Evening star., 1918-01-20

STdHu Old game.
Clevelander Has Idea.
From a Cleveland fan comes the
following: Il do not agree with the
fan who suggested the elimination of the
base on balls to increase the hitting.
think such a move would seriously
harm the game, and cannot see where
ii would do any good. AS we know. the
best pitchers lose their control at
times. For the good of the game that
should be their loss. Many game is
decided by base on balls. 1t should be
up to the pitcher to regain control or
suffer the penalty. With the base on
balls eliminated, a pitcher could work
the batsman to the limit, and games
would soon resolve themselves into
four or flve-hour affairs.
"All fans, not most fans. like hitting,
so the intentional pass must be classed
as a sickening spectacle to the regular
sportsman. I would suggest that when
it is evident that the pitcher is trying
to pass such hitters as Cobb, Speak ker.
Collins. Veach and many others that
the batter be allowed to get out of his
box to hit the ball. no matter how far
he may be forced to go. The rule which
automatically retires the .batsman for
for SO doing should be suspended
when the intentional pass is on.
Under such a ruling the pitcher would
find 1t as difficult to keep the good bat
terS from hitting as 1t is for him to get
=.
the batter in the batter's box at all
times except when dangerous hitter
is up and every one in the park knows
what is coming off. If the pitcher takes
the position of boss of the situation at
such times, offset that by giving the
batsman greater limitations as to how
he shall hit the ball. Permit the UNI
pire to determine the rights of the
batsman. The umpire is correct most
of the time. 1t would effectually elm
q q in q
intentional pass. If that had been the
ruling in the old days Larry lajoie
would have won a couple of pennants
for Cleveland. The intentional passing
of Larry in pinch lost many a game
for the old Maps
Here Is New One.
From a fan in Syracuse comes an
other suggestion which is bit out of
the ordinary. He says:
The move to do away with the base
on balls does not meet with my ap-
proval. 1t is too radical. 1t would give
the pitcher too great an advantage. His
mastery is already too complete 1t
would also tend to delay the game We
will assume that good hitter is UP in
a pinch and that he is little weak
on low curve on the outside corner.
BY doing away with the pass the
pitcher could aim them at the batter's
weak spot all day and not suffer any
penalty because he failed to get the
ball over. 1t would make the PROPOSE
ton one-sided, would greatly increase
the odds against 4 base hit, which are
now all on the side of the pitcher
How about this plan to solve the
situation. When four balls are declar-
ed on batter he shall have his choice
of taking first base or remaining a bat
ter. If five balls are declared on the
batter, all base runners shall advance
one base. whether forced or not. After
four balls have once been declared on
the batter he may still take his base
at any time. provided three strikes
have not been called on him or he has
hit the ball in fair territory
Under this rule I do not think a
pitcher would Intentionally waste many
balls. for 1t would be constantly put
ting him in the hole and forcing him
at last to get the ball right over In
regard to the fifth ball. my argument is
this: If good hitter was up in a
pinch. had four balls called and refus-
ed to go to first. the pitcher would de-
eide he didn't want to walk, and would
try to cater to his weakness. BY ad-
vancing all runners, and allowing the
ba tsman still to go to first on the fifth
ball. II he so desires, the pitcher would
do his best to get the ball over
I'VE will say the score is a tie, there
are men on second and third, one out
Speaker up. The program nine times
out Of ten would be to walk Speaker, fill
the bases and possibly hope the next
man would hit into a double play. We
will take the ruling I suggest The
pitcher. in trying to make Speaker hit
bad one, gets the count four balls and
one strike. Speaker declines to take
first base. The pitcher realizes a fifth
ball will allow all runners to advance
base and tie up the game Can you
imagine the interest that will center
around the next pitch?'
OF nearly 800 replies I received from
fans all over the country not one had
a good word for the Intentional pass.
All wanted severe penalty imposed
on the pitcher. Surely something must
be wrong with a practice SO univers-
ally condemned by the fans, who make
the game possible.
Copyright, 1918, by ". G. Evans)