The Washington herald., 1919-11-17
Against Fre.k Deliveries.


Mrhager Griffith has replied TO |
invitation that he will be Glad 20 |
cept the offer made him. on condd
that the two leagues will agree 60 |
cept the rules changed 1T is no |
of anyone taking up valuable tim(
their ideas are not adopted. IL
want the rules changed ! am w1d
to help. but on condition that
league accept all the changes we \
gest."
The Nationals leader is enphatf|
his denunciation OF the practice OF
plying paraffin. resin. emery or o}
foreign substances 20 the ball:
spitball. too. should be barred BY
legislators Of the national pastim@
their next meeting.
II would. however" said cal
grant a year or so grace TO the II
ball pitchers. Yes. ] am in favoj
going a little farther with this al
I think that it would be only fad
the pitchers as well as TO the cluhl
which they are members TO allow III
to pitch the kind Of ball thai
made them a success. until o
time as they were released by theU
In which they are now connected.
Ban Young Pitehers1
You see il would not be more Il
five years until all who now
that style OF pitch will be out Of
game. so automatically we will
rid of them. Do not permit
young pitcher who enters the "a
TO use IL, nor allow any other pitci
now in either league who has
been a splitter, TO adopt that st
Of delivery. The efforts to do av
with that style OF delivery has
hearty support" the the Fox"
The use of a doctored ball b,
pitcher is unfair. and has no plsc,
baseball. When such a practice
ters into a game. that game is
decided upon its merits but upon
chemical action OF a foreign q
stance on a ball which has supp
edly not been tempered with.
The fans 20 out to see a ball Esl
and not a chemical experiment. Tn
deliveries often tend 10 give
spectators a distorted impression
the true worth OF the pitchers v
use them. ard unnaturaIly curb
hitting OF the opposing players. I
cry OF the fans always is for
creased batting. so the freak
liveries are both illegal. and Z
signed TO obtain results which 1
unsatisfactory.
Allow Pitcher. Time 90 CkSnss
when l advocate the casting
of these deliveries ] include
spit-ball with the others. but
would suggest that twirlers v
use the spit-bsll be allowed 10
ahead and pitch the style they HI
adopted. As above mentioned
will not be long until they are
gone. then we will have leEitim
pitching again. such as we
pitchers were taught to use.
have always contended 1
much of the freak deliveries is
necessary. Almost every pitcher
the American League. and I Eu
in the National. who use one q
delivery or another could get by
his natural skill IL he cared to !
on il. Why they insist on empl
ing other means to fool the bait
is beyond me. l discourage the
of anything but a natural deliv
on the part Of every young pitC
who comes TO me"
Grifith thinks the use Of fr
deliveries could be checked by
passage of a rule prohibiting pl
ers from touching the ball to
part of their uniforms. w
suggest applying this rule not
to the pitchers but to all other pl
ers, regardless of their posipon:
believe il would be possible 70
catcher or infielder or even an {
fielder TO tamper with the bal
only the pitchers were placed ur
surveillance.
l will be interested in any sugl
tion for a change 10 better the g.
that any fan wishes 10 offer. II
proposition looks good to me, vii
all can to have them changed.
One rule l am going to try and !
changed. is this: II while at bat
batter in the act OF trying 20 csc
a wild pitch and the ball hits the
causing the ball TO go into fair
ritory and cause him being thrown
at first. to have the rule say. ]
a dead ball and no play can be m
on IT, II is an injustice 20 any pli
20 be thrown out when he did not
to make a hit. but was trying TO az
from being hit with a wild pitch