Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-12-07


York Telegram sizes up the new foot.
pail rules: Some facts have already
been established in football.
F1rst-It is a better game for the
spectators than it has ever been. in
That 1t is more diversified, more open.
more panoramic in its display of ath-
letic ability, less monotonous. less rig
orous, and less susceptible to attempts
OF trickery and evasion of the rules.
by reason of severer penalties and the
incorporating attitude of officials
toward any effort to transgress.
Second-The neutral zone, mildly
ridiculed when proposed by Harvard,
is one of the best measures ever pass
ed by football rules committee. The
separation of the contending teams Is
such in each scrimmage that the Off
cials have perfect line on the play
ers, and the spectators, when within
radius Of forty-fve degrees, are able
to see the ball put in play, something
which was almost impossible in the
days of the close formation in scrim-
mage.
Third-The ten-yard gain has de-
stroyed the possibilities of any but
phenomenal team to advance the ball
of the field. 1t is a question whether
even a phenomenal team can do it
The result is frequent exchange OF
the ball. which is exactly what is
needed to continue true sport. What
would a base ball game amount to if
one side were at bat all the innings?
Fourth-The forward pass, the
quarterback run, the quarterback and
the halfback kick, all of which are al.
lowable under the new rules have so
separated the defense that there is a
freedom and variety in attack which
give the lighter elevens spirit to play
and incentive to push their game,
knowing that, when in possession Of
the ball, if they can execute inteleli
gently planned and skillfully conduct.
ed maneuvers, it will not be steadily
incumbent upon them to mass their
lesser avoirdupois against the great
er weight of the opposing side, only
to wear away their strength In we'll
meant but fruitless endeavor
Fifth-Results to the present time
have proved that the game is less dan
gerous to contestants, that it does not
consume so much vitality and that it
leaves it's principals, as a rule, in a
better condition physically. Accidents
have been few, with half dozen ex.
ceptions, and trivial nature among
the regularly trained teams. Acct.
dents cannot possibly be eliminated.
There is danger in game of com.
mon tag.
The greatest number of chances
accepted by any one National league
player this season was LII, taken by
First Baseman Nealson of Pittsburg
in 1874 games, which gave him the re-
markable percentage of 1897. Richie
led the second baseman last year with
1858, and this year is at the head with
1866.
In the absence of anything else to
talk and write about, eastern baseball
men have begun to agitate the old
question of a change in the pitching
distance They say batting would be
helped, and the records prove that
batting is one department of the ma
tional game that has not made any
progress in recent years. The pitch.
ing distance is now 60 feet and a frac
ton. Twenty years ago it was SO feet
The development of speed wonders
like Cannon Ball" King, Amos Ru.
sic and Cy Young had much to do with
moving the twirlers back to where
they are now.
Joe McGinnity, who probably has
given as much thought to the art of
pitching as any man living, maintains
that rule makers have been working
on the wrong theory since the founda-
ton Of our national game.
"The idea of moving the pitcher
back to give the batter an advantage
was erroneous in the first place." said
McGinnity. "As an evidence of this,
the moment they moved US back the
more effective We became. II they
should move the pitcher back to sec.
ond base he would be harder to hit
than ever, provided his arm held out
long enough to get the ball over the
plate"
Indian Joe Gregg, a pugilist well
known throughout the northwest and
who accompanied Kid Scaler of Spo-
kane east last spring, is still fighting
in the large cities in that section. His
last fight was with Kid Farmer in
Philadelphia last Thursday night, get
ting draw in six rounds. The mill
was before the Broadway Athletic
club.