The Washington times., 1907-12-02

Warm support was given this morning
by President Harry G. Pulliam, OF tho
National League. TO The proposition nd
vanced in The Times last summer when
Umpire Billy Evans was nearly killed in
st. Louis by a bottle-thrower, that much
of the baseball rowdyism is due TO the
fact that the clubs and league do not
insist upon the offender receiving prop
er punishment at the hands or police
magistrates or after trials by Juries.
President Pulliam Is in town, stopping
st the New Willard, on his way from
The Indian Territory to New York TO
attend the conference between the Ma
tionaI Commission and the representa-
tives of the Glass A leagues, at which
the demands OF the Class A magnateS
will be discussed. He looked over the
,.pening of Congress and Will go to the
theater tonight with genial Johnny
Heydler. the Washington man who has
proved such an efficient secretary OF tho
National League.
Takes The Times View.
President Pulliam talked freely on
number of important baseball points, In
the course Of which he said:
I'VE have had comparatively little
rowdyism in the National League in the
past year or so, and the league as
whole has had TO pay little attention to
the subject, but the arguments in The
Times that the clubs are too lenient in
their criminal prosecutions OF persons
who assault umpires and players for no
other reason than that their official and
proper baseball actions may not be
pleasing 70 a home crowd, are certainly
10 the point. ---..,..,,
'Ifany Of our Umpires are assaulted
next wear they win be Immediately de-
Iachcd from tho staff and told 20 remain
in the city just as long as Is necessary
to see that the man or men who at
lacked them receive the same criminal
punishment they would have received
rad they committed an assault Of the
same character upon an Ordinary clu-
zcn Thic thirg of overlooking serious
assaults simply because the VlcLI1 nap
mems TO be an umpire on a ball field has
gone entirely too far
No Need for Pitchers Mound
81 am going to advocate at the coming
National League meeting that every
pitchers box be placed level with the
rest OF the diamond. The only excuse
for its elevation Wis that Il might be
better drained, but it IS perfectly
simple proposition 10 drain the box
otherwise. and the present mounds are
entirely unnecessary. 1t opens the way
10 all sorts of trickery. A tall pitcher
like Vic Willis pegging from the top OF
one Of these young hills has most
decided advantage over batsman-
More than once managers have crattly
raised the pitchers box until It had 70
be mounted on the low speed. When q
Kick was made the home magnate would
say IL was all right, and nobody but
civil engineer with an eye like an
eagle could prove whether it was over
the legal limit OF htteen inches-
Also, We are going 10 nave new
rule about postponed games. The play
ing OF postponed games now Is left
entirely in the hands OF the home mana
ger. This provides quite Held OF
busy endeavor for the playing OF poll
tics In pennant races. A manager with
a fighting chance for the pennant might
keep on putting off postponed games
with a team he had found great dif-
hculty in beating until he might not
have to play some Of them at al. On
the other hand, the manager Of q
hopeless taIlender might rush through
all the games with cOnteder he wished
20 favor and stall Off some Of those
with a team which he did not wish 10
see win the championship.
Postponed Games and Pop Bottles.
This should all be changed, and the
postponed games should fall into the
schedule automatically. so that, II a
game Is not played on the original date,
the managers, players. sporting writer's,
and public win know exactly when It
will be played. This viii eliminate
jockeying and clear the situation for
all concerned.
Il am very much opposed to the. sale
OF drinks OF any kind In bottles 1T base
ball grounds. A pop bottle is not only
a deadly weapon, but one which can
he thrown with great accuracy, as Billy
Evans will testify. The best solution
seems to be TO sell the soft drinks to
thirsty fans in glasses carried in q tray.
The glasses are collected again, for one
thing. and it is almost impossible to
throw them with a chance Of hitting the
thing aimed at
Should Change Rule Changing.
There IS little talk Of changing tae
rules this year. A new method should
be adopted in that respect. At present
the joint rules committee gets together
at the February meeting, locks itself in
a room and completes its work in one
day. That's not the way it should be
done. Tam7ertng with toe laws gov
erning the game Itself Is a serious mat
ter. and deserves more serious consid-
Grafton
IT would suggest that all changes be
laid before the early meetings Of the
leagues These proposed Innovations
should be given the widest publicity,
so that they may be discussed by the
sporting writers and fans. and then be
acted on at the February meeting. By
that time the joint committee would
know public feeling on the subject and
would also have received the benefit OF
the comment and criticism of the eX-
perts In the national game.
Gives Tip About Giants.
Look out for the New York Giants
to do better work next year. That
team has a likely lot OF material, and
Mothewson should be a great pitcher
In 1908. His work last year showed
the effects OF the anti-toxin he took