Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-03-20
Doping the 1916 Baseball Season
l--Just How the Doping Is Done
BY HUGH S. FULLERTON

Baseball In 1916 will be the most
uncertain. the most spectacular and tho
best we have seen since tho National
league reduced from twelve TO eight
clubs Never has Il season started in
such muddlcd condition. Never has
there been such an opportunity to
prove whether or not baseball "dopcs"
Fourteen ma jor league clubs think they
have chance to win. Every club
claims to have been strengthened
Three clubs that were doomed TO second
division posts have been so strength
"n"d because of securing the best OF
TN" Federal leaSucrs that they are
claiming pcnnants
FOR sixteen years I have been claim
inS that baseball "dopcs" | have
made Il few converts. but about ninety
nine out of every 100 fans say IL Is
bunk. There never has been such Il
Chanc" TO prove whether or not II il
hnnh fiayerS AMI managers say tho
i""" never Was so muddlcd---the
changes IN teams never 20 stri<inu
They say six OF eight American League
clubs ma" win that pcnnant and that
each OF the cirh; National League clubs
hrs q chance.
Now, If, by my system OF doptnp. |
hSure approximately how each OF the
sixteen clubs will finish 1, ourcn, to
grove that baseball dopos. had II MOI"
a" not claim to ID" an expert mathe-
'nhtiCihn a second sight expert, or n
prophet ! simply claim that n close
study OF the game and players. bv
any system. will rcvenl the strength
and weaknesses OF each team. and that
I'll" results OF this stud, can bo va.
huc"n 10 The number OF games won
ard lost
Done u out with Turlerton:
NJ ,asH inns year is harder than il
mas hccn' so want you fellows
I" ""p" this out with me Nou can do
It rs well AZ can. I will rI,n w.
nay system entire. II you differ WIN
M" a. to III" worth or any plavcr ,ust
substitute yonr figures for min. ana
hfhEe II your own way
haven't an idea how either race
WI md am starting now 10 don.
me players. position by positio, an
""t"'"E WIN Units, which are plavcr.
~" nd'ioing them up into teams Ny
u Judgment as to how good or bo,v
"a" d PLAYER is, is based not ONLY ,no,
Nv observation, but also upcn the
o'uciai nEursS and. NOR. irnportapt ia
ooh'nionS of his fellow PLAYERS .rh",
N',"W Things We never can l,rou
h"iofe starting. let mo eY,,,,u
manner nor anyone els. can ,.lI
whether T.! COBB will break ,,.. h.'
'o'" jury q whether Walter Johnson
"',' hurt his arm. or whether som.
n.u suuueh!S VIII develop into Ma,h.
c"Soh or an Alexander. Neither can
for"tell trade that MAJ ups.t ,hn
dope vi"
w" know. however. that there is lcss
'"'''cc Io' new men 10 Gcy.lop ,bis
E'"F IMAM IN ordinary years. ana TIM,
traces snch as Connie Mack made last
year ar" not liable 10 come. W. arc
'N'hE with more known Quantities
'h's Year than ever have done
n
League experience.
Now FOR the system:
Percentages Are Important.
u IN" def"nsiv" value OF any team
was equal 70 it's offensive value, 10
team ever would score a run The Of
'chs" must be stronger than the de-
therefore. offensive strength is
%! more value than Defensive
study III" runs scored in ratio IA mn,
outs and assists, and YOU viii p.t a.,
IDEA OF the relative value OF offensive
ana defensive. ! figure the offensive
value OF the average team az 90. and
the defensive value at az Everyone
comedies that run makinc-that is bat
hns' base running, and general attack
lis more important than iieldlng
We can learn the offensive value OF
any player by studying his speed. his
batting. hts base running. his aeeres-
*iVcn"ss. etc. We have records cover
ing years to show what each can do
Tho average attacking value o. each
individual on ball team Is one-n!nth
of the value Of the team attacl<-and
"nc-ninth OF 81 is =. the average at
lacking strength OF each player
Defensive value is harder have
evolved a table showing the valu. OF
each position on n team. This Is based
upon the number Of chances tho player
has. as well as on the Importance or
those chances. You know. of course
that right fielder 10 no: az important
as catcher ! have figured out how
important each position 10 work tt
out this way--and remember 7 hay.
studied the figures OF about twenty
leagues FOR ten years:
Player Percentage.