The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-29
HANLON DEFENDS
FOUL STRIKE RULE
Star Batters of Former Seasons
Are the Men Registering
Kicks.

President Harry Pu1liam has issued
call for the annual winter meeting of
the National league, which will be held
in New York the first week in Deem
Der. 1t is probable that the foul strike
rule will be discussed at this meeting.
The rule was fathered by Edward Han
Ion, and has been in vogue in the Ma
tional and Eastern leagues for three
seasons, and last summer was adopted
by the American league.
When the rule was first put in force
there were many objections to it, espe-
cially by players who Invariably hit
toward left field. The rule is for the
purpose of preventing players like VIII
liam Keller, Jesse Burkett and Roy
Thomas, the three most expert bats
men in baseball, from deliberately
fouling ball so as to wear out and
worry a pitcher and at the same time
delay the game AS the season wore
on batsmen who were not adept at
purposely fouling accidentally fou1ed
balls, and thus had their chances of
making fair hit spoiled, and they
Joined in the cry against the rule.
Hanlon successfully fought In favor
of the rule at the two regular National
league meetings which followed, but
now after one years trial in the Amer
lean league, the players who had
jumped from the National to that
league and had failed to live up to
their batting standard raised the cry
against the rule, and the magnates of
that organization are inclined to listen
to their appeals for return to the old
rule.
Keller who in the National league,
even under the foul strike rule, batted
around .345, wants the rule changed, as
his average was only 1926. He was sup
posed to be the highest paid player in
the American league last season, and
he fell far below his average. Larry
Lajoie is another player who objects
to the new rule. In 1902, under the old
rule, he batted with a percentage Of
1853. and his percentage this year under
the new rule was .344. This makes a
difference of % points, but Lajoie was
i'll at the beginning of the season, and
did not bat up to his standard. Hans
Wagner, of the Pittsburgs, says he
has no objection to the foul rule. Put
'em anywhere near the plate and I'll
find it and keep it in fair ground" says
Hans. Jesse Burkett, who led the Ma
tional league several years ago, with a
batting average close to $50, had a
percentage of only 1903 this year. This
may be accounted for by the fact that
Burkett quite frequently tries to bunt,
and many of his efforts are fouls. In
nearly every instance where a player
in the American league played under
the old rule in 1902, and in the same
league this year under the new rule,
his batting has fallen off, especially
among the 800 batters, from 80 to Ii
points
1t is natural for a player who is a
star batsman, and whose batting av-
erage has been cut by rule not to his
liking, to raise an objection, but
among the majority Of players, espe-
cially among the pitchers and catchers,
it is the opinion that the new rule has
worked satisfactorily to ALL Hanlon
declares that the rule favors no indi-
vidual player, with possibly the ex-
ception Of the pitcher, and as much of
the success of a team depends On this
individuals work, he is in favor of
giving him the benefit of sharing the
most of the glory. Han1on says the
rule is here to stay, and though a few
disgruntled ones who have failed to
make good with the stick are crying
against it, they will eventually become
reconciled to the fact that there is luck
in baseball, and next season these
players who are the biggest kickers
may bat far above their mark.