The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-03-06
TO IMPROVE BASEBALL.
SOGGESTIONS IN THE INTEREST
OF THE AUDIENCE.
what is Said OF some Propositions That
Have Been Made Regarding the
Iitcher. Etc.

There will be In the March calendar a
least one other day not wholly unwort6.
TO be mentioned with March on the lis
OF fate. says the New York Sun. w,
mean. OF course, March z, 1898. On tba
day he meeting Of the National Leagu,
OF Baseball Cranks will be held at tn,
Fifth Avenue hotel; and mighty consti
tutional changes. full Of solemn impor,
and not without effect upon the circu "a
tion OF our soc mt pieces will be deliber
ated. Shall the Diamond be ENLARGED
Shall the pitcher be removed from his
present shrine to intield center, aud his
box be thus disestablIshed Shall the
Flat Bat be discarded Shall the game
be simpifie.. Shall there be "a lucid
definition of "a baik"?
To this last question we say yea and
many OF 'eni, except that lucid dehni-
tion or balk is noi, as far as we know,
within the prrsenG resources of lexi-
geography balk is "a balk. What is a
balk?
In regard to the pitcher: This genius
might well suffer a setback. III the
pitcher were set back, the result would
be. we suppose, that he would pitch balls
which could be found by tbs bat. The
iearped gentlemen who receive more or
less c Ilossai wages for going through
the forms OF playing the now practically
obsolete game OF baseball object to
game tnat sends the fielders hunting.
The Fool Public, which is allowed to
provide the more or less colossal salaries,
likes a batting game. The more the bali
II whacked the greater the Joy of the
spectators. This may not be Science, but
it isa Fact, likewise Fun. The evolu.
tioh OF tue pitcher, who, after inconceiva-
Die DELAYS, tortures, Gil cumspections,
witchcralt, snd damphooiery multitu-
dinols. finally delivered " ball seen
principally by an umpire, has des royed
the gayety OF the benchers. In baseball
as In boxing, IL is the "swat " aud not
the guar that counts. Our best citi-
zens don't expose themse.ves to the
calamities OF the weather, aud the solici-
tations or the score-card demon. for the
purpose OF seeing eigh cen wooienmen
90 the lgnum act Iney want To see the
bdtsinan lift the ball, even IL lie lanes a
uog outside the grounds wi Ia il.
Since the days of Michael Angelo
Nelly, the theory has seemed to prevail
among the Dandles Of the Diamond that
strong men and brave women 70 out for
70 see them be. This is mistake.
Eighteen barler's poles, or Pgovideut
wood yard, are just as cheerful and at
tractive as the conventional baseball col
lection of sticks. In baseball, people
want motion, not rest. liz setting the
pitcher ia * will contribute To- tae poetry
of the motion, back let him go. He can't
20 too far back. The pitcher has as
serted himself too much. We deprecate
violence. but IL must have occurred to
that the supply of pitchers
might be reduced with advantage,
=. As for the pitchers box. we advocate
soaking" the pitcher, or else he should
be put Underground, and be allowed to
come up aud throw ball At the bat ana
retire until the bali has been returned to
hun. The conspicuty of his box has had
4 deteriorating effect upon his minor
morals. He acts too muca; he pitches
too little.
Without wishing to suggest radical
cha anges, we may be allowed TO favor the
abolition OF the lay pi cner; likewise of
.he catcher in the mask. There is no us
or catcher. He is useful at times AS a
,hrower, but why should he b. expected
o catch? A good soiiu fence that reflects
he growing surliness OF the pitcher Is
prefer bic. A pitcher that makes a real
,alk snouid be slain in his box or made
IN umpire.
Let us Lave improved baseball.