Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-08
LYNCH TO PROPOSE
NUMEROUS CHANGES
Likes Present Umpiring Staff, But
Believes Travelling Scorers
a Necessity.
NOT WORRIED OVER
OPPOSITION TO HIM
Head of National League Gives His
Ideas of How Game Can
Be Improved.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, November S.-President
Tom Lynch of the National League VIII
advocate many base ball reforms at the
annual base ball powwow in this city in
December. The fact that certain club
owners in the circuit are seeking to de-
throne the executive does not worry the
former king of umpires." Reelection
is a secondary cond ton with him. In
fact, he intimates that he will not accept
the Office further unless it implies term
of years.
IF the National League believes in
me- said Mr.. Lynch yesterday, Il think
l will be able to introduce reforms that
will benefit the game. have been criti-
cised by certain magnates OF the league
over my umpiring staff. I have watched
these officials work and believe in my
heart that I have the most competent
staff in the major leagues. With cou-
pie of changes next season the National
League should have the finest corps Of
arbiters that ever ofhciated. l think SO
much of my staff that l will stand by 1t
and will go down with it if necessary.
THE whole trouble with the National
League umpiring lies not in the officials
but in the managers. In my league man
ayers and players are much more ag-
gressive than in the American League.
Where In Johnson's circuit can you find
such peppery scrappers as John McGraw,
Frank Chance, Fred Clarke and Roger
BreSnahan? Ban Johnson will not stand
for the least semblance of spirit on the
field and that is why his games appear
less lively. 1 like spirit, for 1 think it is
good for the game, but where would
Johnson's umpires be in the National
League with every manager and most Of
the public hammering?
II do not believe In autocratc rule on
the part Of umpires. Yet too much lee
way may have been given managers and
players. 1 do know that in the National
pires than has been called for. 1t has
got to such a stage where the public is
always against the officials. There is too
much kissing and evidences of resent
ism Of home umpiring. and when the day
OF home umpires comes base ball parks
might just as well be padlocked.
ITO my mind, another grave evil lies In
the nature Of scoring. Official scorers at
present are newspaper men who score
only the games in their cities. I do not
care how honorable they may be they
are bound to show favoritism. Ban john
son automatically avoided serious scan
dial in his league as the result Of that
double-header in ST. Louis, where Lajoie
secured eight hits and figured to beat Ty
Cobb for the seasons batting honors.
Such occurrences cannot do base ball
any good. l have seen enough of Off
c!al scoring this season to convince me
that the present system is all wrong.
Home Scoring like home umpiring, will
wreck the game in time. advocate
board of official scorers, to travel around
the circuit the same as do the ,lmplres,
men who will be under obligations to no
players and no clubs and competent to
perform their work without favor or
prejudice These scorers should he relia-
BILE men who know the game from the
bottom.
Their work might not be confined to
scoring exclusively. Why not have them
always observe the work Of the umpires
on the side? AS league officials this could
be done without sense of espionage. If
the umpires were aware every day that
a league official were watching their work
and that daily reports would be sent to
headquarters, I am sure the officials
would also be more careful and conscien-
tons. At our league meeting l will advo-
cate q staff of official scorers"
Mr.. Lynch is also dissatisfied with many
of the existing scoring rules. Especially
so as regards the present system OF re-
cording the pitching averages. He has
several suggestIo which he does not yet
care to divulge. but which he hopes may
remedy existing evils.
Lynch. hasn't a chance the way aver
ages are now compiled. To win half his
games with a tail-end club twirler may
pitch better ball for the season than the
greatest star on a pennant-winning club
Yet he gets no credit at all in a strict
Really, the pitcher who holds opponents
to the fewest number of runs in the most
number of innings pitched should be the
champion