The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-10

ton and to make the rules operative In
| spite Of Mr.. Young's lack of executive
obliged to entirely abolish discretionary de-
cisions and apply mandatory ones where
their proper application is impossible owing
TO the many circumstances which govern
the cases. Club owners may fight and lie
and gouge and cheat ad lib, for aught the
people care. When these club owners begin
the people nearly, Recently the rules have
been amended and not with good Judgment
or in good faith. Had Mr.. Young seen that
the rules We're applied In the spirit as in the
letter, there would nave been less excuse
for amendment. 1t was unwise to repeal
the hit by pitcher base On balls rule which
made a hit by pitched ball tantamoun to
a base on balls. OF course some half dozen
men were expert at getting hit and 1t did
handicap the pitchers a little. But every
pitcher Pitch C wI Is expert at hitting a batter and
summer See If there will not. Every time
anything happens on the bases or any un-
pleasantness crops out, his team mates will
see that the pitcher gets even for them by
hitting the offending party. Then there
Will be the ever present temptation for the
pitcher to scare a batter and render him less
effective by running him away from the
plate. On the whole it Is Il very bad amend
ment. Then the rule which provides that
the pitcher must deliver the ball to the
batter within 20 seconds from tn. time he
receives said ball in the box, is absurd. How
can an umpire keep time2 The pitcher can
wait 10 80 seconds and save himself by
letllIiS HeT go at the last NTH. The umpire
cannot guess the time. as the rules are not
In any sense discretional. They are man
datory. He must hold a watch on him.
The rule which makes the first two balls
space, Is also absurd. 1t was framed to
catch half a dozen batters who foul off balls
and its operation will hurt leo players who
lives. ~
The old rules covered these cases and gave
the umpire discretionary power in ali of
no" En nnft1 ru1I - E-I -
strike and If a batter deliberately got hit
by a pitcher he was not obliged to give him
his base. lie also had the discretionary
power to make players use due energy to
hasten the game along.
instead of urging and demanding that Mr..
Young make the umpires use discretionary
power m the enforcement of these rules
sport itself. that Mr. Young's feelings may
not be hurt by the election of another man
to the presidency. The club-owners are
Mr.. Young of his position. 1t has been
said that friendship does not go very far
In this world. but. in some cases. it seems
to go a lot too far. 1t might be noted with
interest that the American League has not
been obliged to resort to mandatory meas
rres, yet 1t has achieved by proper usage
ministration. all that the National League
hopes TO achieve by drastic and noxious leg
i%siation. The moral Of all this is that alili-
ty. not sentiment or favor. should toid a
man his job. even if it is but a sewer Gig
gers job.
That the new rules will have a nox'ous
effect is clearly apparent. 1t has been
pointed out that the repeal of the penalty
for being hit by pitched ball will leave the
pitcher master of the batter. Ball players
are not in the game for sport. 1t IS for
their bread and butter. In a tight place
and on n ragged edge. the pitcher will not
be particular whether he hits a batter. If
he thinks he can gain a put out and avoid
n base hit he is going TO sam 1t into that
ribs. just as the batter would Dive
it through the pitcher If he can. The bat
tiers who get hit will get angry. and there
may be trouble. While some five or six
men can accept being hit with a nitS1ed
ball with impunity there are some 29l who
cannot and never could accept such treat
ment. But every pitcher can hi. a men.
So. to get at half a dozen men who could ~
cept an inshoot In the ribs with i'nHuriiv.
the National League puts 200 men ut the
mercy of the pitchers. OF course. there are
pitchers, like Cy Yourg. who will not hit
a man under any consideration Such men
be placed at a great disadvantage. for |
the batters. well knowing their dispositions. !
will not be afraid To take charces Nth !
them hv standing close UP to the plate. But
the dirty pitcher. who Will soak a f:
or the wild pitcher. who may soak
. batter. comes along. the batters will be
scared and leary. ana thev viii not hi. @rCtr |
a pitcher as hard as they will 4 good.