The Washington herald., 1912-01-13
.GR|FF WANTS UMPs
TO CHANGE RULE
Says that Arbiter Has No
Business Behind the
Pitchers Box
WITH BASES OCCUPIED
Will Use Influence with Members
of the Joint Rules Committee.
Other Timely Gossip.
By WILLIAM PEET.

When the joint meeting OF the Ma
tionaI and American leagues. for the
purpose OF discussing the rules and
possible changes, is held. Manager Clark
Grifith. {. the Nationals. is going to
use his influence with certain members
Of the joint committee to have one rule
changed
The rule in question mas to do with
the umpIres. Grihith believes that, with
the bases loaded or with a man on first
and third. the field umpire has no busl-
ness behind the pitcher.
1T Is dead wrong for an umpire TO
station himself behind the pitcher" de-
clared the local boss. He Is only In the
way. and Is bound to confuse a short
stop or second baseman on ground balls
hit through the box. The umpire can
Just as well watch the bases from a posi-
tion a few feet beyond the infeId near
first or second base-he has no business
right behind the pitcher"
The date OF the joint rules meeting
has not as yet been announced. but IL
will be held some time late In February.
probably the same time as the joint
schedule meeting.
Joe Boehllng. the Richmond amateur
twirler. who was rendered a contract by
Manager Grifiith, has written the local
boss that he docs not want to sign un-
less given assurance that II he does not
make good with the Nationals he will
be turned over 10 some other minor
league besides the Virginia circuit.
Boehling states that for two years he
has refused to sign up with certain Ylr-
ginia League clubs, and unless he makes
- -. -
chased to some other minor league cir
cult than the Virginia League.
Grifith Immediately wrote Boehllng
that he would favor him in every possi-
bic way. and added that he hoped to
would not be necessary to send him to
the minors
Boehling will in all probability sign up
at once
The Philadelphia Times rises to re-
mark: Cleveland statisticians has COM
Piled a bunch OF figures that show ownie
Bush, Of the Tigers, covers more ground
than Jack Barry. On the fact that Ownie
has more assists than the Holy Cross
buckO. the dopester bases his assertion
that the Tiger covers the more territory
OF the twain. How the devil can any
body figure that from the premises? How
does the Naplander know but that a ma
jority OF the assists came straight at the
player? How does the scribe know but
that Bush got more assists than Jack
because the Tiger twirlers were hit the
harder. How does the statistician know
but that a hundred and one things came
UP that would make his figures seem use
less for the purposes OF comparisonE
Herbert, Of the New York Tribune.
says:
Frank W. Casanaugh, coach OF the
Dartmouth football eleven, made a bold
statement in Chicago recently, IL cor
rectly quoted, in saying: Walter Camp,
Of Yale, Is twenty years behind the times.
The day Is coming when he no longer will
be the dominating factor just because he
is Walter Camp. He goes into the COM
mittee room with a couple Of members.
and the rules are changed as he sug-
gests.' As a matter Of fact. Walter Camp
needs no defense against such absurd
charges, and Il Is hard for me to believe
that Cavsnaugh IL correctly quoted. As
TO whether Yale's football strategist Is
twenty years behind the times or not is a
mere matter OF opinion, but happen to
know something about the makeup of
the rules committee and its fourteen
members, and / know that while Mr..
Camps opinions are respected, he comes
a long way from dominating. Most Of
the members of the present unwieldy
committee are strong minded enough to
have ideas OF their own and to fight for
them. This Is the reason for the hodge
podge code which the game has been
struggling under for two or three years.
Too many cooks viii spoil any bowl Of
broth