New-York tribune., 1910-01-31

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player for some brilliant run when II be-
longed to another without blaming a man
Tor missing tackle or making mistake
when the fault lay with some one else.
Thomas j. Lynch, the new president of
the National League, is better prepared
than week ago to carry out his firmly
expressed determination to put end to
umpire batting so-called. and to free base
ball from unnecessary Kicking and tire
some delays. On his recommendation, no
doubt the joint rules committee OF the two
major leagues in session at Pittsburg last
week, amended the code that the um-
pires will have even more authority than
heretofore. Substitutes on the bench
now responsible TO the autocrat of the dia-
mond and may be fined or ordered off the
field If they take it upon themselves to
object to decisions or otherwise cause an
noyance. 1t is we'll If the umpire has used
proper discretion. First and foremost, an
umpire must command the respect of the
players and "fans," and that depends more
on the man than on dozen and one rules.
Mr. Lynch. knowing well the requirements,
will use great care. no doubt. in appointing
his staff. As said before in this column,
the umpire should have absolute authority
on the playing field. but he should not
abuse that authority and then count on the
support of the president of the league.
While no radical changes We're made in
the baseball playing rules, the revision last
week was of a kind to make for good.
Several knotty problems were cleared up,
and, altogether. the code is clearer and
less open to different interpretations on
certain rules than ever before 1t strikes
me that the argument against putting bat
terry errors in the regular error column,
which led to a rule once passed being re-
voked, was not worthy of-much considera-
tion. 1t is true that the pitcher and catcher
handle the ball far ofrener than the other
players on the field. but they handle 1t
with less chance OF making an error, and
1t is hard to understand why an exception
should be made in their favor. An error
is error, whether charged in one place
the other, and 1t would have simplifed
the scoring if wild pitches and passed balls
were placed in the box score opposite the
players name.
BY a most unfortunate arrangement of
the intercollegiate hockey league schedule
much interest in the remaining games will
be lost. The Princeton seven has won the
championship, with the season not more
than half over. Perhaps those who framed
the schedule counted their chickens too
early and did not give Princeton a win
ming chance, believing that Yale and Har-
ward would fight it out, as IN recent years.
If SO. they made a grievous mistake. The
Tigers we'll deserved the championship:
they played a reasona bly, strong and con-
sistent game in every match and are open
@,,Jo III
were the bright particular stars and de-
serve all credit. Perhaps the winning Of
the hockey title is a good omen for
Princeton.
New York University has a basketball
team that the undergraduates and gradu-
ates have good reason to applaud. Like the
football team, it has come through the
season so far without defeat, and this on
top of an absolutely clean record last year.
More power TO such a team!
Captain Harry Lord Of the Boston Amer
leans is out with prediction. He says he
can see only three clubs IN the race for
the American League pennant next season
the Detroit Tigers, the Philadelphia Ath-
letics and the Boston Red Sox. Fine, Mr..
Lord, But keep your eye on the Yankees.
and don't overlook the ''old Roman and
his White Sox.
Fred Murphy. who played strong game
at halfback in Yale's championship football
team last fall, will coach the University
OF Missouri eleven next season. With Coy
acting as coach at Yale. Hobbs at Amherst,
Buster" Brown at Rutgers and Murphy at
Missouri. some of the stars Of the famous
Yale team of 'o9 will be in a position to
earn more gridiron fame this year.
Might as we'll ring tho curtain down
on Mike Donlin, the erstwhile hard hit
ting right fielder and captain OF the Giants
that is, q, baseball player, not as a
footlights favorite. Donlins press agent is
missing a rare chance this winter, or else
he is biding his time. The mighty bats
man has not been bought. sold, traded or
released In FIVE months.
The stewards of the Jockey Club would
do we'll to consider carefully the qualifica-
ticns Of c. ]. Fitzgerald in appointing the
second placing judge, TO succeed the late
Clarence Mcdowell, now that Frank J.
Bryan Is said 10 ps out Of the race.
HERBERT.