Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-08
PLAYERS WANT
THE RULES CHANGED.

The average ball player In either of the
big major leagues is in favor of a change
In the rules that will bring about an IN
crease of batting says the New York Sun.
Pitchers, of course, are not included In the
list, but many Of them AT that would prob
ably welcome some sort of an innovation
that would remove the terrific strain caused
by the large number of close games that
inquire nowadays. The foul strike rule ii IS
admitted by ball players, has killed batting
to a great extent. The players say that
the rule has enabled the pitchers to hold
complete mastery over the hitters until ball
games are in numerous instances dull and
embarrassing. Yet the magnates who frame
the rules from year to year, without con-
sulting the players. insist that the foul trike
regulation has been a benefit to the sport
In that 1t has made the games faster if
nothing else. Clark Griffith, John McGraw
George Davis, Edward Barrow, Tim Hurst
and other well-known base ball men who
are spending the winter here do not hesitate
to say that there should be more batting
and that the rule makers of the two big
direction.
The foul strike rule should be modified, -
said George Davis yesterday. 1T Is mani
testify unfair to the batsman, for the reason
that the pitchers have them in the hole be-
fore they know it. AS a matter of fact, q
batsman gets only one fair strike at the
ball. which is, indeed. q severe handicap.
To call a long hit that goes over the left
field three or four feet outside the foul line
q strike Is rank injustice and an absurd
ity. The rule should be so changed that
only foul bunts could be called strikes
Then the comparatively few hunters would
be kept in check when they resorted to in
territorial fouling, while other hitters who
cannot bunt at all would have a fair break
when they toed the plate"
There ought to be a marked increase in
the batting" declared Griffith, after Davis
got through. II believe the foul strike rule
should be abolished, or there should be some
change that would lessen the pitchers eff
fectiveness. The public wants heavy hit
ting and plenty of run making instead OF
the exhibitions of weak stick work that
were an everyday feature of the major
league games last year. 1t is up to the
rule makers to do something"
McGraw has always been opposed to the
foul strike rule, although his New York
team contains several expert hunters. Will
lie Keller. always crack batsman, de-
clares that unless there Is a change the
until man who succeeds in batting more
than 300 will be regarded as a phenom-
enon. Tim Hurst. who has had much ex-
perience as an umpire, unites In the opin-
ion that the weak hitting of the big teams
will In time cause many patrons to turn
their backs on the game. If the rule
makers should put the question to vote of
the players and the public it Is probab
that they would readily learn that reform
in this direction is generally desired The
rule makers are, with one exception, theor-
lists who have never had practical expert
seems rather odd that they conduct their
business regardless of the ideas of men who
have played the game and know what is
detrimental to the sport