The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-03-15
BY jim INQUIRE.

am of the opinion that he game of
baseball has almost arrived at a per-
feet stage of excellency. I is very dIf-
ficult to decide just nov what depart
ment of the game needs bolsterlng ana
that convinces me that it has almost
reached perfection. In the oldeh days
the batters were predominant because
the fielders wore no gloves and the
pitchers were not nearly so scientific
You often hear old players and old
fans say that we have no such batters
TODAY as we had twenty years ago.
They were never more mistaken in their
lives II is true the batters do not finish
the season with such large average,
but that does not necessarily mean that
they are not as good, or better, batters.
The batter of today must contend with
scientific fielding. The glove has hurt
the batter immensely. In the old days
a fielder would not go after hard hit
ball with his bare hands, and if he did
get it the chances were that he would
not hold it long enough to throw the
runner out at first.
Pitcher and Batter at EVens.
Now the batter has everything
against him and that makes the game
even. The pitcher has not such an ad-
vantage as the public seems to suppose.
OF course he knows the good batters
and tries TO deceive them. but on the
other hand, the batter knows what kind
of curves they have and he waits until
he gets waht he wants. In nine cases
out Of ten the decision in this battle
of wits is draw. The fielders make
up the rest of the interest in the game.
| am very much pleased with the new
sacrifice rule which has been adopted,
allowing a batter a sacrifice hit when
he scores a runner from third on long
fly to the Outfieid. That rule should
have been adopted years ago. 1t gives
the batter credit that is justly due him.
Likes Foul Rule.
Yes, ] like the foul rule. but / think
it is in need of many improvements.
For instance, I do not think il right
for strike to be called on a batter be-
cause the bail strikes his bat when he is
trying to get away from it. That should
be called a ball. l have a suggestion
which / believe would help the foul
strike rule and make it more equitable.
! think line should be drawn straight
across the foul territory at right angles
With the line from pitcher to catcher
All foul balls hit between that and third
and first base should be called fouls"
All foul balls hit between that line and
the grand stand should be called
strikes" / think this would make it
'Ci easy IoI the uhpHes ana would
put the entire game on an even basis
1t is manifestly unfair TO call strike"
on a batter when he is trying to get
away from the ball.
6atter's Work is Harder Today.
| often hear that argument about
the batters of today not being up to the
standard Of twenty years ago, but that
is all stuff. The batters are better now
than they ever were. There is no rea
son why baseball should not improve
like all other sports. 1t does. The trou-
bic with the batter is simply that the
opposition is harder to overcome. There
are two forces in baseball. the offensive
and defensive. At present thew are
about on a par, and that makes the
game nearly perfect When they get
on par exactly then the game will be
perfect