The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-08-04
REAR END !.
COLLISIONS
az ARTHUR t.sucs~, sAeR.

~ ARTHUR ("eucS") eAeR.
Copyright. 1917, by the Press Publish
ing Co. tThe New York Evening
worldly
The handicapring in the National
league Is very punkish. During a game
last week Poll Perritt was alternating
on third with Burns fermenting on Sec
ond Whoozis or Kauff or somebody
eased single to right field and Burns
waved his ankles so copiously that he
caught up to Poll and spiked him on
the cap. Burns was called out for pass
ing Poll on the hasclines, perrits only
had 80 feet handicap. You can't blame
Perritt. He's supposed to be pitcher.
not n blooming gazelle
The fault lies with the National com.
mission. Pitchers who get to frs;
base through some hlundcr or hoo, ny
kismet or one OF the other infielders.
shSuld he automatically advanced TO
third base. Then they would be in a
good position to score on a triple or a
home run. No regular hascscooter
should be allowed on the base corri-
doris at the same time tina. a pitcher
is ciogcinc the right Of way. Inter-
state Commerce commission statistics
show that the rear-end collision is the
most deadly Of railroad wrecks. When
a twirler is Goa gllatinc the base pro-
cession time should he called in order
to allow him to recover Being on the
haselines is a terrible shock 10 any
pitcher. And pitcher who has only so
feet start On Il union haseholder can't
be expected 10 keep from cumming the
cavalcade. Two of those 90 feet are
big handicap, because they are his
own.
II the National Conlnish would ham
dicap pitchers correctly, the annoyance
would be easily erased Whenever q
pitcher gets 10 second or third base.
time should b. called to allow the
brakeman to place two warning tor
pedoes at proper intervals between
second and first and first and home
Warning semarhores and red lights
should be displayed TO wise up the reg
ular basegallopers that a pitcher is in
the next block ahead. Any base sprint
er running past these danger signals
"
ment by the jumps.
Trouble is always bound to occur
when pitchers and orthodox hasehoof-
ers get on the base tracks at the same
time. Running locals and expresses on
the same set of tracks Is dangerous
business, as the Erie found out many n
time. In order to keep the baserails
clear pitchers should run by proxy.
Rules prevent a baserunner from run
ming around pitcher. and humanity
prevents the basetrotter from running
over a pitcher.
The only panacea is to fix the han
dicapping. Either make the other base
sreedsters run with a piano in their
hip pockets. make 'em don divers
shoes or hancuff their feet. Or give
the pitchers shot of hop or some
thing.
This would kind o even up the run
ming and prevent serious mishaps.
Why not elevate the pitchers tracks
so that pitchers and baser,nners
would be on different levels on the
bases?
This would prevent serious grade
crossing accidents such as they have
on the Long Island railroad.
It's time that something was done.
Any day Poll Perritt is liable to get
on the bases ahead of Burns. and this
time Poll might not get away so for
tunately. AS it was. the last time his
wheel base was dented and his chew
Of tobacco completely telescoped.
The trouble with pitchers hoofs is
that the trade OF twirling gives 'em
flattened feet. which is the epidemic
that bars so many young gents from
the army. And most pitchers have
those horizontal feet.