New-York tribune., 1910-12-19
COMMENT ON SPORTS
Baseball Legislators Do Just a
Bit for the Game.
GOLF PUTTER AS A THORN

News and Views on Live Topics
of the Day, Both Amateur
and Professional.
Ba.ehalI men rnsv Tow settle back once
more are wait for the real fun to begin
come tine IN April. The owners have come
and zone. The annual meetings OF the two
major leagues are things OF the past They
were lacking In anything sensational. and
consequently were less interesting than
rear ago. when the fans" were stirred up
for two weeks and more over the election
Of National League president Something
was accomplished, however Those control
,tnc the 6est;nfes OF the National League
did well, in the opinion OF most baseoaIi
men, TO re-eiect Thomas J. Lynch as presi-
dent With a years experience and a wider
knowledge Of the requirements OF his on1ce
he IS likely 70 prove himself better ex-
ecutive than las, season. Get your eyes
examined has been fevorite expression
with the more raoid fans" TO huri at the
pmpires when decisions have not been ac-
cepted kindly Il VIII be used again. out
xts force Will be lost to . large extent
According 10 Mr Lynch. the eyes OF every
umpire VIII be subjected to rigid test
before the next season opens. and those
VINO do not come up to the standard IN this
respect Will be dropped, irrespective OF
their other Qualifications II Is we'll The
story IS told of an umpire who wears
xassses off the field. but who does not dare
20 subject himself 20 the teers OF the crowd
e he should wear them on the diamond
Men who arc near sighted have no place
on the feld as judge OF play. Keen-cne
might .sv. trained-sight IS quite as essen
sisl as sound Judgment Much depends
.poa the umpire Poor decisions have
spoiled many q good game
The tssehaiI rulers did we'll also TO legis-
sate against premiums for excellence in bat
Sine or anything else. The bitter struggle
between Larry Lajoie and Ty Cobb for the
batting honors last year. when an auto
mobile was az stake, slnost precipitated
baseball scandal The striving for q, prize
tends also 10 make q player work more for
his own interests than for the interests of
his team. Further than that il is quite
,ilzely 20 impair the effectiveness of q high
Ktrung PLAYER by keyins him UP TO too high
q pitch In my opinion, Snodgrass, OF the
Giants lost his batting eye in the closing
Sevs Of last season because he was trying
TOO hard 70 hold his place among the lead
ers in hitting. There are some batsmen
~-f, hit in one groove" as the saying
goes in baseball and when the opposing
pitchers discover this failing, as they are
cure to do sooner or later, the value OF
that man is lost to a large extent until ne
sdopts a new style It has been said that
Snodsrass was of this kind, although after
watching him closely I am not altogether
convinced OF the fact, and feel more dis
posed TO put down his sudden weakening to
ovsrwTought nerves
August Herrrann's plan Cor an inter
league series Of games between the teams
OF the Two major leagues following the
close in August OF short schedules Of, say,
,I2 games does not appeal to me- 1t
would work 10 the advantage Of the own
ers OF second division clubs, and il might
serve 70 stimulate new interest at a time
when the struggle for the pennant has
been reduced 70 Two, three or possibly
four teams. but it would kill that keen
strife among the players themselves to
-reap the advantages Of a worlds cham
yionsf1fp series. This radical change will
not come this year. So much has been set
tied. II is not likely TO come next year,
either. or the year following. IN spite OF the
fact that a number Of baseball men have
declared themselves IN It's laNOr CoiHpS-
sition is the life of any sport, as of any
trade, and ii strikes me that It would be
.ust as well 10 establish a baseball mon
srchy with Byron Bancroft Johnson as
the car, as 20 break UP the season with
what would amount to three pennant
fights.
The National League did not profit by
Che experience of last year In stretching
out the schedule of 154 games TO take in
Columbus Day II will be stretched again
81 present plans are carried out, which
means that the team winning the Ameri-
can League pennant must wait six or eight
GAYS for the worlds championship series
TO begin.
Professional baseball leagues. like cor
rporstions, have souls. 1 cannot help
but sgree with John T. Brush, who said
tn message TO Pat Powers: TT marvels
me that the memory of the process by
which the magnificent Eastern League
structure has been erected should soon
elurnber' Pat Powers did much for the
Eastern League, and saw Il safely through
many dark day. Under the circum-
stances the owners might have been more
considerate and shown him the courtesy
.s least Of accepting his resignation. even If
this resignation was offered as q last resort
measure. Mr. Powers was badly advised
when he made a fight for reelection after
his agreement 10 retire At the annual meet
ing a year ago. Still. the owners, in my
opinion. went out Of their way to rebuke a
man who has been such 8 good friend TO
Baseball.
Speaking Of the Eastern League, one
must needs commend Edward G. Barrow,
the new president, for the announcement
What the official batting and fielding aver
ages would be issued once q month next
year, instead of waiting until the end of
che season. The National and American
leagues might do well to follow its lead
II would involve some additional clerical
work but il would be mighty acceptable
70 followers Of the sport.
The insurgents so-called. of the Ma
.ionai League. who blocked the effort of
,fe rnaioriy 10 so amend the constitution
that the framing Of a playing schedule
should be placed in the hands of the presi-
dent were outwitted after all. The chief
argument in favor of such change lies in
,be fact that no criticism, whether fairly
or moi. could be. directed against those
owners who served on the committee for
saroring their own teams in the way OF