The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-09-20
ST 90 r T. O..L-O.C-Y
BY w. D. RtSHEl.

With a man on third in the last half
of the ninth and the score tied, the bat
ter comes up and knocks the ball over
the fence, is the batter given credit for
A home run? This question was put to
Hugh S. Fullerton of the Chicago Trib-
une who is one of the leading baseball
authorities in the United States. The
question presented itself on the outcome
of a game recently played in Chicago
between New York and Chicago, when
Tinker under the same circumstances
was given two-base hit for scoring a
man from second, the score winning the
game. The game was witnessed by
well known Salt Lake fan. who asked
for an explanation of the writer. Be-
lieving the fan was either mistaken or
that he had misunderstood the play. the
matter was put up to Fullerton with the
above question in addition.
Fullerton replies that a man would
only be given credit for single on the
aforementioned play, and also that Tin
ker was only given credit for a two
Dagger.
AS this is the Mariner in which hits
are scored in the National League. it
viii have to stand as ruling from the
highest authority in the land. yet the
writer does not think it is justice to the
batter. In other words, the writer be-
lieves a batter should be given credit
for home run, even though, under the
rules, the game ends the instant the
runner crosses the home plate with a
winning run.
The hit is the greatest asset ball
player has. He draws his salary on his
ability to hit, and the further he can
drive the ball the greater the demand
for his services. The whole game of
modern baseball is built uD around a
mans ability to hit the ball. 1t is his
constant aim to improve his hitting,
and the system of scoring is so ar
ranged that the further he drives the
bali the more credit is given him. or
the higher his standing among his fell
low players. If a man could knock the
ball over the fence every time he came
to bat he would have reached the point
of perfection in batting. If he comes
to bat at a time when a slam of this
kind wins the game, and is fortunate
enough to make it, under the rules of
scoring in the National League he is
unfortunate and gets single instead
of a four-base hit
Technically, the game is over the in
slant the runner scores. but practical
ly the game is not over until that ball
has been brought home and put in the
grip of the home team. 1t seems to
the writer that il is only fair that a
batter should be given credit for a
home run in his batting averages, even
IL the run is not needed or scored, be-
cause he has actually driven out hit
of this kind.
Thinks Salt Lake Is in Bushes.
Every now and then some individual
takes il into his head that Salt Lake is
generally speaking. bush community,
when ii comes to sports and things per-
tanning thereto. Just why they look
upon this burg in this manner is hard
TO explain, but nevertheless some one
is always trying to hand out a bunch to
the unsuspecting natives. and are then
surprised when they fail to get away
with il. The most recent attempt of
this sort was the Billy Papke incident
carly this week. A fellow. who bears
strong resemblance to the champion,