The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-12-10
Elberfeld's Usefulness Next
Season Matter of Many
Serious Doubts.
BASEBALL WRITERS
HAVE WIDE FIELD
Up to Them to Edit Present
Scoring Rules Into
Shape.
BY THOMAS S. RICE.

The talk that the Washington ball
club will trade BIZ Burns. Charley
Smith end Otis CIymer for Kid Elber-
field and Moriarity of the New York
Americans Will not down.
There are two phases to this deal
which viii impress the average fan
as being somewhat difficult TO grasp.
One is why there is such an apparently
wild desire to get rid of Clymer, the
only outfeIder who hit worth a pinch
OF salt for Washington last year, and
the other is the great value Elberfeld
would be to the team
That Burns and Smith may go causes
no surprise. The former refuses 70
play here with Ganley and the other
has been a disappointment ye8r after
year, even though he tried his best
That Elberfeld would be as good as ever
next season after the terrific spiking
he received from Ganley IN this city
last year is not at all certain The
Kid IL q player who Is always likely
10 be on the hospital list, or suspended.
an undue proportion of the time, and,
under the present conditions. when his
leg is borne In mind, getting him Is
something like trading sight unseen. -
Many Washington fans, If they had
their say, would prefer 10 see Ganley
traded and Burns kept. for Burns gives
every Indication Of becoming one Of the
best sOuthpaWs IN the country, while
Ganley's work last season WAS not up
10 the mark, either in fielding or bat
ting.
So far. the New York Americans have
81 uwrn M 81 r-.
look foolish by allowing Hal Chase TO
get away with his mt OF sulks The be-
lated excuse that he jumped the team
FOR the California outlaws because his
health was bad is merely amusing, for a
minute examination Of bis batting aver
age after he went TO the coast reveals
not even q symptom OF unhealthiness.
There is practically no chance for
Washington or any other club to get
him.
The news that the salary of John
Heydler. Of Washington, secretary
treasurer OF the National League. had
been raised by that organization will be
welcomed by all who know him. Heyd-
lers brains have smOOJhed over many
a. rumpus in the league that never
reached the ears OF the public, ana II
Harry PullIam should ever lose our or
quit mis- JoD as president, put a small
let on Heydler as inc next chief exec
uuFe or the National League
The baseball writers got together in
New York yesterday, and organized
more thoroughly than they have ever
Done before. rms step was advocated in
The Times all last year. and we are glad
10 see II mas borne fruit. One Of their
chief duties viii De TO keep the press
DOX clear = people VINO do not belong
there and who frequently very SERIOUSLY
interfere with the work OF men VINO
anne making a living reporting the games
Inc writers Will also nave quite lot TO
say ABOUT the rules, and they should.
scoring Is a business with them, and
they have known mat for years there
have been such discrepancies between
the systems in the dlnereut cities that
the averages are in many instances a
Joke Poor editing of the rules and their
failure to cover many points which arise
are responsible Tor the present thor
oughly unsatisfactory conditions and il
is up TO the men VINO nave to interpret
those rules every day in summer TO see
that they are put in a more sensible
form
President James E. Sullivan, right up
on the heels Of announcing that the
Amateur Athletic Union had broken OF
relations with the English athletic au-
thorities. comes out with a plan TO
have a great international meet in New
York In 1911 Such a meet without a
British team would be a distinct failure
from a strictly sporting standpoint, and
It is up to the A. A Z. to come off it's
perch IN the matter OF breaking with
England II Il wants to make that 1911
affair all Sullivan claims &c will be.
That was another hard international
blow last night in Philadelphia, when
Owen Moran. of England, outpointed
Tommy O'TooIe. of Port Richmond, I'm
six rounds. They set a heap Of store
by O'Toole in Philadelphia, and you
can't talk fight there five minutes that
they don't ring his name into the con-
versation. He really is an exceptionally
clever and fast boxer, and the ease with
which Moran reached him IN the first
five rOur DIS speaks well for the English