Show Baseball Born 1 66 Years Ago Ado By GRANTLAND RICE IT TT T SEEMS RATHER peculiar with baseball rated as the national pastime with the game sweeping the country today that no set record record record re re- re- re cord of at baseballs baseball's beginning is at hand Abner Doubleday has been credited with taking a commission from rom tho the dying Lincoln which of at course never happened Baseball came in before Lincoln or Doubleday were ever known I have had records y showing that baseball baseball base base- x y X I ball was a game around 1840 A well known g game a am m e. e Will Irwin one of ot 3 our greatest writers writers writers writ writ- ers and reporters t once wrote several articles pro proving v in g that Gen Abner D Doubleday 0 ubI e day had f it i n Rice nothing to do with w-th the discovery or Invention of ot base base- ball As Will Irwin is the most responsible person Ive I've ever known to go fully tully into the subject Ill I'll go along with him Now a worthy leader reader in Pelham N. N NY Y sends ma me a copy of ot a letter that has been in his in-his his family since 1833 The letter was sent to Mr William H. H Butler Nathaniel Hall Nathaniel County Pa March 1833 The sender was Charles C. C Cain Here is a portion of at the 1833 letter I suppose nowadays you play ball considerably If It I can judge by our conditions up here it is the time of the year ear to play ball I think it was a great pity that we couldn't teach these lazy rascals to play that beautiful ful game game Base Base BallI Ball Bal I have seen correspondence before before before be be- fore that proved to me baseball was played around 1840 and there were fairly good teams before 1850 It is only natural that different types of games were played in those early days It may be that General Doubleday was the one who measured out the modern diamond diamond diamond dia dia- mond but there were many changes year after year year such such as underhand underhand underhand under under- hand pitching and out on the first bounce No game springs full blown into existence over night This letter to William H. H Butler Butler But But- ler written March 22 1833 re re- referring referring referring ferring to baseball by its right name Is the Ute first recorded In Instance Instance Instance In- In stance I know with full proof attached This makes baseball years old which brings it more dignity and tradition Two Ways Was to Hit There are two ways on tap when it comes to the matter of at hitting a baseball well One is the system Nap Lajoie used some 40 years ago The other has a standard bearer bear bear- er in Ted Williams one of at the best of at the moderns I Ul believe in making a pitcher put one over the plate the Red Sox star tells you If uIt a ball is two inches wide Ill I'll let it go That's why I wait so late to swing on many occasions You can tell in advance whether a pitch Is going to be good wild or near the cor cor- ners i Nap Lajoie never liked this system I ClI make up my mind mindIn In advance he said one day before a game I make up my mind to sock the next one if It ItIs it itIs itIs Is anywhere close Id I'd just as soon swing suing at a ball baIl eight off oU the plate The main point Is that my mind is all set to hit this next one Naturally If It its it's a bad pitch or too wide Ill I'll let it go But you certainly get more timing in your tour swing sting when you are mentally set to hit the next one I ItI never worked much on either theory Ty Cobb said I ItI always wanted to hit the ball as solidly as possible It might be over and too T 1 b 1 rt 1 t low luw V. It L 11 mfg nii LA Uk t not Ut ue a over an JU lus H the thc right height There is one thing you have to to watch in batting That's your balance keeping your weight back of the swing Ono One of the chief faults In hitting is or over anxiety This makes you ou throw your weight forward Convard too soon As you ou step Into the ball your hands and body must be bo workIng workIng workIng work- work Ing together Young ballplayers especially fall into this habit of at lurching forward forward forward for for- ward ahead of schedule Their weight is out of at place I used to keep an timer old on the bench to watch me when I get into a n slump Hed He'd tell me what fault I was committing swinging too fast swinging too fast waiting fast waiting too long waiting too long long bad bad foot action It uIt would be a smart thing for managers to have a veteran observer observer observer ob ob- server on the bench today to check checkon on mistakes or faults In both golf goU and baseball the player can rarely tell what he is doing when something something something some some- thing goes wrong Your pro can help you in golf goU You should also have a n good pro to help in basebalL baseball base- base baseball balL |