The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-06-28
81 EG's Here
ifs Right
FAVOR MORE BATTING
Fans Suggest That Magnates
Change Balls From Four
to Three.

The suggestion that the baseball
magnates win have TO make a change
in the rules next year whereby the
batting may be increased some-shat,
is being seconded by writers in the
east and west 1T was suggested that
reduction Of the number # called
ba Is from four 10 three would about
meet the requirement and even up mat
ters between the batter AMI pitcher,
thus leaving the foul strike rule as it
IS. The New York Sun critic, in COM
menung on the suggestion, says. The
extraordinary number of shut-out
games played in the two major leagues
this season is undoubtedly q result OF
the aids that have been given to Pitch
ers TO enable them TO overcome the
EeaVy batLers and clever h1-nteTs that
have been developed within the past
i've years. Already the Giants have
half dozen shUtOUts TO their credit
and great percentage OF the other
games played have been marked ny
small scores. Every team in the tHC
leagues shows an increase of these
nearly hitless games. The chief factor
IN this successful fight OF TIE tWirler
against the batter has been the foul
strike rule. This rule, enacted ut
time when the supply II gJDd pitchers
did not equal the demuuu, owing 20
ana American leagues. met fully the
object OF its OriginaS)rs. II is still a
good rule, but the increasing frequency
OF shutOuts would seem 20 cali for a
modification of its powers Year hv
year the cunning and EDeed of pitch
ers increases and some of the Clevarest
tWlrlers of the day are young men WEO
have been developed since the rule first
became effective.
Clever base running is as attractive
a feature Of the game ass clever pitch
ms ana the bal-gOing public prefer TO
see more batting than the wizards Of
the box allow at preset a reVeTsi0n
70 the old system of not pcndliZing
fouls is undesirable b'lE compromise
might be effected that would give the
oaJsmen more of q chance to diStin-
gulsh themselves than they have at
present. To call only tie first foul a
strike might meet Jhe situation. The
rule could ana shOdd be modified 10
give the batsmeu some credit for try-
ing to hit, even though the attempt re-
suits in a foul. The foul strike rule
has resulted liz lessening tie length Of
games by about half an hour and it
is popular with the puOliC on this ac-
count. To judge from the trend of
conversation at the games, however,
more batting would be Welcomed by
the fans, even if the contests were
law II OUT SDuEM nat Inc SUGGESTION
to reduce the number OF called balls
TO three is also q good one and de-
serves consideration. The clever bunJ-
ing game developed lC recent years,
especially by left hand batsmen. pre-
JUDGES the abolition Of The fyuI strike
rule, but the maguajes should devise
some method of hamperug the fitch
ers next year to prevent them from
monOpOlizing all the interest of the
game. Tie calling Je only The FIRST
foul a strike would no lOubt make
some difference i'm the batting, as 4
would leave the batsmeu TWO chances
instead of probably one. but in the
case Of called balls It Is still more in
favor Of the baLsmau. Where Tie
pitcher is obliged to pat the BAH over
the plate the chance of the batter hit
ting it is increased greatly and with
only three called balls the pitcher
would have to keep TIE ball going over
the plate or give many bases on balls.
This would result i'm more batting with
out a doubt and it seems TO meet the
approval Of many ic1Euc players.