The Washington herald., 1920-01-28

OOydiu idSS.
If your son was inclined to /
enter and play nine-hole course
Am Afraid Not.
That is. IL you would stop to figure
the injury that your dear boy was
liable to you would not hesitate a
moment to put your foot down on
any person who would ask him to
play any game with boys two or three
years older than he was. or to ask
him to enter into mems games.
Then. why permit your son to play
baseball on u diamond that is used
by adults?
There is not a boy living that does
not like baseball, and they will play
at the game every time they get an
opportunity. They want to play on
tine same style diamond that their
brothers and the other big boys use.
Why? Because they have no other
diamond to enter into the sport on.
The Herald Idea.
Here is the idea that The Herald
would like to see adopted, and the
sooner it is the better for both boys
and the game.
looking for ball players. from the pub
lie schools. high schools, prep schools,
colleges, minor leagues and Ma inr
Leagues. Every boy who can play the
game has an equal chance to get into
it. But il he has not had the op-
portunity to be taught how to play
the game as it should be played. or
asked to try to play a mans game
when it was a crime to permit him to
do so. then you have no interest in
that son.
Let US get together and formu-
late plans in which your boy will
have a chance to get out in the
open and become a ball player. not
necessarily a professional. but to
develop him. There is no greater
sport on Gods green earth than
baseball to make a man out of
your son. then why permit him to
injure himself when it is not nee
essary.
The Herald's Plan.
The diamonds as shown below
will give you an idea of what The
Herald would like to see adopted.
Say for instance. that every
school or athletic club that has
a lot of boys who want to play
these rules: Boys of IL years or
under be compelled to play on a
diamond of sixty feet. Make all
bases that distance apart and have
the pitchers distance forty feet.
Equip them with a regulation ball
Weighing four ounces and make
them use a bat built to match the
other part of the play. You would
laugh yourself to death :: you saw
your boy using a mans protector.
that would come down 20 his feet.
Well. IL is the same to watch a boy
trying to throw a regulation base
ball or use a large bat.
Each boy if given his preference
as to the position he wants to
play would first of all, say pitcher.
Then il he is given a chance to
make that place on the team give
him tools that will not hurt him.
Give him a ball and the distance
that he could use to the best ad-
vantage Did you ever watch a
kid of IL years trying to throw a
ball from third to first. or see a
youngster try to pitch a ball from
the sixty-foot mark? II you did.
and did not say it was a shame,
then you have no idea of crime.
Advance Gradually.
We will go further and say that
boys after they have passed that
age. should be permitted to advance
a step. the same as they do in
school. Each separate division of
age as specified would be advance
ment the same as at school. When
they are IL years of age We would
say: Now you can play on the
next size diamond" which would
he NK-ff
y ounces, and the distance from
plate to home so feet.
This class would be from IL to II.
Then We would advance them a
grade, and permit them to plav on
diamond of so feet for boys from
II to Il. with ball still weighing
IA ounces. and equipment accord
insly. but put the pitcher back To-
55 feet.
After they are II years Of age
they would be well developed and
have the proper knowledge of how
TO play the game. They would then
be permitted to enter into the mans
game. and play on the 90-foot dia-
mond, with ball ounces. and any
style bat they could handle
In this manner We would have:
Up to IL. playing on a diamond
60 feet with a 4-ounce ball and
pitching 40'feet
From ~ to II. playing on a dia-
mond 20 feet with 4Jl-ounce ball.
and pitching distance of so feet.
From "a to II on a diamond of 80
feet with a ball of Az ounces. and
a pitching distance of SIS feet
After Il they could enter the. reg
ular game at 80 feet. with a 5-ounce
ball. and a distance of 60 feet 6 inches
for the pitchers.
In this way We could develop our
boys and not permit them to ruin
their arms and body by trying to be
men.
/ would be pleased to have anyone
that Is interested in this matter write
me in full just what you think Of 1t.
Let US get the opinion of students,
school boys, athletic instructors, etc,
and we will then be able to get to-
gether and formulate a plan where
we could get some high school or
common grade school to give this a
thorough trial.
Let Washington be the first in this,
the same as the first President was
to our country. First in every
thing.
1t is not going to cost US a cent
to try il. and I'm satisfied that after
il has had a good honest trial that
we would never permit our sons to
play ball like their big brothers do,
on a diamond that is not built for
small arms and bodies.
Write us and sign your name or
..rsI ~.