Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-12-24
PITCHERS FAVOR
Ne " RATING
SYSTEM
BY Harry CHASER.

NEW YORK, Dec. z4,-Bau
" Johnson's announcement thai
the American league will
adopt a new method OF compiling
pitchers records Is being highly IN
dorsed by the twirlers. many Of
whom have long protested against
the system in vogue. Just what
system will be employed TO rate
the boxnen Is not known, or al
least has not been 1ivulged by the
American league chieftain, who in
tends to seek the advice of expert
statisticians in finding a suitable
method.
That the present system falls
short of giving a true rating has
long been admitted and deplored by
baseball men throughout the LAND,
There have been numerous schemes
devised to displace 1t, but the best
by far seems to be the one recently
tried by Secretary John HeydIer, 0
the National league. as a supple
ment to the old method, in which
the percentage is based on games
won and lost.
This new plan gives the pitcher
rating on the average number or
runs earned off him. There is still
another figured on the percentage
of hits allowed per inning, but Of
the two the first named seems 10
be the better and this viii prob
ably be adopted
Secretary Heydlers double rat
ing was for the purpose Of COM
parison between systems, and II
showed clearly that the good pitch
ers with weak teams suffered In
prestige according to the old method
A comparative record OF the
American league pitchers woulo
have shown that the Yankee pitch
ers suffered in this respect more
than those Of any other team the
past season This was particularly
true concerning Ford. Mcconnell
and Warhop, although nearly all Of
the staff had days when the team
kicked the game from under them
and for which they We're charged
with a dement, in the records
No set of twirlers were rated
worse than the Yankees in 1912, al
though it is admitted generally by
baseball men that they are boxmen
Of no mean ability. Not one of
them had a percentage Of 500 and
the three leading members, Ford.
Mcconnell and WARRIOR. were cred
tied with winning about one-third
OF their games.
Figured on the basis OF earned
runs allowed by them, they wou'o
have been classed with the stars oil
the winning teams, as the poor
playing of their teammates, which
really marred their records, would
not affect their standing.
New System Welcomed.
Big George Mcconnell will glad
ly welcome the new system an0
Ford and WARRIOR, too. prefer TO be
rated that way. Mcconnell TOOK
part in twenty games. OF these he
was credited with winning only
eight To say that six Of his
twelve losses We're in no way dur
to his work is a conservative es"-
mate. nor did he gain many. "
any, of the eight victories ioI
which he is credited that were IN
deserved or due entirely to the
good playing of his teammates.
Tots Warhop finished the season
with a percentage OF .345, oells
charged with nineteen losses ID
twenty mine games. Rated by any
other system, Tots could not SUI
fer much worse, and it is appai
ent to any one who has follo"eu
his work of the past year clos'N
that he deserves to be listed n'u.
further up as he doubtless Woo'.
be by the new method. The sam
applies TO Ford and others or
Yankee team. as well a. To
pitchers of the other weak ana
organized teams that engaged
ILg peunant raCe