New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-02
Baseball Sure To Be the
Gamer by Work of
Worlds Tourists.
KJNG GEORGE PAID
FLATTERING TRIBUTE
ppasons Why Changes in Rules
Should Make for Fairness and
Greater ClearneSS.
Bv Herbert.

By Herbert.
rt,r George and thousands OF other
r.glls5men paid q Gattering tribute 10
s.ssbau the great national game of this
,o,ntry. on Thursday. i'm England. The
.iseionarv work. if such il may he
.rod which has been done by the New
vi and Chicago clubs i'm preaching the
cosnel of the game i'm so many coun-
,riss cannot be overes timated. II may
- Years before baseball commands the
.,srfion i'm other chimes that il so well
sosorres here. and il may be never. but
,,. seed IS sure 90 have fallen on much
,e,,ue ground. This comparison may
ro, he an altogether good one as the seed
h.J rrer. scattered 10y previous crusad-
Or. but 10 can he said that young ana
un,o,lrished sprouts have been cult
,o,od and that the growth from now on
< sure 10 be more healthy. Charles
Comiskey. chief owner Of the White
sex. and John j. McGraw. manager Of
the Giants who were largely responsible
for the tour Of the world which will come
10 an end with the arrival OF the players
in this city on Thursday. deserve well the
thanks Of all those who love the sport.
No doubt the King Of England and the
ma iority OF the $4,000 who saw the game
in London on Thursday were moved to
attend as much by curiosity as by de-
sire 20 show good feeling 10 the visitors.
judging from all accounts. they were
quickly moved to q spontaneous outburst
'To
rsraphrase: so does baseball make
fans Of US all
II is hard TO understand why the e.
fort which has been made 10 establish
the good points OF baseball as a game
in England and other countries should
lead 70 comparisons which so often are
oIious Cricket has its charms no less
renowned to Englishmen than baseball
10 Americans. Games are fostered
largely by the characteristics Of those
people most concerned. and a man is
narrow. indeed, who SCOTS az the anUse-
nent Of ono without fully approaching
or understanding tho needs and re
ouirements of that on.
We admire baseball in this country
because 10 has a kick. a punch. and is
fun NJ action 1t satisfies the impetu-
Gus hustle and impatient hustle which
have come 70 he 60 much a part of our
working and playing. At least. then. We
should respect cricket or any other sport
which appeals quite as strongly 10
those whose characteristics have been
developed along less strenuous lines
The Daily Express Of London. in com
menting on the game. said that English
men had been shown baseball as i'll
should he played and added in most gen
erous spirit. We may stick to our
cricket. but We shall not make the mis-
take Of despisng baseball" With that
as text a sermon co I'D he preached to
those who rdicule cricket and tea
drinking 10 enjoying their own baseball
and tecr
What was the real purpose writes
l. y G.. "of the change recently made
iu the baseball rules by which a base
runner may continue as far As he can
when the umpire is hit by thrown BALI
This could be answered by the one word
equity. but possibly d fuller explanation
will not he amiss, although il seems off
hand as II A large majority OF the fans
must know and understand full well why
the members OF the rules committee re-
vissd rule which long has been declared
unsatisfactory and unfair
Under the old wording the base runner
vas compelled 10 return TO MS base when
IN umpire was hit by a thrown ball. and
this opened the way 70 complications and
situations that made for unfairness For
example. some keen witted player, field
lng ball rather deeply and realizing pos
stly that the batter had about an equal
chance 20 beat out the throw 20 first.
whieh with q man on third would mean
possibly the winning run, would pur-
loseiy hit the umpire thus multiplying the
play and opening the way 10 an easier
chance 20 retire the side. or course. the
batter alSo mas the extra chance or nam
mering out three-bagger or home run
trt the chances under these circum-
stances arc never equal, the advantage
lying largely with the team in the field
The rule originally was framed 10 pre-
vent possible collision between an umpire
md one team or the other by purposely
getting I'm the way OF thrown ball and
thus preventing a sure out at some base
il has been proved however. 10 the salts
faction Of those most concerned That its
operation worked a hardship out OF all
proportion 70 only a bare contingency, 50
that on the whole the change has been
widely commended n is felt, and rightly
y seems 10 me, that the fielder should be
able 10 clrcumvent any such purpose on
ne part ~ dishonest umpire, and that
10 any care II is hts business 70 over
come any natural handicaps In defensive
pay without opening the door 10 some
Niy trick. which automatically would
Nofl 10 the dlsadyantage OF The attacking
~.
~ necessity the new rule viii add one
more burden 20 the many now carried Dy
me umpire When the day comes "heh'
through an accident or the blundering
mnehance 90 some arblter. a game Is won
~ this way, the fanB Will not stop 10
is>sDn WY, but Will heap abuse IS not
POD bottles on the head and shoulders Of
ne offending one. n Will be the umpire
'l course. and not the player who - 10
"sns In the opinion at least OF the more
iaDio fans. but the cars OF the diamond
hsys ~ option. and must accept the con
'>2ssncss with such stoicism 3s they can
'Nnnsno. FOR the good Of the game