The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-10-07

having $40 at bats and pa hits, while
Cobb has 494 at bats and 1876 hits.
Both these men are batting wonders,
but this year they are hitting far
above any average they reached in
past years. Tim Murnane, the veter.
an baseball writer, has the following
to say in the Sporting News regarding
the matter: THE most unfortunate
feature of baseball this season has
been the contest for batting honors
for the purpose of winning an auto
mobile. Even the official scorers are
very apt to lean towards their favor
ties, while the pitchers are sure to
play favorites when base hits mean
nothing, after game is practically
won" Mr.. Murnane has written base
ball and scored games longer perhaps
than any other man In the country and
is considered an authority. He .tates
further in his article that he believes
that there should be change IN
scoring. Either no errors should be
given on ground balls, only muffs and
'ANN IhAc"o, Va LhC ludllOI OS
put up to the umpires, who would
signal their decision as to whether it
is base hit or ain error to the scor-
ers. This would put more work on
the umpires, but Murnane is of the
opinion that the final results would
be more satisfactory He points out
that scoring is becoming more liberal
every year and that the most liberal
scorers are those who have played
the game themselves and know how
difficult it is to field a ground ball,
and this Is the principal reason why
he likes the idea Of giving man a
hit on every grounder that goes
through the infeld. It certainly
would be welcome change to every
scorer If better system which would
not leave 1t all to the judgment of the
scorer were adopted. No two see a
play alike, and while Murnane's idea
would not be of much value in de-
termining the ability of an infielder,
1t would go far way in giving the
batter what Is due him.
CLEVELAND, o., Get 7.-Though
by unofficial figures, Larry Lajoie OF
Cleveland is entitled to a batting av-
erage of .376 and Ty Cobb of Detroit
to standing of 1916 fiat, figures COM
piled from the official scorers reports
from each city in the league, give
(nhh 80 900
.374.
The last official announcement from
Secretary McRoy of the American
league, covering the games through
July gave Cobb 102 hits in 269 times
at bat, Lajoie IS hits In 236 times at
bat. Since that date official scorers
credited Cobb with four hits in eight
times at bat on August 20 and 80 in
Philadelphia, while the unofficial fig
ures gave him only two hits. An error
In addition charged him with two more
times at bat than exact addition de-
velops, his total being 49S times at
bat with 100 hits, an average OF 1882
by the revised figures, as against 500
times at bat and 1873 hits for an aver
age Of .376 by the wired reports.
Lajoie's hit column has been added
incorrectly, his total by the revised
figures being 215, as against PIT by
the unofficial figures, and his average
is but .374.
IOWA CITY, la. Oct 7.-"Behind
closed doors" were Coach Hawley's
orders on Iowa field. Wednesday
night, and as a consequence, the prac-
tice of the Hawkeye gridiron perform
ers, in gentle rain, was secret. The
coach admitted afterwards that the
men played better ball than In the
Morningside game and he and Ebly
both declared the fellows are coming
along as well as anybody could ask"
The coaches are trying out some