Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-09
SPORTING COMMENT.
By J. ED GR1LLo.

Promoter Fletcher says that he will,
shortiy open headquarters In New York:
that MS third league will be fiourfshfng
next spring, and with other things that
ne mas something over ninety ball players
signed up and ready to join his forces.
according to the. agreements which
fietcner has entered Into with some of
the players 1t becomes necessary for him
20 nand over several armfuls of money.
ABOUT February 10 next. But then that
is mere incident with a man of Fletch-
ers caliber. Though the promoter admits
tnat ne Is not the possessOr OF wealth.
ne insists that he will have plenty Of
capital to. carry out his scheme.
On form, however, Fletcher does not
ngure TO carry out anything that he
promises, for the reason that he has
1alieo TO make good all his predictions
since ne hrst sprang into prominence as
the promoter Of the third league.
For a man who has apparentIv accom-.
Pusneo nothing Fletcher does whole
iot OF talking. and 1t is pretty near time
tnat ne waA showing some goods.
tn o wo 3, OF course. be, interesting to
astray by Fletcher. There is no doubt
that he has the signatures Of many to a
contract In which he promises to pay
over Dig bonuses, and these players may
become known when Fletcher Eventually
throws up the sponge.
It was believed that agitation against
the use Of the spit-ball had long since
subsidized, but 1t seems that Charley Mur
ply. who. after the defeat of the Cubs. is
willing to father any sort of a reform.
has taken up the cause Of the dry BALL
The genial owner Of the Cubs believes
that to eliminate the spit-ball from the
pitchers, Repertoire would great increase
the hitting. which may or may not be
true. The fact Of the matter is that the
sal1ya sphere Is not being used as much
as 1t was few years ago. Pitchers
nave the idea that to use this delivery
Is Injurious to their pitching arms, and
the number Of twirlers who come under
the head Of spit-ballers has been greatly
decreased.
OF course one cannot blame Murphy for
wanting to improve the hitting of his
team, though he must admit that the
Athletics did not show any indications Of
being In need Of q change Of the rules
during the recent worlds series.
Charley Schmidt, who for several years
was the mainstay Of the Detroit team
behind the bat is not to be Tiger next
year.
According to reports from Detroit
President Navfn- has given the big catch
er the privilege to arrange a trade or
sale for himself. the Detroit magnate
wanting to have Schmidt place himself
where he will be satisfied.
Jennings evidentally feels that with
Stanage, Casey and Beckendorf to look
be spared. The fact is that Schmidt has
never been popular in Detroit since the
day he missed the third strike in the
final inning of the first game Of the
worlds series, In 1907. thus allowing the
Cubs to tie the score after two men
were out and Del Howard. a substitute
batter, had fallen a victim to Bill Dono-
vans prowess.
will get out OF the American League,
though the st. Louis Nationals would be
tfckled to get a chance to purchase his
release.
That portion of the base ball public
which does not consider that there Is
enough batting in the game of today Is
making all sorts Of suggestions to i'm
prove this condition. The reduction OF
the number Of balls which entities the
batter to a base from four to three balls
is thought to be one way to remedy the
evil. but the following suggestion is along
other lines.
Sporting Editor Star: want to enlist
you in the effort to change the rules SO
that the pitcher will not be called upon
to bat during the season OF 1911. AS you
are aware, SO much Is expected OF the
pitcher as the game is now played that
team is at bat. There is hardly pitcher
In either Of the big leagues who Is con-
sidered a first-class batter. and as the
work performed during the game calls for
all that is good in him he should be al
lowed this needed respite. In his place
the cartain of each team should name
one player to bat for the pitcher In each
game. this man to be q member Of the
team (not necessarily Of the nine play
ing). In this way we would get more
play. more runs and a more interesting
game in every way for the peopie who
,, paw to see the games. This would be en-
tirely fair to every team and give no ad-
vantage to any Of them. as they could
each rely on some strong batter for this
Mace. I beg Of you to give this sugges-
ton some publicity and 1T may be acted
on during the meeting In DECEMBER: SIN
cerely yours. ~. E
ting order would hardly prove satisfac-
tory. There is just as much interest IN
+, having a weak hitter come up IN pinch
as there is to have sluggers up. Occa-
stonally the unexpected narpens. ana TINS
more than repays the fans Tor the disgust
thew feel when the pitcher strikes out
with the bases full.
IT'S very nice Of Second Baseman Evers
1 - x,,a Cube n, nav To the man who would