The Washington times., 1912-12-23
NEW SYSTEM FOR
RATING PITCHERS
IS WELL RECEIVED
Change in Keeping Records
Will Show Exact Value
of Twirler.

NEW YORK. Dec. 23.-Ban john
sons announcement that the American
League will adopt y, new n,othod Of
compiling pitchers records ID being
highly Endorsed by the twirlers. many
Of whom have long protested against
the system In vogue. Just what sys-
tenn will be employed TO rate the bog
men IL not known. or at least has not
been divulged by the American League
chieftain, who intends to seek the
advice Of expert statisticians in find
Ing q 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
It. but the best by far seems to be tho
one recently tried by Secretary John
Heydler. Of the National League. as
supplement to the old method. In which
the percentage is based on games won
and lost.
This new plan gives the pitcher rat
ing on the average number of runs
Darned off him. There Is still another.
figured on the percentage Of hits
first named seems to be the better and
this will probably be adopted.
Good Pitchers Suffered.
Secretary Heydlcr's double rating was
for the purpose Of comparison be-
tween systems. and IL showed clearly
that the good pitchers with weak teams
suffered in prestige according to the old
method.
A comparative record Of the Ameri-
can League pitchers would have shown
that the Yankee pitchers suffered In
this respect more than those Of any
other team the past season. This was
particularly true concerning Ford. Nc
all Of the staff had days when the
team kicked the game from under them
and for which they were charged with
demerit In the records.
No set Of twirlers was rated worse
than the Yankees In 1912. although II 10
Ssg s. 81 Sy ns
Not one Of them had q percentage Of
500, and the three leading members.
Ford. Mcconnell, and Warhop. were
credited with winning about one-third
Figured on the basis of earned runs
allowed by them. they would have been
classed with the stars Of the winning
teams, as the poor playing Of their
teammates, which really marred their
records. would not AFFECT their standing.
New Sysetm Welcomed.
Big George Mcconnell will gladly well
come the new system. and Ford and
Warhop. 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 were IN no way due to
his work IL a conservative estimate, nor
did he gain many. II any. of the eight
victories for which he is credited that
were undeserved or due entirely to the
good playing Of his teammates.
Tots Warhop finished the season with
percentage Of .345. being charged
with nineteen losses IN twenty-nine
games. Rated by any other system,
Tots could not suffer much worse, and
II T. apparent to any one who has fol-
lowed his work Of the past year
closely that he deserves to be listed
much further up. as he doubtless would
be by the new method. The same ap-
plies to Ford and others Of the Yankee
team. as well as to the pitchers Of the
other weak and disorganized teams that
engaged In the pennant race.