The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-24
Foul Strike Rule Is Beginning
to Hurt the Game.
According to an Authority on
the National Sport.
GAMES ARE TOO SHORT
Public Can Stand Two Hours If
They Have Hitting.
A Shut-Out Should Be q Rare
Thing in Big Leagues.

Boston, May 24.-Dr. Nichols, the ad-
visory coach of the Harvard team, says
that the foul strike rule will kill the
game in the major leagues, and gives
as a reason the fact that teams are
finding it almost impossible to make
runs against a frst-class pitcher, back
ed up by good teams.
Another argument against the foul
strike rule offered by the same man is
that the games are too short when the
pitcher has so much the best of it, as
the public can stand a two-hour game
if they see good hitting, and baseball
without batting soon becomes a tire
some sport.
Take the case of Cy Young this sea-
son, who has pitched six full games,
and in every game was forced to ex-
tend himself every minute of the time
he was in the box, as the champions of
the world were able to score but 10
runs in those six games-less than two
runs to a game-and yet won four of
them.
Young prevented his opponents from
scoring in As straight innings. Cleveland
broke the spell and won the game by
scoring three runs in the eighth in
ming of the game last Tuesday. Here
was three weeks that the Boston pitch
err went without being scored against,
and in all that time he was only pitch
good curves and a perfect knowledge
of his opponents weakness.
Other pitchers are getting away with
phenomenal records. and all helped out
with the foul strike rule; and, While it
takes much out of the hands Of the UNI
pires and is undoubtedly a fine thing
for the minor leagues, it is certainly
the one advantage handed to the pitch
er which is helping him to make a won
derful record at the expense of the
game as an attraction for the general
baseball public.
A shutout should be a rare thing in
baseball where the picked batsmen of
the whole country are employed to give
their best efforts to this department of
the game. Not only are the fine strik-
erS unable to hit the star pitcher, but
even find it hard work to hit the ball
hard. and clean when stick work is call
ed for. Baseball must be uncertain to
hold the public, and the batsmen must
not be handicapped. By cutting down
the number of balls to three and cut
ting out the foul-strike rule there would
not be one shutOut where there is five
at the present time, and it would mean
something. The rulemakerS have a
serious problem to solve and keep up
with the times by giving the public
better run for their money than some
phenomenal pitcher to exhibit once or
twice week.
In the early eighties the pitchers
were allowed to jump about the box
from so feet away until the batsmen
became phazed and the exhibition be-
came distasteful to the public, who re-
fused to attend the games, and many
thought at that time that the sport
had but a few years to live. The pitch
ers were then forced to keep thei1 feet
on the ground, pay some attention to
the lines of the pitchers box and later
obliged to pitch go instead of so feet,
until the batsmen were encouraged and
the public once more warmed up to the
game. The foul-strike rule was all right
for the National League after the most
of their star players emigrated to the
American League, but now with both
of the major leagues growing stronger,
and the American League especially
strong, something must be done to give
the batsmen a chance to get on bases.