Evening star., 1928-12-12
SUBS TO Do HITTING
FOR BOXMEN, PLAN
President HeydIer, Re- elected
at Increased Salary, Urges
Radical Change.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
N YEw YORK, December INA
tional League officials are In
VI favor Of I0-man base ball
4 teams and pitchers who are
just that and nothing more.
What's more, they will take their plan
with them to Chicago for consideration
at the joint meeting with the American
League tomorrow.
John A. Heydler. Just reelected as
president of the National League for
four more years, suggested a radical
change in the rules. whereby weak
hitting pitchers would have somebody
else to do their batting and base run
ming for them. While his club owners
inclined a favorable ear, Mr.. Heydler
explained that he felt the rule change
would speed up base ball and at the
same time obviate the necessity of hav-
ing so many pinch hitters.
His Views on Subject.
Said Mr.. Heydler:
with a few exceptions, practically
all pitchers are weak hitterS and weak
er base runners. When they come to
bat they literally put drag on the
game No one expects them to do
anything and they simply suspend the
action of the play.
Nov it is my idea that this could be
eliminated with the adoption Of rule
permitting pinch hitter to do the
batting for the pitcher each time the
pitchers regular time at bat came
around without forcing the removal OF
the pitcher from the game. This, of
course, is only a suggestion and there
doubtless are several details that would
have to be worked out later. For one,
/ think it would be best If the same
pinch hitter did all the batting for one
pitcher and that this batter be desig-
mated by the manager before game time.
with the adoption of this rule we
would do away with the necessity Of
seeing a pitcher removed who may be
pitching very we'll, but has to make
way for a pinch hitter because his
team is in need of run.
1T certainly would increase the
action of the game and eliminate much
of the delay caused by the changing OF
pitchers. During the past season in
the National League pitchers were re-
moved for pinch hitters about 500 times,
and In most cases they were taken out
not because they were pitching poorly,
but because their turn at bat came at
a critical moment, when good hitter
was needed"
Mr.. Heydler pointed out that the rule
need not be compulsory so that good
hitting pitchers could be permitted to
take their regular time at bat II man
ayers so desired.
Provided the suggestion meets with
American League favor it Is possible
that special meeting Of the rules COM
mittee would be called in time to place
the suggested change in effect before
the 1929 season starts.
The officials may look with favor upon
t. n1~y slpnl0y Al a
pitchers themselves will do very much
loud cheering over it, Under modern
heavy artillery conditions, pitchers
usually are confronted with eight good
batsmen anyway without making 1t
worse by adding still another. The
sight of q rival pitcher coming to the
plate gives hurlers one OF their few OPP
portunities for rejoicing.
Mr.. Heydler's radical suggestion was
the spice of an otherwise routine meet
ing Of the National League.
HeydIer's Salary Boosted.
After re-electing Mr.. Heydler for four
years at an increase In salary, the mag
mates heard that National League at.
tendance in 1928 was around 5000, 900,
q decrease Of 400,o00 over the previous
year; that Philadelphia, Boston, Pitts
burgh and Chicago showed losses and
New York, Brooklyn, Cincinnati and
st. Louis gains in attendance; that
4,278 dozen base balls were used, less
than the previous season: discussed the
advisability of closing the 1929 season
on October 6 rather than the tentative
date of September %; formally awarded
the 1928 pennant to st. Louis: decided
that pitchers will be forced to use a
white ball, umpires being ordered not to
rub the ball in soil; voted to continue
the most valuable player" award, al
though discussing possible changes in
the method of making the selection;
elected a new board of directors under
the rotation system, and decided that
hereafter balls hit outside the park
whether into bleacherS or not will be
adjudged fair or foul at the spot that
they leave the field.
Previously ball, hit outside the park
but not into a stand. was ruled fair or
foul according to where it was last seen
by the umpire The white ball" rule
was ordered because of promise by
manufacturers that hereafter the balls
will be made without gloss. In the past
umpires have rubbed the ball in the soil
to remove this gloss.