Baseball instruction book

Front matter

Baseball Instruction Book

F5 Copy 1

HANS WAGNER. Shortstop

CHAPTER 1. Pitching

Developing the Arm. f

Accuracy in Throwing.

Distance for Throwing.

How to Hold the Ball.

Pitcher's Swing. 1

Curves How Thrown. *

Straight Raise or Jump Ball

Improved Spit Ball. g|, "^

In Shoot. * *

In Straight Drop.

Straight Drop Curve.

Straight Out Curve.

Out Raise Curve.

Straight Raise Curve.

A New Curve.

How to Use Curves or Brainy Pitching.

When Pitchers Should Rest.

Caution Against Self Praise.

Caution Against Pitchers Drinking While Warm. Over Confidence Reverses.

Text Book as an Aid.

CHAPTER 2. Build of Players and How They Should Play Their

Positions.

Who Should Catch and How to Catch Behind the Bat First Baseman.

Second Baseman.

Short Stop.

Third Baseman and How the Players Should Back

Up.

How to use the Great Combination Play. CHAPTER 3.

Batting.

Kind of Bat.

How to Strike the Ball.

Batting to Tire and Rattle the Pitcher. Team Batting Practice.

Preface

The Author of this work is a Physical Director and AthleticCoach, has been engaged for twenty-five years as an active player, pitcher, first baseman and coach, and has writen three baseball instruction books. This wide experience should place him in a position to give the plain, scientific, practical points about the game. This is not a book of rules. It is an instruction book, giving the secrets of the game as they have never been given before, explaining the finer points of the game in a systematic and progres sive order. Most baseball books are written on general principles that no one but a professional player can understand.

This book is written to instruct the small boys as well as amateur and professional baseball players. The main object is to give the secrets of the game, to present good, practical points, jnany of which are not found in other base ball books, making them so plain that a boy of ten can understand them. This makes it so much plainer for an amateur or professional player.

Baseball Instruction Book.

CHAPTER 1. Pitching

Tall rangy men generally make the best pitchers, but they are liable to overwork. It takes a strong man with plenty of endurance to hold his own as a sucessful pitcher when he is calied upon to take his regular turn twice a week. But if you have the needful qualifications stick to it through thick and thin, even though at times you are discouraged. By hard and regular training you may succeed in two or three years. Frequently promising young amateur pitchers, after several successful years work, are obliged to resign in favor of some young player who is a better pitcher. One reason that makes some young players better pitchers than others is that during their youth they practiced throwing nearly all the year around, thus keeping the muscles of the arm solid and in good shape to start pitching in the spring. The older a man gets the less he exercises. The same is true with the pitcher who has been through a season or two of hard work. As a consequence he is not in as good a condition as a young pitcher who keeps a well developed arm from constant practice. Too much practice is practically impossible in baseball, as in billiards, chess ,and other games of skill. The best base ball players would rather play than eat. They are and always have been gluttons for practice. The necessity of practice is well shown by the saying of the venerable Mr. Gladstone, "Excellence in any department of life is obtained only by patient and persistent effort/' It is especially true in professional pitching.

Development of the Arm.

Special care should be taken in the gradual development of the arm, for the arm may be easily injured or the shoulder thrown out of place, especially during early spring practice.

Accuracy in Throwing

The first principle to accomplish is accuracy. Accuracy first and speed next. The two combined mean a stride in the right direction, but even if you have all curves and speed you will not be successful without headwork, which may take several years to acquire. You can get good control in a few weeks by careful practice every day throwing over any kind of a plate and being extremely careful to make every ball go just where you intend it to go. Each time you throw the ball, aim at some particular object; the catcher's glove, knee, or any other spot. Never throw carelessly.

Distance to Practice Throwing.

If you practice pitching only a short distance, say forty feet for a month, then go into a regular game, then the batter would seem far away, your speed would be less and you would have poor control. But practice throwing 5 feet

more than pitcher's distance for a month and then go into a regular game, now the batter will seem close, your control will be excellent, and you will be surprised to see how much your speed has increased. Practice regularly this distance until you can throw an average of eighteen out of twenty over the plate. Then and not until then begin the practice of curve pitching.

How to Hold the Ball.

The first essential of ail pitching lies in the best grasp of the hand on the ball. You can use the same or nearly the same grasp for all curves or shoots. The cover is composed of two equal parts; blacken one of these parts and name one end A and the other end B, the middle or narrow part C. Take the ball in the left hand with A on top and C pointing toward you, place the two first fingers of the right hand on A half an inch from the end of the blackened portion with the first finger on the seam to the left and the second finger on the seam to the right; then place the thumb and third finger on B half an inch from the other end of the blackened part, with the thumb on the seam to the left of B, exactly under the first finger, and the third

5 -^ finger on the seam to the right of B directly nuder the second finger, still keeping them all half an inch from the end of the blackened part. It is the most natural and reasonable way to hold the ball. This firm hold more than any other prevents the ball from slipping, even when wet.

Pitcher's Delivery.

Always have the gloved hand on the ball between it and the batter, so that he cannot detect just what kind of a twist is to be given. As the ball is drawn back lift up the forward foot, which is already two feet ahead of the rubber, and bring it up to the other knee until the ball is even with the shoulder; take the foot that is up and the free elbow and throw both forward placing the foot about three feet six inches ahead of the other, the free elbow raises up and forward, and as the ball starts ahead bring the free elbow down. The ball is swung down past the right knee, and around with the whole arm back as far as possible, and then straight up as high as possible, as the ball starts forward, spring towards the batter and just as you are releasing the ball throw the right leg forward as quick and as far as possible not less than four feet, at the same time throw the right shoulder ahead rapidly; in fact the whole object is to throw the right shoulder ahead with a terrific movement, even if you wish to throw a slow ball. Exertion is apparent but it is necessary. This is a natural, easy, scientific swing because the movement not only hides the intended curve but it gives more speed and better control, besides it gives you more of a running start and brings you a trifile nearer to the batter which is certainly a great advantage. In coaching players they usually object to the above swing claiming that it is against the rules to take a few steps while delivering the bail, but by careful practice you can release the ball just before the tip of your toe leaves the plate. Like the pitcher's near balk it can be worked successfully if it is fully understood and faithfully practiced. When you throw the left foot ahead count one, then spring ahead with the right foot and count that two, then step with the left foot and count that three, bring the right foot up even with the left and count that four; keep the heels together, spread the toes, bend the knees well down and extend the hands down between the toes, as if you were after a bunt. You should have released the Lall just as you were springing with the right foot. Vou can follow up the ball the same way when you are using the short swing when men are on bases. This trick of going after a bunt when taking the toe from the plate as the ball is released gives you much more speed, than if you had to keep from getting a terrific start by being compelled to keep one foot on the plate after the delivery, that would be like a squirrel trying to keep his feet on a limb after he had started his spring. Taking a few extra steps is certain ly taking a slight advantage over other pitchers who have not learned to do the same. But no just umpire will object because you do not raise the toe until the ball is leaving the fingers the same as when you are really going after an> expected bunt. It will give you a much quicker start if you follow up the ball just the same when you are really going after a bunt.

Curves— How Thrown.

Hold the ball out in your hand; the farthest part of the ball from you will be called the guiding point, when you throw; if the point goes up fast the ball will curve up, called an up shoot or jump ball, or it may be thrown in such a way that it will be an up curve. If the point goes down fast the ball will curve down. If the point goes to the left fast the ball will curve to the left an out curve. If the point goes to the right fast the ball will curve to the right an in shoot. There are many variations between th points called the out drop, out raise, indrop, and the in raise, etc. Straight Raise, or Jump Ball.

Throw overhanded, and as you let the ball go have the back of your hand horizontal, let the ball roll under the first and second fingers, pull back and twist the hand up to make the guiding point twist up faster. This is a hard curve to learn but if you can make the point twist straight up you can learn it in time. Practice throwing the straight raise at some mark as high as your head. Have some person hold his glove directly behind the left hand corner of the plate about five feet high with his little finger pointing over your head, his thumb perpendicular and holding the glove so that you can just see a little of the palm. He should hold his other hand in the same position over the right hand corner. This makes practically a double mark for the pitcher, not only the plate but also the path over the plate between the catcher's hands, which forms a regular pocket for the ball to be thrown into. The catcher should not move his hands until the pitcher has let go the ball, or it will spoil the mark because pitchers aim just as they are letting go of the ball.

Improved Spit Ball.

This is thrown just opposite to the common spit ball. In place of wetting the fingers wet the thumb. This causes the ball slip quicker off the thumb and by sticking to the fingers more than the thumb. It makes a very tantalizing indrop or incurve and it is especially effective in the straight raise or jump ball.

Inshoot.

This can be thrown in several ways, by the high overhand swing, by turning the hand to the right the last moment and letting it roll out on the inside of the first and second fingers, and by twisting the ball to the right. It can also be thrown by the high overhand swing and letting the ball slip out on the right hand side of the second finger twisting the ball around to the right. But the common way to throw the inshoot is by a long horizontal swing to the right, and when you let loose your first finger will be directly over your second. Make a backward pull and twist fast to the fight. Practice this inshoot as well as all other shoots and curves until you are able to throw an average of eighteen out of twenty over the plate at certain heights that you try to throw them.

Instraight Drop.

Learn to throw straight balls directly underhanded with accuracy before you try this curve. Throw under-

STRAIGHT RAISE or JUMP Ball

Position to throw the straight raise jump ball with the high long arm swing. The short swing straight raise Jump ball is thrown the same way, except the hand does not go as high. The jump ball should be thrown as near as possible like the drop ball, the inshoot like the outcurve and have no swing for one curve without practically the same swing for the opposite curve.

DROP CURVE BALL

Position to throw the drop curve ball with the high long arm swing. The short arm swing drop ball is thrown the same way, except the hand does not go as high.

SHORT SWING Position to pitch when men are on bases. The ball is held well behind the shoulder and the body leans well back. Holding the ball and shoulder so far back saves the time of drawing them back before you pitch. And time saved when men are on bases is very important.

LONG SWING Position to pitch when no men art on bases. The ball is held well in front and the body leans well forward. This gives a free, long swing, which is a great rest from the short arm throw which is necessary when men are on bases.

handed, and when you let loose of the ball the back of your hand should be horizontal. Let the ball roll out on the inside of the first and second fingers, pull back and twist the guiding point down.

Straight Drop Curve

Throw overhanded, and when you let loose of the ball have the back of your hand perpendicular. Roll the ball over the first finger near the end for a fast, quick curve and as far from the end as possible for a slow big curve.

Straight Out Curve

Take a long horizontal swing. Roll the ball around the side of the first finger near the end for a fast quick curve and as far from the end as possible for a slow big curve. You can curve a ball more in any direction by turning well around towards second base and taking the regular long pitcher's swing.

Out Raise Curve

Throw it like the above straight out curve, only throw more underhanded and twist the guiding point up more. Straight Raise Curve

(You should master the in-drop shoot before trying this curve.)

Throw underhanded, use the out curve method. When you let loose the back of your hand should be towards your forward knee. The back of your fisrt and second fingers should be towards the ground. Twist the guiding point up very fast or the ball will not raise.

A New Curve

Do not try to throw this curve until you have mastered the other curves and shoots. This at first curves out with a little drop and then takes a quick drop. A young pitcher once threw a straight raise shoot. The batter hit it directly over the pitcher's head. As it got near he saw that it was an out curve, but when it was nearly upon him to his great surprise it suddenly took a quick drop. He tried many ways to reason it out. Once he experimented with an apple with a string running through its centre. He would whirl the apple and hold both ends of the string, and study how the ball had to turn to make the different kind of curves and shots. Once while the apple was turning fast he held the string with his right hand up and his left hand down. He swung his right hand down and his left hand up and the apple kept on turning, but it had been turning to the right, now it was turning to the left. He concluded that the man who had batted the changed curve had turned the axis of the ball part way around like the apple had turned around on its axis. Then for several weeks he tried to throw an out-curve in such a way that as it was going the axis would change ends or nearly change ends. This led him to try all kinds of twist of his wrist, arm and shoulder. In time he threw an out-curve underhanded, but just as the ball was leaving his hand he would try to turn his hand to throw a drop curve. The under-hand throw had been changed as he released the ball to a sideover hand throw. This, if thrown right, will curve out when you first start it, but if you have been skillful in the effort to change it to a drop just in the nick of time, you will be pleased to see that it quite suddenly changes from an out drop to a straight quick-drop curve. Any good pitcher can throw an underhand out-curve or a straight dropcurve. It is a correct combination of the two that makes the above successful. You can readily see the advantage of being able to throw all curves and shoots under handed as well as over handed. Even if you fail when you practice this new curve, it will benefit you because you will be able to throw much better curves than you could before. Like an Indian club swinger after he had drilled for a long time on difficult movements found when he went back to the simple circles that he could do them much easier and better than before he practiced the advanced work.

How to Use Curves, or Brainy Pitching. If you have good outfield and poor infield players keep the jump ball high and the batter will be more apt to bat flies to the out fielders. If you have poor outfield 'and good infield players keep the indrop low and the batters will be more apt to bat grounders. Always have some particular spot to throw at. You may decide to throw an inshoot close to the batter's neck or a dropcurve that will nearly hit the plate, or an outdrop that looks as if it would strike the batter in the neck, but it curves down and out until it passes over the plate a good strike.

A concealed change of pace is sometimes necessary,but that does not necessitate you to throw a straight ball waist high a good strike which would be a wild pitch. It is poor policy to ever throw an inshoot so that it looks like a ball and then have it curve over the plate, a good strike, because when the batter does strike at such a ball he is almost sure to make a hit. It is better to throw an inshoot even with the batter's neck, as if it would be a strike, then have it curve in close to his neck. Sometimes throw the indrop as if it would be a strike, as high as the batter's knee, then have it curve in near his ankle. It is not as successful as the neckinshoot. It is a very good plan to keep all curves and shoots high, but it is better to mix them up, and throw them high, low, close or wide. When men are on bases never keep the balls low, because the catcher is more apt to have a passed bail, besides he cannot throw as well to bases. A golden rule: Keep the inraise close and high; and keep the outdrop, and straight drop low, also keep the indrop low and close, and keep the straight raise high.

Use curves to batters who take up on their oat, and use speed to batters who take hold of the end of their bat. Suppose you are trying to find out a bater's weak point. There are many good plans. The following may assist you to form other plans: Suppose the first ball you throw to a right hand batter is a straight inraise one inch above his shoulders and one inch inside the plate. If he misses it, give him practically the same thing all the time. If he hits the first one, whether he makes a foul or not, never give him any more speedy high balls. Try him with an outdrop that starts for his ear and crosses the plate at his knees; if he also hits that he is certainly a hard man to handle. You could then try a change of pace and try to have him bat a pop fly or strike the bail close to his hands.

Keep the ball close to the batters, who step in and wide to the batters who pull away. If the man would not strike at the first high inraise, try him with an outdrop that starts for his ear and crosses the plate at his knees. If he misses then give him practically the same thing as long as he does not hit them safely. Whenever you find that a man cannot hit a certain ball, giv*e him that kind all the time until he fouls one, then throw him something else, where he cannot reach it, then give him the same thing that he could not hit. The following experience of a young pitcher shows the folly of changing when you have the batter at your mercy. There was a man on second and third with a score two to one in favor of the pitcher. He had just struck out two men and had succeeded in getting the next batter to miss by several inches two outdrops that started for his shoulder and crossed the outside corner of the plate at his kne^e.s,. I^e would certainly have been the third strike out if the pitcher had given him another outdrop at about the same place, but the pitcher thought he would waste one speedy high ball which went over the center fielder's head for a long home run, which broke up the game and proves that when you are using balls that the batter cannot hit, or even foul, it is foolishness to hand him something else that he can hit. Most batters have some weak point, and when you find it give them practically the same thing all the time.

When Pitchers Should Rest.

Train very carefully. Never throw over fifteen minutes without a few minutes rest, even if you do not feel tired. Train only enough each day to make you stronger on the following day, because if you throw too long without rest it will weaken instead of making you stronger. If you should overstrain; use massage; it is always good for the arm especially if it is lame. Too many strong Nostrums are used for lame arms which in the long run do more harm than good. Alcohol is extra good, or a mild treatment like bay rum, hot water, or witch hazel are often beneficial and cannot injure the arm.

Too many pitchers use their arm after it is lame. At the first indication of soreness rest the arm for the rest of that day and do not under any circumstances throw any on the following day, or you would weaken your arm even if you did not ruin it for life. A young pitcher who was in good training pitched a strong game on Saturday, then pitched a stronger game on Monday. He had fine control and seemed to have more speed than usual, but his elbow pained to bend it. He finished the game, and his arm did not trouble him at all after the game, but he did not recover his speed for over two months, because he pitched hard before his arm had fully recovered from the last game. It may not hurt you much the first time you overstrain, or perhaps not the second time, but a man who continues to overstrain is sure to ruin his arm. Always throw slowly until you are well warmed up. It is in warming up where the pitcher is in real danger of hurting his arm. Even after you are thoroughly warmed up it is not always neccessary to throw with all your might.

Caution Against Self Praise.

When you play well do not tell about it. That is considered bragging by most people. Your friends will surely tell about your fast playing and the least you tell about it the better it will be for you. You can praise other players but never praise yourself. Always leave that for other people.

Caution Against Pitchers Drinking While Warm.

It is natural for a pitcher when heated up by the sun and the great exertion of pitching to drink large quantities of water, but he should never drink ice water. Oatmeal water is better. Then only rinse out the mouth, but if you must drink water never swallow more than a mouthful between innings. Many games are lost because one team.

it -i.L -

and especialiv their pitcher, drinks large quantities of cold water when they are warm. ,

Over-Confidence Reverses.

The best pitchers are sure to have an off day. Just when he thinks he is a dandy then perhaps some poor players, or even boys, will bat him out of the box. When you lose a game, whether you are to blame or not, you will be blamed by every one Even your friends will think that you cannot pitch as well as they thought, which will naturally discourage you. If you want to suceeed as a pitcher or anything else you must be patient and stick to it for many years. See al the good games you can and profit by their mistakes, as well as by their success.

Text Books as an Aid.

Read all the books on baseball that you can, no matter who the author is. You may learn a valuable point from a poor author or even from a poor player. Give all the information that you can, then others will be more apt to give you pointers. If you never help others you will never get much help.

Chapter 2

Build of Players and Covering their Positions. Who Should

Catch and How to Catch Behind the Bat.

The catcher should like his position or he will not make it a success. Tall, large, rangy men who move quickly make the best catchers. He has the hardest and most dangerous position on the team. He should use every precaution to make his position less dangerous; see that his spikes are clean, that he has a well padded glove; a strong well filled breast protector; a strong elastic suspensory belt like the bathing men use; a strong mask with a chin guard and wear strong shin guards. Most foul tips go over the bat; therefore unless the ball is below the knees he should hold the glove above instead of even with the bare hand. It may seem a little awkward at first, but it will soon come natural and he can catch better and save many crippled fingers. The catcher should always be cool and keep the pitcher from seeing the crowd and hearing the ti u 7iult, because the pitcher should be cheered up to keep'his composure. The star catchers are used in every game possible and have a better chance to study batters than the pitcher, who could not stand to be used in every game. The catcher is practically in control of the whole situation. He faces the whole field and can often detect the intentions of his opponents. He has signals with his whole team to catch runners, break up a hit and run game, etc. He must be able to keep the pitcher going at his best. When things start to go wrong stop the game for a minute. Get a shoe untied or fix your glove or your spikes, anything at all but stop the game, then the pitcher and the rest of the team can getsettled down to regular business again and play as well as if nothing had happened. Many games are saved in this way. If the pitcher is not putting enough life into the game return the ball to him with extra speed which will often wake him up, and put more snap into his playing. It is good work under the most trying conditions that shows the quality of a first class player. A catcher should keep his knees slightly bent, which will enable him to start quicker in any direction. The catcher and pitcher should keep in mind who the next batters are, because when men are on bases it is somtimes better to make a great hitter strike at balls that are hard to hit, or take his base on balls, knowing that the next batters are not as good hitters.