The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-11
MANHATTAN CHATS OF LIVE BASEBALL
 NEWS AND GOSSIP

New Hork, April lO-Squeezeu dlnoSl ury of new material the big league baseball teams are rapidly approaching their home towns for the final few days of tuning up before the season begins this week. Their trails from the south are marked by buster phenoms" The final weeding out of the unavailable will not be completed for seevral weeks yet, so 1t is impossible to tell Just which of the yougsters have made good and which of the old-tlmers have passed out of the
 big league ball.
 There will be few changes fin the line ups of the present champions. Both Mack and McGraw seem to be pretty well sat isfed with the men wno won the pen- nants last year and with reason. They both, however, have developed some promising material, and will keep several youngsters in order to give them the bench training which Is an irn- portant element in the methods of both these successful baseball generals.
 The fact that MeGraw has let Arlie Latham out indicates that he has some extra good new wood.
 Both the champion teams need pitchers, Both teams can boast some of the best pitchers in the game but they are grow ing old for baseball and it takes him to develop men who can replace them. It is safe bet that no slabmen of un- of the two Macks. They may take chance on fielders, but not on pitchers.
 r,eabau Ia aosaptia1I., a ennrt of youn, men. There may be occasional players who can keep in fast company when they pass the 30 year mark they are few exceptions which prove the rule. For example the average age of the National league champions is under 25 and this includes Mathewson and Wiltse, who are past 30. MeGraw said recently: You couldn't hand me an old ball player un- der any circumstances if 1 could get hold of a youngster.
 "I make one exceptional qualification. If the old player could help me win pennant by taking him late in the season. naturally 1 would be glad to get him, but 1 wouldn't trade for an old-timer, take him south and endeavor to start the season with him.
 q mean no reflection upon the old ball players when 1 say that youth must be served. 1 merely mean that l wouldn't trade for veterans when 1 could get youngsters grow to be veterans on my club. That's different proposition entire ly, because then they're players of my own making.
 While the rules governing the national game are most carefully considered and on the whole are wise they are, of course, subject to improvement. The enthusiastic far occasionally strikes an idea which IS worthy the consideration Of the rule maker. For instance here Is sugges- tion from a fan who is firm be- llever in home runs and giving the slug gers plenty of credit for them. AS the baseball rules are now." he writes, the batter who bunts the ball and reaches first base by an inch, and the batter who hits the ball out of the lot both receive the same credit in the batting averages
 According to my judgment. and I'm almost positive that a good number of fans, scribes and even the players would agree with perfect average for that game, he should have his turn at the bat just the same, but should be charged with no more times at the bat than he makes hits, in recognition of his home run. I also would suggest that pinch hit column be published in each and every box score of the major leagues, showing which player proved to be the emer- gency hitter. The fans don't care much about seeing a hard hitter come to bat and line a two or three bagger with the same empty. They want to see the batter get his bingle with the bases full. The pinch hitter of the team may be batter who hits only .240 for the whole season and yet drives the more runs through clean hitting than the top notcher who hit 300 The plnch-hit colum should show runs driven through clean hitting only. and it would prove very interesting to all who follow the game closely
 Mike Donlin figures as strong first base possibility for Pittsburg. It Is predicted that whe nthe Pirates start Mike will get many trials on the sack, and that from the very outset he will be considered along with kalliher and Keene as a can didate for custodian of the No. pillow.
 Mike Is not stranger to the position. He played it--and played it we'll during the summer of 19O1 If Fred Clarke calls