Evening journal., 1911-04-05
WOULD CUT OUT
ERROR COLUMN
Old Players Say Record Of
MiSpIayS is Harmful to
Players
LEACH AND WAGNER
GIVE VIEWS ON SUBJECT

The error column, in which is re-
corded the number of misplays charg-
ed against fielders in a baseball game,
could be eliminated from the box
score and the official records, in the
opinion of Tommy Leach and Hans
Wagner, without injuring either the
sport or those who participate in ii.
These two veterans and close stu
dents of baseball. against whom the
charge has never been made that they
| hesitated to take chances on account
! of possible injury to their records,
both agree that the column is
standing temptation to many young
players to shirk opportunities to win
games. While the so-called record
players are not so numerous in base
ball as they were some years ago,
there are still many players who
watch the daily papers to see whether
plays in which they take part are
| scored as hits or errors, and who
openly dispute the judgment Of official
scorers when they are charged with
misplays.
There are still in the professional
ranks also many players who are am
bilious to get into faster company,
and who entertain the idea that in
order to do so they must show COM
paratively clean records in fielding
their positions. This is an erroneous
notion, but they do not know it.
Hence when hard batted ball comes
near them. instead of taking a des-
perate chance to stop it or break 1t
down, they will permit it to go by
an excellent play to make good
paper record-but a poor way to win
| ball games or to advance in the pro-
| fession.
THE number of errors charged
against a player in a game really fur
nishes no adequate record of his work
on that day" said Leach, "and for
/ that reason ] cannot see any particu-
lar advantage 10 anybody I'm the p
column. A great many scorers use
poor judgment In the matter of hits
and errors to begin with, making in
sufficient allowance for bad bounds
or hard hit balls. They expect the
! fielder to do the impossible. and when
he fails they record a misplay against
him. Then again ] have heard il
charged that some scorers have GER
tain players, and that some others al
ways favor their home players against
the visitors. But the greatest fault
in the system of scoring is that II
places the daring, aggressive player
who goes after everything in sight
often at the risk of personal injury
at a decided and very unfair disad
vantage In comparison with another
player who refuses to take chances
\ box score of a baseball game may
show two or three errors against ar
infielder who has a perfect record. i
errors were not charged against play
ers I believe the game would be i'm
proved"
Both Wagner and Leach, discussing
the subject in a general way, ex
press the opinion that the officia
scorer should be nearer the diamond
that he is in most cities, in order tina
he may see the plays at closer range
But players paper record dOesn'
get him anything these days" salt
. Wagner. Baseball has become sucl
a scientific game that IT, is no longe
a question of merely catching, throw
ing or hitting the ball. There are in
i side points that a man must be pro
fcient I'm TO hold a job in the BIZ
, league. and managers are gettinl
, away from old ideas and looking NOR
= and more every year to the run get
, ters. II is the runs that count. ant
. II is the players who can make then
that are the most valuable I'm baseball
today When a man goes to the plat
Z with his bat his idea should be TO ge
:, on first base-no matter how, just 81
, he gets on-either with a clout.
uroIL "a hunt ~ foldorf- orro~ -,
$ once he gets there his mind shoull
/. be on nothing else but plans for get
! ting around to the plate again. ]
S he is thinking about his averages al
/. the time. he is not a good ball playe
: and he is not a valuable man TO hi
: club"