The New York herald., 1921-10-19
MAY MODIFY RULE
VIOLATED BY RUTH
Penalty Decision by Landis
Likely This Week, Says
His Secretary.
BABE TOO PRECIPITATE
Brought On Present Situation,
According to Official-Chi-
cago Gridiron Brawn.
By WILLIAM y. HANNA.

All SO needless the Ruth flare-up and
violation OF a baseball rule by going
transforming. Leslie O'Connor, Com
missioner Landis's secretary. who left
for Chicago last night had this to say
yesterday about the affair:
"The rule forbidding world series
players from transforming would have
been modified and the players permit
ted to play their games had they gone
about It in the right way. Judge Lands
when here went to the two dressing
rooms and informed the players of
both teams Of the existence OF the rules.
Well exclairne d Ruth. without
waiting for anything else to be said.
here is one player who's going out to
play. anyway
There was nothing then for Judge
Lands to do but stand firm on the
rule. Had the players petitioned him
for modification he would have given
them the permission. with such qualifi-
cations as would have required them to
conduct the trip properly.
''Ths major league club owners were
here, and he could properly have put the
fation that the permission be granted.
Judge Iardis's whole record since he
has been commissioner shows that he is
a friend OF the players. One mans pig
Deadedness. however, brought about the
present situation.
Before this matter came up Judge
Lands had intended to have the rule
in question modified. Whether he will
DO so now or not / don't know. but /
think he will. His idea is to allow tho
rule as it is to stay there, but to alnplify
1t by making transforming trips permis-
sible on consent Of the owners of the
club involved and the commissioner.
Z "Also the players would be required
70 abide by certain added requirements
prohibiting their playing against ineli-
gible teams OF players or on fields where
they might run the risk Of injury and
from Objectionable conduct"
Mr.. O'Connor added that he thought
Judge Landis's decision on the discipline
/ TO be meted out to Ruth and the other
Yankee players-AIeusel. Piercy and
Sheehan--would be announced by the
end OF this week.
Miller Huggins, manager OF the
American League champions. left early
this morning for the West. He Is motor
ing to Cincinnati, and from there will
go Into the backwoods for two weeks.
After that he expects to return to New
York. for he has some broken fences
so mend.
The Yanks, intact from this year, are
g. good pennant prospect for next year.
though they need pitchers badly. So do
all clubs Lefty ODoul win be back
with the squad next spring. He was q
highly successful southpaw on the coast
this season. II Ruth and Meusel are
sent to Coventry for a long period the
outfield will be shot to pieces Camp
skinner. Sea-Cap Christensen. Tom Con-
molly, Chick Fewster, Elmer Miller,
Chick Hawkes. and Hinkey Haines are
outfieiders who will be at Huggins's
disposal next spring. The first three
named are recruits of last spring sent
out for more seasoning.
IT wish to have your ruling on the
last play, from Kelly to Frisch," writes
r. New Jersey Giant fan. (The play
referred TO was the las. one of the
world series. the Rawlings to Kelly to
Trisch play.) "All the papers have
called It the completion Of double
play. but take exception to that. Two
men were put out, but that does not
constitute q double play. for my in
depreciation of double play is that
the men. II tho ball Is played correctly
by the felders. cannot prevent then,
selves from being put out"
The gentleman Is wrong. He seems
70 think double play In order to be
such must be force play. He is wrong
in that premise. Suppose runner on
third base tries TO score OIL a fly ball
caught by an outfelder. If he is tagged
nt the plate he is out and It is a double
play; but he isn't forced. A double
play Is defined officially thus:
Any two continuous putouts that
take place between the time the
ball leaves the pitchers hands until
II is returned to him again stand
3ng in the pitchers box.
One OF the faults to be corrected by
the Princeton football coaches this week
and which were shown at Annapolis,
was poor covering of kicks. The ends
and the tackles were below standard
sn getting down under punts, or In avoid
ing being blocked of. Nobody was near
the Navy receiver when he caught punts.
Quicker thinking by individuals also viii
help Nassau. The backfeld men al
lowed a punt 10 bounce back Ave yards
nearer to the Tiger goal than there was
any need for. and Tiger man In line
with Navy forward pass batted IL
10 the ground when he could have caught