Evening star., 1920-07-16

round-trip wallops by merely main
| tanning the pace he has set to date
A total of fifty-one this year will
bring his lifetime home run record
up to the century mark. which he
reached in the matter of hits for the
season yesterday.
Remarkable as Ruth's achievemen nj
is. the fact that it has been accom-
piished despite the fact that he gets
mighty few chances to hit when there
are men on the bases and the score is
at all close. makes it all the more not
able. Incidentally. the frequency
with which Ruth is deprived of an
opportunity to do any batting because
of the practice of opposing hurlers in
walking him is raising a howl from
the fans. particularly those in New
York. They have been turning out in
record numbers at Yankee games all
season. primarily for the purpose of
seeing the Bambino bust 'em, and they
feel they are being euchered~ out of
what they paid for when Ruth is pur-
posely passed
1t is no secret that the intentional
base on balls. despite the action taken
by the rule makers last winter, is be-
ing resorted to just as much this year
as ever. The regulation intended to
prevent it has failed, simply because
it is not enforced by the umpires. If
this is because they hesitate to act
owing to the fact that it is solely a
case of their judgment as to whether
the rule is being broken. there are
other ways in which IL can be done.
Here is one method suggested by John
Ward of New York. famous shortstop
of the Giants nearly three decades ago
and later connected with other clubs
in the capacity of manager presi-
dent, along with his views OF 'e SUBJ
ject. which are sound:
Would Make Pass Optional.
The intentional pass has become
anathema to the fans and must &C.
The situation has been rendered more
acute locally by the fact that thou
sands of spectators are attracted to
the games daily with the expectation
of seeing Bambino hit one; but just
when the situation is most tense the
strategy of the game calls for an in
territorial pass, to the weariment and
disgust of every good rooter. The
commendable effort of the rules COM
mittee to remedy this evil has gone
astray, but there is no reason to be
discouraged. There is, it seems to
me, very simple rule that would an
swer the purpose and at the same
time introduce an interesting STRAIT
egic feature.
was intended originally as a penalty
on the pitcher and not on the batter
1t has, however, been perverted ana
in many cases now the effect is re-
versed. Why not, therefore, restore
it's original purpose? Let the ac-
ceptance of the pass be optional with
the batter, of course, under the di-
rection - his captain. To illustrate !:
Option should Remain Open.
which his captain would elect that
the batter take his base, depending
entirely upon the situation at the
time. On the other hand. there would
be other situations in which he would
much prefer to take the chance OF
having the batter hit; and in such
case the batter, SO signaled by his
captain, would announce to the UNI
pire on the fourth bad ball that he
declined the pass with the result
that the pitcher would be compelled
finally to give him his chance to hit.
The option should remain open. so
that in any change in the situation
drought about by wild pitch, stolen
base or any other circumstance) the
batter might still be at liberty to
claim the penalty. The spectators.
understanding that the batter was
under the direction of his captain,
would not hold the batter himself re-
sponsible for the choice, the captain
assuming the responsibility. as he
must do in all matters of direction on
the field.
Think this over and see how it
would work out. For instance, in the
third inning of recent game against
Detroit. when Ruth came to bat, with
two men on bases. and Ehmke began
his Intentional pass, what a cheer
would have gone up from the multi
tude at the fourth bad ball if the bat
ter could have boldly chosen to take
his chances on a hit and had so
elected"