Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-06
D-T|MERSCLAMOR
FOR MORE BATTING
Superiority of Present-Day
Pitchers Takes Interest
From Game, They Argue.

About this time every year lovers Of
ed the game for ten fifteen or even
twenty years, clamor for more batting
On the other hand the modern fan-the
patron of the last five years-argues that
present-day base ball has reached a
standard well-nigh perfect. The batting
is heavy enough to satisfy the whims of
the most blase bug. he argues, and as
for penalizing the pitcher to increase the
work of the swat artist he would not
think of such thing. Arguments are
tossed back and forth. pro and con, but
the rules remain the same. as it is evil
dent that the powers that be think the
batting of present-day professional base
ball is sufficiently heavy TO satisfy the
public.
But this is a question which the rule
makers will have to jusgle with in a year
or two. During the season just closed
the science of pitching in the majors and
the great minor leagues reached just a
stage that a 800 batter was a mighty
scarce commodity.
The development of the pitcher in the
last five years has been wonderful New
frillS and curves are being introduced
every season. The pitchers attain better
control. have greater speed and greater
stock of mystifying benders.
But have the batters more thunder than
in the oldcn days? Has the development
in batting kept step with the development
in pitching? No one is foolish enough to
say yes.
For years the rule makers had brain
fae working out way by which the
pitching and batting would be equalized.
The last move in this process OF equali-
cation was the adoption of the foul strike
rule But it appears that they missed the
equation.
Perhaps the rules on pitching and
batting will not be changed this year or
the next. but the day will surely come
when even the fan who is satisfied with
the present-day game will demand more
batting.
Problem for Magnates.
And it is not unlikely that the men
who worry over the rules will have just
as much difficulty in getting the stick
work back to where the public believes
il belongs as they did in decrea sing it.
This question OF amending the rules to
increase batting has been bugaboo for
many years Several changes have been
recommended some of them bad, others
good such as abolishing the foul strike
rule. putting the pitcher farther away
from the plate or giving the batsmen
-four strikes.
F. Now President J. ID. O'Brien of the
American Association comes forth with a
suggestion that the batSmen be permitted
10 walk on three balls. He believes that
this will increase the willow work and
at the same time make the games just
as fast and as short as at present,
Il believe that the time is not far off
when the public will demand more bat
ting" saws the head OF the big minor
league.
The number of great pitchers is in
creasing every year, while the great bat
ters are becoming scarce. and further
more the singers have not vet reached
the limit They are getting better right
along and il will not be many years be-
fore the limit of greatness will be $50
instead OF 800 the present mark of the
sluSger.
Walk on Three Balls.
by allowing batter to walk on three
balls the pitcher would be sufficiently
pcnalized to more than equalize the pitch
ing and batting Some may claim that
this would lengthen the games, but |
disagree with them. Under the present
four-ball system many pitchers use more
or less time by wasting a ball on every
batter that comes to the plate. With
three balls the limit. no twirIer would
have the temerity to do this. More men
would reach first base and the action of
the game would thus be made more rapid.
Play is always faster when there is a
man on base, and the more batterS reach
first. the more action there is in the
game. 4 pitchers battle is a beautiful
thing. but uIiiess the fielding is unusually
brilliant the fan starts yell for hits be-
fore the end of the ninth inning.
This question has come up before the
rules committee many times in the last
few years, and il is reasonable to believe
that the same problem will face them
this year. II took many years of expert
ment to make the game short, but i be-
levc that they will strike a happy
medium right off the reel by adopting a
three-ball rule
Billy Garth Buys Yearlings.
NEW YORK. December 5.-Wiliiam
Nirninin hnrSeman tniiSt hnuo