The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-27
JAKE STALLS IDEA
To Have Center Field Fences
Painted Green.
BIG HELP TO THE BATTER
Proposition to Compel All American
Club Owners to Have 90 By 20
Up at Coming Meeting In Nesy York.
Admfres white Sox's Spirit.

4 movement has been started in the
American League to compel the club
owners 10 have painted on their center
field fences "a green space, 9 by % feet.
20 aid the batters in gauging the pitchers
,feIi-ery.
Lest summer Jake Stahl had the adver-
tisements taken of the center field fence
al National Park. and section painted
green, and it is like that the proposition
Of having all Of the American League
center field fences painted green viii come
up for consideration AT the league meet
ing in New York in February
The center field fences in the majority
Of the cities on the circuit are covered
with all sorts Of advertisements in Diff
fereut coi0rs, and they are not only eye
sores to the people in the stands. but are
a positive hindranee to free hitting which
the rooters most enjoy. Against the ma
jority Of these multi-colored backgrounds
the ball can scarcely be seen until il IL
50 close 10 the batter that Il is out OF
the question 70 poke out hit.
Jim Hart until last year owner Of the
Chicago Nationals. once signed a player
VINO would have startled the world had he
lived up 20 his contract He wrote 10
Fart as follows: 7 hit 955 last summer
and can do as well in the National
League. Ny fielding average was e00.
and it would have been better but for the
bad scoring We have down here and some
Dad players on our team whose errors
were charged 10 me. ] viii agree 10 hit
81 N the National and field 800 Hart
AZ once forwarded him a contract calling
for 5000 for the next season. providing
he did IS he agreed The contract was
signed and returned but the player never
appeared. That was one reason Chicago
didn't win the peuHant that year
Howard Wakefield, the youngest OF
the Cleveland catchers. is a great ad-
mirer Of that other Cleveland boy.
Charley Smith, who tWirled so well for
the Nationals last season. Charley
should be one OF the best pitchers IN
the league this year said Wakefield to
Cleveland newspaper man. He has
got everything and is taking the best
OF care OF himself Charley lost a lot
Of hard luck games last year, and with
team that was not always crippled in
the field behind him. be would hava won
e. lot more than he did. and he did not
do so bad at that"
Two players who had brief expe-
ri1~"es in the American League and
then FEEL back into the American Asso-
citation seem 10 bc now doomed for the
red-apple leagues. They are Pitcher
Jack Hickey and Outfelder Frank
Ilemphill. both OF Milwaukee Hickey
was a sensation in the Pacific Coast
League few years ago. and was
bought by Cleveland He was taken
down 10 San Antonio on the training
trip in 1904 and showed rare promise.
he had plenty OF good curves and great
speed. but. ike many another south
paw lacked control The result was
that after pitching tao games for
Cleveland he was released To Columbus
Milwaukee got him next. and then ne
was loaned TO Indianapolis. Laziuess
is given as the cause OF Haven0r ask
ing FOR waivers on him. HempEiu, who
is brother Of the St Louis outfielder.
played such great ball for Milwaukee
i'm 1905 that COmiskey bought him for
the White SOX. lie was a dismal fall
ure with the SOx. however and was
sent back 10 Milwaukee, with whom
be showed up miserably.