The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-11-14

With only nine players batting 300 or
better in the American league and only
seven in the National league, with so
good record it must be beginning to
dawn upon the rule makers that some
legislation is necessary which viii give
, the patrons of the game more batting.
There is a general demand for it, and
it remains for some one to devise FEAST
BILE methods for placing handicap up
on the pitcher.
Time and again has the twirler been
Handicapped, only to overcome them.
and in very short time to regain the
upper hand over the batsmen.
Each year the batting is growing less
until we are now confronted with con-
dition under which player who bats
$50 must be considered a good bats
man.
That the foul strike rule had it's eff
feet on the batting is not to be denied.
and this season the development of
what is known as the spit ball has
further initiated against the most
pleasing feature of the game-batting.
The spit ball, a delivery which
causes the ball to shoot downward and
is, therefore, unhittable, has been used.
in the minor leagues for some time. Ell
mer Stricklett is supposed to have dis
~, al
which he attained through its use soon
attracted general attention, but it was
not until this year that it was used in
the major leagues. and the result is
that batting has been weaker this year
than ever before.
Many suggestions have been made to
increase the batting, but it remains for
the rules committee to select the prop
err plan. But the necessity for legis-
lation which viii increase the batting
is too apparent fer argument. The
spit ball has come to stay for no
legislation could prevent it's use.
The suggestion that the pitching dis
tance be increased does not find many
advocates because it would prevent a
pitcher from working often and would
have a detrimental effect on base run
ming, because the pitcher would then be
in a position to better watch the first
base.
The foul strike could be omitted from
the rules, but that is not likely to occur
because the National league and the
American league could never agree
about it. Some advocate the equaliza-
ton of the balls and strikes while
others suggest the present plan be re-
served and that a batter be given four
strikes and only three balls.
Editor Flanner of the Sporting News
makes a suggestion which seems to hit
the nail on the head. Mr. Flanner
wants rule 81 to read as follows:
"A fairly delivered ball is a ball
pitched or thrown to the bat by the
pitcher, while standing in his position
and facing the batsman, that passes
over any portion of the home base not
lower than the batsman's hip, nor high
er than his shoulder For every such
delivered ball the umpire shall call one
strike
Restrictions of the limit of a fairly
delivered ball to one-half of the space
which has been allowed for many sea-
sons will benefit the batsman in two
way 1.-IilI VI OSIS1iSS Will NC
creased one-half and the 'spit'' and
drop and Iow-curved ball will be prac
tically done away with. But the loss OF
these deliveries will not put the pitch
ers, always alert and resourceful, at
the mercy of the batsman, for, obliged
to rely upon speed and change of pace,
he will develop the first and perfect
the other.
The advantages from the spectators
standpoint will be manifold There will
be free hitting. activity on the base
lines and difficult fielding chances. The
nonotony of the game-frequent
change of sides without the develop
ment of play that enthuses-will dis
appear and every inning will have its
feature. Patrons never tire of attrac-
tive baseball and the demand for short
err games came when the pitcher OBJ
tanned the mastery and runless innings
palled on the people.
Patrons will accept this innovation as
readily as they did the foul strike rule
and their satisfaction over the results
it viii bring will insure its popularity.
The only objection that can be advanc-
ed against the proposed amendment to
rule 81 is that it will bring more bat
ting in the game-something that pat
rons have demanded and magnateS
favorcd wears