Clipping:The difficulty of enforcing the pitching delivery rules
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
 |
| Add a Clipping |
| Date | Sunday, May 6, 1877 |
|---|---|
| Text | [Star of Syracuse vs. Chicago 5/5/1877] Before saying anything concerning the game, a few words of justice would be given to Mr. Cone, the umpire. He had nerve enough to tackle an abuse which has this season, more than ever before, threatened to kill the game, and if there were more men like him in the position, the practice would be put down. No one can misunderstand that round-arm throwing instead of pitching is meant. McCormick, the so-called pitcher of the Stars, has now occupied his position two games in Chicago, and he has not complied with the rules on pitching in over five balls in those two games. The rest of the time his delivery has been from just above his hip to the height of his ear. Yesterday he pitched fully half the time with his hand but very little below his shoulder. Mr. Cone saw this, as every other man who sat behind the plate did, and undertook to carry out the rules. He called two “foul balls’ [sic: should be foul balks] in accordance with Sec. 3 of Rule 4, and another would have ended the game, when Higham, who has been allowed to take charge of the nine, threatened that he would take his team off the field unless McCormick was allowed to deliver the ball as he pleased. Mr. Spalding was unwilling to disappoint his audience, and gave way, rather unwisely it seems. There is no doubt that the first blow at unfair pitching, such as McCormick’s unquestionably is, would have been struck by Mr. Cone had not Mr. Spalding objected. It would have been one of the best things that ever happened to the game to rule out and disbar all the throwing, beginning with McCormick. |
| Source | Chicago Tribune |
| Tags | |
| Warning | |
| Comment | Edit with form to add a comment |
| Query | Edit with form to add a query |
| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
Comments
<comments voting="Plus" />