Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-04
FANS" ARE TICKLE
Praise a Play for Home Team
and Hoot Same by Visitors.
LIKE TO SEE SLUGGERS HIT
Manager Griffith Suggests Unique
Rule to Umpire Bill
Evans.

Will place their approval on certain
play If it is made by the home team, but
let the visitors make such a move. and
nine times out of ten it will be hooted,
writes Bill Evans in the Sporting News
The play that l am thinking of Is the
Intentional passing of some star batter
in a pinch, with the desire to take
chance on the next man in the batting
order. This play always jars on fam
dom. 1t isn't popular, even when the
home team makes it, but when the visit
ors pull the stunt it is greeted with
loud and long jeers.
1t is hard to imagine a more ticklish
situation than two out, two runs needed
to tie, men on second and third. and
some star hitter up, like Lajoie, Wagner,
Cobb, Magee, crawford or any of the
other fellows who can clout the pill. 1T
is in just such situations that the fans
are wildly anxious to see what their Ia
vorites can do. 1t is just such thrilling
situations they pay their good money
to see-only to be denied the privilege
when Gen. B. B. Strategy decides the
proper move is to pass the slugger, ana
take a chance on the next man.
How Cleveland rooters yell in disgust
and derision when opposing pitchers pass
up Joe jackson or Larry Lajoie in a
pinch. How New York rooters howl
when Doyle, Murray, Meyers or Merkle
is Intentionally sent to first. when a
safe hit might change the entire COM
plexion of the game. How Detroit en-
thusiasts rave when rival p1tchers reIu Use
to get the ball close enough to allow ~
Cobb or Sam Crawford to take healthy
swing.
1t is the same in every city. ANY time
the visitors attempt to save the day by
such strategy they are roundiy scored,
yet is the home team makes a similar
move, it is regarded as a brainy play and
the proper caper. That is If the maneu-
yer works out we'll, but If the man FOL
lowing makes a hit. then it is the unani,
nous opinion Of all present that 1t Woulo
have been just as well to have taken
chance on the fence buster. 1t all de-
ponds on what happens in the END, LOT
base ball thrives on post-mortems,
There are any number or fans VINO
hate to see star purposely passed; they
yearn to see what he would have done
in the pinch. 1t has been suggested time
and again that the intentional passing
be eliminated. This would be well-nlgn
impossible, and would always present
lem. for he would have to decide wheth-
err or not the pass was Intentional. AS
Ia penalty for an intentional pass fans
have often suggested that all base run
or not. They would designate an inten-
tional pass as one in which the catcher
shifted seven or eight feet to get the
ball. after the pitcher starts his DE.
livery. If the pitcher issued pass, but
kept the ball within striking distance
of the plate, it would not be Chased as
intentional. These fans argue that If all
base runners advanced, whether forced
or not, it would kill the intentional pass
ing of the batter with men on second and
third.
There is no denying the disappointment
that always ensues when a star is in
tentionally passed in pinch. 1t is doubt
full, though, if any regulations Will ever
Such move is usually regarded as
strategy. inside base ball by those in the
game. even if it is far from a popular
practice with the spectators, while UNI
pires would hardly relish any change
from the present rule, as it otherwise
would constantly call on their judgment
to decide the motive of a pass in pinch.
Clark Griffith of the Washington club
has advanced a number of suggestions
for improving the game. but he slipped me
one last summer that was bit out OF the
ordinary While it is decidedly unique.
vet 1 must admit that it has a lot of
merit in it. Griff's suggestion deals with
, the sudden and unexpected removal of
pitcher from the game.
During a game at Detroit last summer
a play came up that caused Griffith to
unfold his reform to me the following
day. The Nationals had something ike
eleven straight wins to their credit. BOD
Groom was assigned the task Of starting
the twelfth game. In the very first in
ming a play came up at the plate, Groom
covering 1t was. my opinion that Groom
had missed the base runner FOOT, Whlle
Bob was equally certain That ne must
have broken several Of his ribs, so hard
did he touch the runner. I tried my very
best to pass over the incident without
finding it necessary to eject Groom. but
the tall pitcher was so positive the run
ner was out that he simply refused to
abide by the decision. and it became
necessary that l eliminate that worthy
gentleman from the game.
Naturally. just as soon as the words of
Punishment reached Groom's ears he
was content to quit kicking and start
pitching. but too late. of course. Then
enters Manager Griffith on the scene. He
marches slowly to the plate and innocently
injuries what. all the trouble is about
In the meantime he has hurried Ptcher
fashion to the right field corner to warm
up. When l tell Griffith that Groom is
through he argues that / have acted too
hastily, that has no one warmed up.
that my move will probably break their
winning streak. Talking on such mes,
Griffith takes up minute or SO. In the
meantime Cashion is pitching his head
hastily, that he has no one warmed up,
before entering the game FINALLY IT
Griffith informs me that Casnion VIII
mitch Griffith then yells for Cashion but
Cashion has suddenly developed defective
hearing, and it takes a dozen shouts from
Griffith before he realizes he is wanted.
This sudden deafness enables him to
throw about an extra dozen balls.
In this game Cashion luckily came
through i'm grand style. held the Tigers
TO a single run in the remaining eight in
ninrs and won out. 3 to 2. his team MAX
ing a ninth-inning rally that Melted the
trio of runs. ,
It is Grifith's contention as presented
in his suggestion, that when an umpire,
on the spur of the moment elects pitch
err from the game he does the team so
penalized rank injustice under the pres
ent rules. Especially is this true If the
pitcher is moving along smoothly. for i'm
that case the manager has no one warm
ing I'D. The Washington manager con-
tends that whenever an umpire puts
ptcher out of the game very suddenly
tho team so penaliZed should be granted
at least three minutes by The umpires
watch in which to warm up another
pitcher, to take the place of the twirler
elected.
Griffith contends. and rightly so, that
the fans don't care to see a game that
has been. or promises to be, close and
Intensely exciting won by the batters of
one team jumping on a cold pitcher and
hitting him at will. He also argues that
a pitcher is often ruined by sending him
into the fray without being properly
warmed I'D. If the game Is a very i'm
portant one, and such condition arises,
the manager naturally. throws one of
his stars into the breach, and perma-
nent injury to star is a deplorable con-