The Washington herald., 1920-02-08
Old Fox Will Offer Many
Suggestions for Change
In Laws at Baseball
Meeting.

President Clark Grifhth. OF the
Nationals. will reach Chicago this
morning prepared to give his views
Of what should be changed in the
rules. He felt confident before he
left that many. IL not all. Of his
suggestions would receive favorable
consideration.
The first and foremost is how ts
prevent pitchers from giving a bat
ter a base on balls deliberately.
Sriinth's idea is to leave IL 20 the
umpire. IL he decides that the
twirler is Intentionally trying TO
walk a batter, he shall order All
runners TO move up a base as a
penalty.
Up 10 Umplres.
President Griffith has an excellent
idea, that when a pitcher inteption-
ally passes a man then all runners
move up, but il a pitcher tries TO
fool batter and the latter should
even get a FOUL of the twirler, then
II proves that he has tried 70 put
the ball over. Any wise umpire can
tell instantly whether a pitcher 10
trying to pass a batter or not. II
is up to him. II this rule is PASSED
no pitcher is going TO walk a man
TO get at the next man for IL a
runner should be on third that mar
is ordered home and the walk would
not help.
Griffith is also going 70 ask that
all stolen bases. such as are pulled
when no attempt is made TO stop
them, be eliminated from the score
No man should be given a stolen
base when no attempt has been
made to prevent IL.
Call Foul Ball. a
Another rule that Gridhth has in
mind is: When a batter Is trying
to avoid being hit by a wild pitch
and the ball strikes the bat and
il goes foul, then the umpire should
call il a foul. 4 No batter should be
charged with a strike in this case
But IL the ball goes into fair ter
ritory then Of course the batter
must run.
His idea of shine. emery or spit
balls is: Any pitcher that shall be
caught doing anything TO the ball
during the game shall at once be
put out OF the game and not be
permitted to- pitch again for a
week. That will put a handicap on
both the club and manager for he
Will not want TO lose any star
! pitcher and IL the pitcher should
use that kind OF a freak ball then
II would be up to the manager to
fine that man.
No Trade Deals.
A rule that is going to cause a
lot Of trouble from some Of the
larger clubs is the one that Grif-
nth has been instructed to present
by none other than President
johnson himself. 1t is: Resolved.
that no player shall be sold. traded
or in any manner be transferred
to another club in the American
] League on and after June i. 1920
and from the same date on any
other year following. No player
shall be transferred to another club
in this organization except by the
waiver rule.
In this manner all clubs will
have an equal chance to get that
player and no player shall cost
more than the waiver price. s2.5G0.
This will in the future stop all
such transactions as the Mays or
Ruth troubles. II will OF course
cause a lot Of kicking by the
larger clubs like New York, Chi
cage. Cleveland and Boston but the
others will all be benefited and II
I is almost certain thai the rule
will be in force this year at least.
Rules Need Change.
Here is another rule that the Fox
will ask TO have changed and IL
should go through easy. The rule
says: Any baserunner shall be per-
mitted to advance. instantly the
ball shall be caught. 1t should read
/ The instant a ball touches a fiel-
der's hands. This would prevent any
/ juggling OF a bali such as a wise
player can do under the rule as at
present.
a rule that will be introduced
should always have been in the
books: il is: That no balk shall b.
charged against a pntcher ~ while
pitching or starting 10 pitch. his
! spikes shall in any manner get
! caught on the rubber causing hin,
/ TO lose his balance and prevent him
from delivering the bail to the
{ plate as intended. Two umpires in
Z the American League differ on this
: rule. Evans will call a balk on any
: pitcher that this happens to. while
Connolly will not. so II two umps
in the same league have a different
idea OF a play. then 81 is time "a
make il one thing or another, a
hallE or NOT a hall-