The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-07
HELPS THE MILLERS.
Foul Strike Rule Betters Chances Of
the Minneapolis Team, Says
Wilmot'
Clubs With Strongest Pitchers Will
Be the Ones Most Helped
by the Law.

any minor league. clup ever nad ana
think the foul strike rule makes them 40 |
per cent stronger" said Manager. Wilmot |
of the Minneapolis baseball team yester-
day. 'sWhy do 1 think the rule will ben |
eft us more than the other teams? Sim |
ply because more fouls are hit or the
more effective pitchers. The secret OF
success in pitching, Of course. is not 10
let the batter meet the ball fairlyf When |
the twirler has good speed and controi |
the batter will fail to land squarely on
the pigskin, and the first thing he knows
there. are one two strikes on hi1n.
Then the pitcher has chance 10 slip one
past him and get a strike out,
The three great departments or the
game are pitching, fielding ana oattlns; |
The clubs that are strong in pitchers VIII
be helped by the foul strike rule. While
the ones that depend merely on battlnS
strength will be at a disadvantage. Ihe
fielding will not be affected one way or
the other. We have the strongest pltch-
ers. so the rule will help us most. So
far as it's effect on the game from the
spectators point of view,is concerned 1t
shortens up the game from fifteen to
twenty-five minutes, anti makes it more
lively. On the other haad 1t keeps down
batting, and lot of the fans like to sec
free hitting game {S
The Minneapolis infringement has re-
ceived the signed contract of Pitcher
Stimmel. All the me nannouncer to play
with Minneapolis this season have now
affixed their sigma lures to contracts. Inc
list includes Stimmel. St. Vrain, Katoll
Vasbinder. Sporer. ENewlin, Martin, Sla-
gle and Ford, pitchers; Yeager and i4ud-
wig. catchers; McCfeery, first base; Oyiero
second base; Schmeer, shortstop; Mc1n-
tyre, third base; Qullin, shortstop; Will
mot, Lippert, Lahy and Sullivan, out
fielders. and Roliil, utility man.
In the case 'of 6one of these men. how
ever the contract is scarcely worth the
paper it is written on. Schmeer is now
practicng at San Jose, Cal. with the
= Portland team of the outlaw Pacific coast
team, and undoubtedly intends to jump
The management has lines out for three
men, any one Of whom can fill the va
cant position in the infield acceptably,
and out of the trio should land at least
one. F I.
Dale Ge;t of Kansas City, speaking not
as magIate but as a player, says the
time is T5e for the Players Protective
associat1E to put itself on sound basis: ;
Now thai the war is over, and salaries
may be expected to sink to a normal
level. Gear thinks that players union
could do much to prevent contract jump
ing, and better the game in many ways.
Gear thinks each of the sixteen large
leagues of the country should be repre-
seDted in the union; the smaller ones by
one delegate each on a governing board,
and the major leagues by possibly two
delegates each. This governing body,
electing it's own officers, could consider
all grievances and adjust claims and could
accomplish much more than a big, un-
wieldy body.
Gedr also thinks the players should
be represented on the rules committee.
Said he: THE player is the person who
plays the game and knows what is best.
Take some Of these magnates who haven't
played the game for fifteen years, yet
on sitting on the bench expect to be
able to frame up rules which will benefit
tht game. The players should be repre-
sented on the rules committee by all
means - .'-
President Havenor of Milwaukee be-
leves in equality for all clubs in base
ball league. Have1tor would like to see
rule passed by the American association
whereby the losing clubs Of the organi-
zation would be reimbursed at the close
Iof the season from the league sinking
fund He maintains that if this were
! done managers and club owners would
make no effort to cut down expenses to-
ward the end Of the season. when it be-
came apparent that the club in question
had no chance to finish in good posi-
i ton. He figures that the managers would
work all the harder to- strengthen their
teams, thereby making the last days of
the race more interesting. This also would
prevent any clubs going to the wall dur
ing the season, BECAUSE the owners would
be assured that their losses would be
made good. .rr ~t
Does Havenor see breakers ahead al
ready? -@r. .aa # Z --l 49,. .
The new president of the Nationa
League, who is evidently a man of more
force of character than Nick Young, dis.
plays symptoms of a genuine desire tc
1.ol Ia
field. .Pulliam does, not want to be a fig.
. urehead in this Sespects and at the meet
ing in New York Wednesday suggested
that instead of reporting to the boart
of directors on questions of rOwdyisn
and finding fault with unpires, he be in
vested with powers to take immediate
steps himself toward squelching outbreak
on the field This authority was given b!
the league and Pulliam will now follow
Ban Johnson's methods.
This is most refreshing sign after th
way in which certain captains have beer
allowed to bulldoze National League um
pres during the last lew years.
Billy Keeler considers baseball a goo,
profession for young man to follow
and says in support of his position: =5&
"I can't think of ANY reason why :;
young man, if he has the ability to- be {
good one should not become aSprofes
sional baseball player. 1 have neve
heard of anything else that Will bring il
as much money for six months work il
a. year as ball playing will. Then ther
is the opportunity to travel all over tn
country, which is Of great advantage to
young fellow. There is nothing to pre-
vent a man studying for profession
while he is playing ball and earning none
enough to support him in winter while at
tending school or college. Brains coun
in baseball every time Look at John N
Ward, Jim O'Rourke, Harry Taylor. Mix
Sullivan, Hugh Jennings. Ted Lewis
teacher of English at Columbia. There ar
Doctors Bushong, Baldwin, Newton, Case
and many other lawyers and doctors
could name 100 ex- baseball players VIII
saved money enough to goSinto bushes
when they retired and are now prosper
Gus. There are any number Of men VIII
will play ball the coming season VIII
have money invested in business and
property that brings them good returns
I read recently where Billyspinneen Of til
Boston club had been offered $4,000 fc
bought with money earned playing sbal
Ball players are SO much IN demand jus
now that any young player of ability ca
very soon earn Il goodssal lar.Ss ;E]f
The American league base hall magnate
held their second days session at Ne
York yesterday. For nearly three hou
the magnates discussed fheireports of ii
various committees and 3en adiourne