The Washington herald., 1912-02-04

Take a close game at a critical stage.
A man on second and third. The batter
cracks out a grounder to the right of the
pitcher, or, we will say, through the pitch
er's box. Both shortstop and second
baseman are on the alert. 4 tumble is
fatal, and with an umpire in the way the
chances are that an infielder win slip
up. There goes the ball game. and all
because an umpire was blocking the play
when he could have stationed himself
behind the second baseman-
'Umpires will tell you that in order to
get close enough to third base TO be on
top Of plays they must take a stand be-
hind the pitcher. That's all bosh. Let
them stand back of the second baseman
and run down to third with the base
runner. The exercise will do them good.
The trouble with the umpires is that
they don't like TO move around any more
than the law allows"
Whether or not Griff's pleadings for
change in this rule will have any effect
remains to be seen, but it would seem as
if he were right in his contention that the
code should be changed. To the fans
in the grandstand the diamond looks bad
ly crowded with the bases loaded and a
big husky umpire stationed directly be-
hind the pitcher, and any shortstop or
second baseman will vOuch for the fact
umpire ducking about is a difficult mat
ter.
Griffith, a pitcher himself for twenty
years, believes that the rules should be
changed in regard to the twirler's rub
Der or box, as it called
McGraw, of the New York -lants, has
put himself on record by declaring that a
small shallow hole directly back of the
pitchers rubber should be dug on every
major league diamond and that the UNI
pire must insist upon a pitcher keeping
at least one foot in that hole Fhile de-
livering the ball.
Griffith says that this is a move in the
right direction, and adds that either a
shallow hole could be dug or else the
rubber be enlarged TO twice its present
width.
The Nationals boss believes that the
Umpires give I pitcher too much lee
way, and do not pay enough attention
to the position Of a twirler's foot while
the latter is in the act of cutting loose
with the ball.
Almost any pitcher. during the ex-
citement of a regular game, will often
forget himself and steal two or three
inches toward home plate" he adds.
Some do it Intentionally and others
without thinking. Often just this little
slip will enable a pitcher to prove more
effective.
''McGraw's idea of a shallow hole be-
hind the rubber would help a whole lot.
also the increased width Of the rubber
strip. 1 hope this will be seriously con-
sidered by those who propose to tinker
with the playing rules
% Grifr's other suggestion is along the
same lines as that offered by Roger
Bresnahan, of st. Louis, and others
namely, more latitude for the coacher
back of third base. Says Bresnahan:
The coach should be given an oppor-
tunity to help his team to q greater ex-
tent than is permitted at present. There
is no reason why the coach, stationed as
he il, should not be allowed to speak to
the men at bat. Many times it is really
necessary to give signals TO the batter,
and this could be done during encourag-
ing remarks"
Take an ordinary ball game. or even
Z hard fought one" says Grih. 1T Is.
almost second nature for g manager
coaching from the third base lines to
say something encouraging TO batter.
He cannot help it. Even Hank o'Day
last year thought this rule should be
changed.
I'm the National League they have
always been very strict regarding this
rule, and more trouble has arisen from
coachers being chased to the bench for
violation of this portion Of the code than
for anything else l know Of"
President Barney Dreyfuss, of the
Pittsburg club. is now turning his at
tention to the rules of the game. THE
infield ny rule Is the one that bothers
him particularly" says Bobby Byrne.
What is an infield N.Y." recently asked
the msgnate. Being Informed of the
wording of the definition as given in the
rule book, Dreyfuss said that It was not
clear, and that It should be made SO
before another game Of ball is played.
According to the rule book, an infeld
fly Is one which can be handled by an
inhelder. The pitcher and the catcher
are classed as. infielders. though the rule
does not state so. Under the infleld ny
rule. the batter is out IL he puts up an
infield fly with first and second, or first.
second, and third bases occupied and less
than two men. out. The rule states that
as soon as the fly is knocked. the umpire
must declare whether II is an infield fly
or not; that is. whether in his judgment