The Detroit times., 1911-02-23

the code, out OF ell that have been
proposed" says Bobby Lowe, the Tor
mer Tiger. That's
IT - - one which viii en-
Il wxkERs able club to
OF RULES. leave poor-hit-
-------1 ting pitcher on the
bench while his side Is at bat. sub
stituting a real ball player for work
nj the plate and on the bases.
ePm sending letter to that effect
TO a friend OF mine who has asked
for revision suggestions. | don't ex-
pect that the change will be made
this year but I'm certain that II Is
inevitable.
"It's a fact that pitchers are. a. q
rule, poor hitters and poorer base rum
ners. How many times do We see q
stage OF the game where the substit'l-
ton of good hitter for the pitcher
would increase the uncertainty Of the
game and add to Its interest! II
takes a lot OF the thrill out Of the
game and add TO It's interest! II
takes a lot OF the thrill out OF the
game now, when one OF these poor
hitting pitchers comes to bat In
pinch. The crowd simply sets him
down as a sure out and so he is, al
most invariably.
or course. there are exceptions 10
the rule, like George Mullin Of the
Detroit club. Yet think how many
horrible examples there are!
Pitchers as q class are poor hit
tiers for several reasons. They natur-
ally give all their attention to fooling
the batsman and they provide batting
practice for their mates far more Of
ten than they indulge In IL themselves.
At bat they almost always refuse to
run out anything that Is close. They
reason that Il isn't worth while to
exhaust themselves In this way, and
endanger their value In the box In The
inning that is coming. The same reo-
osn keeps them blocking the bases
when they happen to get on. No
stealing for them! II might result
In bringing them to the slab winded,
more or less.
People want more batting: this IL
a sensible way TO get II. They wan,
more stealing; how can they better
ensure 1t by disposing Of the man
who always stops all work OF this
sort when on base? ~
Another advantage that would re
suit from such rule would be the
removal of the frequent necessity fol
taking a pitcher out OF the game to lei
someone else bat for him. Often his
comes at q stage where the crowd
hates to see the pitcher retire from
the slab on which he may have beer
fighting the most brilliant sort OF a
battle. ryet
Another advantage Is In the chance
such scheme would give the man
ager OF club to develop q good
young ball player who has natura
batting ability but needs seasoning
Were the substitute plan In operation
the youngster could get a lot of sea
soing without weakening his team by
any fielding weakness.
TT wouldn't make the least differ
ence In the size of a clubs payroll
either. In fact, think II would rather
work the other way, for there would
be fewer pitchers required, In the
made In the boxmen.
II think that every ball player vii
agree with me that the change would
De goou tning.
81 Weinberg, former manager o.
the pugilist, Kid Walker, wondered
why everything was so quiet on the
street yesterday. Inquiring, he was
jovially informed that George Wash
ington was dead. lis that so?" quotf
| 81; why ! didn't even know he was
sick"
With a feeling of fatigue we note
that the Nashville Banner refers &c
Forrest Plass as the former mascot
Of the Detroit Tigers.
A basketball tournament Is In pro
sress In Chicago, the teams classified
by weight. This worked out In q
unique way. One of the captains
scaling half-pound too much, he
resolutely sprinted about the outer
edges of the crowdo till he had shed
the eight ounces, making an entry
into the game while the score was
tied, and Immediately shooting a
basket that antedated the whistle by
a matter Of few seconds.