The Detroit times., 1912-01-20
! NUMBERS PASTED ON TIE
PLAYERS SLEEVES? NOT
IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES
Beneath the Dignity of Big
League Players To Be Desig-
mated Like Ponies
WANT FANS TO KNOW EN-
Only Rawest Recruits Are Not
Recognized on Sight
BY the Stands
WANT FANS TO KNOW EN-
Nv RALPH /. voNkER.

There will be a scoreboard that VIII
Almost talk at Benentt park every
hing that every man does viii De
shown so that a Fiji islander coulu
|<follow the game after Few mohen.s
|sinstruction, but there is one thlng that
" President Nayin balks at ana mat -
Numbering the players with hsureS
.spasted on their sleeves. NJ
IA Il understand that some OF the ia,
4cific coast clubs are going 10 try the
scheme OF identifying their men WIN
numbers on their uniforms, sara MI
Nayin today. THAT scheme may "oIh
all right in the minors where the lahs
NAV not know the players, out lhe
American and National league play
teers wouldn't want their dignity 10 Ue
lowered by being designated IKE
bunch OF horses.
ss PLAYERS aren't machines. They are
kiust as human as ordinary men VINO
don't break into the news OF the sport
page, and they like to know the fans
personally and be known by them III
N the same way. You might think that
some of them would resent attempts
at familiarity but they like IT,
= ..yytth our new seorebeaFd there will
he absolutely no chance for anyone
so be confused. and most of the play
K ers are well known anyway except
s. the recruits who become so soon
enough II they make good and deserve
n 10 be-
q II Is a question as TO what sort OF
fuss IL would kick up If the mag
mates should decide that the men
y ought 10 be numbered. While there
\ may be more business than sentiment
~ In modern baseball, II Is 10 TO one
RI that the players would rather suner
y salary cuts all along the line than be
y labeled like the horses.
y The Buffalo Detroit agreement that
\ is bothering the Bisons does not APP
pear to be a serious matter. but II Is
N serious enough so that Manager Stall
N ings. OF the Buffalo club, is expected
N to come over to Detroit some time
N before the end of the month for con-
sultatlon with President Navin in re-
gard to II.
leFl~ For some time there has been an
agreement between the two clubs LAT
there was to be a preference shown by
4 esch toward the other In the matter
OF disposing OF players. When the
Tiges were going to set some men
adrift. the Bisons were to get first
chance on them. Likewise. when the
Buffalo team had some stars that
boxed good to join the majors. the
Tigers were TO be given first grab.
This may hold up anything definite
regarding the transfer OF players to
Providence. for when the agreement
vas made. the Detroit men had no
idea that they would own another
minor league club. AS far as Detroit
IS concerned, II means only that the
preference in disposing OF players will
be between Detroit and Providence
rather than Detroit and Buffalo, In
case the agreement is annulled.
This Senator Frawley OF New York,
the originator of the Frawley boxing
law, has the sport tax bug evidently
n is said that he proposes introducing
into the New York legislature bill
70 tax the gross receipts of baseball
clubs in excess Of certain limit. the
money thus collected TO be turned
ever to the Fairgrounds in leading
cities and towns. The bill viii prooa-
bly, name 10 per cent as the tax. II will
affect the New York Nationals, New
York Americans, and Brooklyn Ma
tionals.
Senator Frawleys idea is TO put pro |
fessional baseball under the control
of the state athletic commission which I
manages the boxing game.
Oficials OF major league clubs never
have made public the amount OF their
gross receipts, expenditures. and pro-
Ats. II has been said that the profits
OF the New York Nationals exceed |
500 600 In good years
The weird performances of some !
ieft-handed pitchers have given fans
the impression that practically all |
southpaws are OF the wild and woolly |
variety. The averages tell differ
emit story. A comparison OF the rec.
ords of the FIVE leading righthanded
pitchers of the major leagues with
those OF the FIVE best left-handers
shows that the control OF the south
paws is almost as good as that OF the
starboard Hingers.
National league right-handers were
somewhat steadier than left-handers,
and the port hurlers OF the National
were a trihe wilder than those In the
American.
Bender, Coombs, Ford, Johnson and
Walsh are the leading American
league FlBnEnanuerS. Inc nNe gave
800 passes in 1,525 innings. or 1863
nine-inning games, making an aver
age of little over two passes per game.
Gregg, Plank. Collins, Vaughn and
White. the leading southpaws, gave
296 passes In 1866 innings. or an aver
age OF "a per game in III nine-inn.
ing games.
Alexander, Mathewson, Brown,
Adams and Suggs, five of the crack
right-handers OF the National league.
averaged two passes for every nine
innings. Marquard. Sallee. wiltse,
Rucker and Leifield, the crack left.
handlers OF the same organization.
averaged % bases on balls a game.
Christy Mathewson, the steadiest of
National league pitchers, averaged
ore pass for every nine innings he
pitched Ed. walsh's average was
about ~ per battle. Doc" White
Vas the steadiest OF all the iefthand.
ers, with only y passes per nine inn.
INCA Lelheid, OF the Pirates. was the
tfondlaaf National left.hander with