The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-12-09
URGES RULE ON
PASSING HITTER
White Sox Scout Would
Give Batter Option of
Slamming or Walking.
(By Harold b. Iohnson.,

lineage, Lee. quoting Byron
Bancroft johnson, master of the
American league. organized baseball
is always open to criticism" and in
the same breath he invites suggestions
tending to improve the game. Taking
this u for a working basis, one OF
the veterans, for twenty-five years a
prominent factor in the pastime, kick
ed IN with an original idea, which il
considered by the rulemakers. should
score a tremendous hit with the pub
lie. the players and the umpires.
Jack Doyle. white o scout, form
er National league umpire and for
three years h~atterymate to Amos
Rusie, speed king Of the early '9Os,
a dopei out what listens like a pos
slDle solution to h problem attend
ing the intentional passing Of danger
Gus batters. For months Comiskeys
ivory hunter has been bordering over
the question and finally he gave ven
to his thoughts. Said Jack while act
ing as in~terlOcutor at a rousing scs-
sion Of the Hot Stove league:
Unfair 10 Baseball Public.
The baseball public has rightly
demanded a change in the rules gov
eEning this phase of the game. and |
relieve immediate action by the rule.
com nfittees of the two major leagues
would strike a responsive chord. It's
an injustice to the fans. it's unfair to
the batters. and the practice should
be stamped out. Patrons Of the sport
like Cobb. Speaker. Wagner, Lainie
and zimmerman club the ball. If the
battle happens to be tight and the
score close the opposing pitcher sell
dom takes a chance with ono of the
heavy hhters facing him.
This habit OF deliberately serving
four balls wide Of the plate has be-
ON so palpably frequent that the
game b losing interest. Hundreds Of
fans 90 TO ball parks in various parts
of the country every day, sometimes
travelling great distances. just to see
the star hatters in action. Picture
sluggers are denied the right to wal
lop the ball.
MY idea to better the game is SIM
pie. I would make 1t optional with
tho batter whether he accept q free
pass. one Intentionally given. The
umpire should be given the final
word, however. For instance, IL one
OF the well-known s]uggers was UP
" men on base and none out in a
close game and the pitcher deliberate
" shot over four waste balls the nm
pire in chief should be vested with
authority to make the pitcher put
over at least n good ball.
Would levy Stiff Fine.
I'm the event the pitcher refused
the umpire should be empowered to
order him from the game and plas-
ter on a fine not to exceed 5000. This
may seem radical, but to my way Of
thinking tie only fair to The public
and to the batter.
Should the pitcher, while apparent
ly trying to play it safe with one Of
these heavy hitters, put over one good
pall-one that the umpire considers
good enough to be ruled a strickland
the batter refuse to offer at it q. diff
felent condition would arise. In that
case I would move that the batter be
given his base IN balls. In that way
the pitcher would have given the hit
ter q single chance to swing.
Another loophole open to the
pitcher who is playing it safe would
be for him to Intentionally hit the
batter. Such an g would appear
more s~portsmanlike than that Of in
~tentionally lobbins up four bad balls,
all of them received by the catcher
outside the batter's box.
There are times during close
games when runners occupy second
and third and a dangerous batter
steps to the plate that the opposing
pitcher Intentionally passes the bad
man for the purpose Of paving the
way to a possible double play. That
condition doesn't exist often, how
ever"
After summing up the proposition.
Jack allowed as how there might be
a flood of cross-counters to his plan,
but arguments arc always on tap in
the Hot Stove league and the veteran
would gladly welcome bright ideas
from other folk