dred games again and I'd like to get back in the 300 class. ' It might be remembered that Dickey broke all major league records rec-ords last season by catching 100 or more games for the 13th time He came to the Yankees around 1928 and the tall Arkansas entry has been a mighty factor in the Yankee march ever since. Always a great hitter in the clutches, Dickey's main suceess has been in the matter of handling young pitchers or any brand of pitching. You never see him excited or upset, up-set, no matter what the crucial spot In the midst of wild and turbulent innings Dickey remains cooler than the heart of an iceberg. His knowledge of rival batters is astonishing He can tell you the weakness and strength of every hitter hit-ter in his league His pitchers can take his Judgment Judg-ment in full confidence. He has a soothing influence on the young entry, en-try, a vital factor in the way of control. con-trol. "There is much more to pitching ihan a strong arm, much more than peed and a curve ball," he tells ' you. "A Dig part of pitching is put- j ting the ball where you want it. I've eeen more than a few smart pitch- j ers, with little left in the old arm, i tie up batters by fine control, pitching pitch-ing to the right spots." Bill figures the easiest job he has is handling Red Ruffing. j |