pittsburghpirates

It is really amazing how the players were able to catch the ball one handed with the old gloves that had no webbing or lacing between the fingers. This glove in the photo has longer fingers than most gloves of that time. The ball was not wound as tight as it is today, thus making it a bit softer, what they called the Dead Ball. Therefore, there were few home runs hit and many of the ones that were hit were inside the park. Batters tended to face the pitcher more so that they could see the ball better and then punch at the ball trying to place it between the fielders. The bats had thicker handles, also. Overall, the players were smaller and not as athletic as they are today. They didn't believe in muscle building and conditioning like today's players. In fact, weight training was discouraged because it was felt one would become "muscle bound" and not be able to throw well. This attitude was still popular into the 1960's. I can remember coaches also telling us to not go swimming because it would tire us out for baseball. At any rate, I find it interesting that the bases are still 90 feet apart and the batter is usually always thrown out on a ball hit to any infielder, just as in circa 1900. Today's players are faster, have better equipment, are more physical, but it is still a game of inches. Ruth came along and changed the game. Players started to swing for the fences like the Babe. The ball was wound tighter and other sluggers such as Jimmy Foxx and Hack Wilson emerged. Thanks for these great old photos.

Samuel Howard (Howie) Camnitz (August 22, 1881 - March 2, 1960) was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball and the Philadelphia Phillies (1913[end]) in the National League and for the Pittsburgh Rebels (1914-15) in the Federal League. A native of Covington, Kentucky, he batted and threw right handed. In an 11-season career, Camnitz posted a 133-106 record with 915 strikeouts and a 2.75 ERA in 2085.1 innings pitched. Camnitz pitched briefly with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1904 and 1906. In his first full season in 1907, he had a 13-8 record with a 2.15 ERA in 180 innings, including a five-inning no-hitter against the New York Giants on August 23rd. The next year he went 16-9 with a 1.56 ERA and 15 complete games in 19 starts. With a workhorse approach and an excellent curveball, Camnitz collected three 20-win seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1909-12, leading his team to the 1909 World Series after winning 25 games in the regular season and tying Christy Mathewson for the National League lead winning percentage (.806). Camnitz pitched at least 240 innings for seven consecutive years (1908-14) with a career-high 283 innings in 1909, winning 20 games in 1911 and 22 in 1912. After a 6-17 start in 1913, he was sent by the Pirates to the Philadelphia Phillies in the midseason. He pitched in just nine games for them and had a 3-3 record, then jumped to the Pittsburgh Rebels in the Federal League in 1914 and posted a 14-19 mark. After battling arm problems, he retired from playing in 1915. Camnitz died in Louisville, Kentucky, at age of 78. from Howie Camnitz - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gibson_(baseball)