The Washington times., 1929-01-24

Other baseball clubs Of the
upper strata Of the game would
do we'll to follow the example
of the New York Yankees in
numbering the shirts of their
players. This step, taken purely
for the benefit of the specta-
tors, has needed somebody with
enough courage to 20 through
with it, for a long time. the
suggestion having been made
often in the recent history Of
the sport.
With the enlarged stadia dot
ting the baseball landscape, the
occupants in the more remote
seats have poor enough oppor-
tunity to keep track Of the play
ers not at the bat, and those
who happen to be hitting or on
the paths cannot always be
identified because Of conflict be-
tween the score cards and the
score board.
The numer al system of la
beling the players, of course,
will be superflpous with day-in-
and-day-outers who know their
players about as well as you
know Lindbergh. However. the
idea will come in handy even
for the dyed-in-the-wool fans
when it comes to familiariziig
themselves with the constant
parade of newcomers from year
to year.
Baseball, relying on the pub
lie to keep it alive, cannot do
too much for the ease. Z ,nnfOrt
and 100 per cent enjoyment of
the game to those who keep the
turnstiles clicking. The general
lack of intimacy with. the ap-
pearances Of baseball perform
ers is no better demonstrated
than in that section of the
grandstand immediately behind
the press boxes.
Lee an unusual figure saunter
up to the plate as pinch hit
ter, or substitute as a runner or
90 out into the bull pen TO
warm up for box duty; and the
inquiries from the public seated
back of the press stands are
deafening to say nothing of
very disconcerting to the boys
trying to edo their stuff for
the papers.
The ancient system of .one-
man megaphoning changes is
not only passe, but unsatis-
factory as clarity and distinct
ness in enunciation and pronun-
citation are not always available.
Right here IN Washington last
season when the veteran an
nouncer, Lawrence Phillips re-
tired, the local club tried out
three or four ''broadcasters" "
before they got one who was
only about so per cent efficient
because he didn't get his mes
sage to all sections Of the
stands. This fault is not with
individuals so much as with
the system Often the crowds
are at fault, as they viii not
remaiR sufficiently subdned for
the announcer to speak his
piece.
While the speaker is telling
his story to one group, the
group on the opposite side to
which he IS not talking, will be
setting up such q clatter that
the echo thereof reverbrates IN
the very section where they are
trying to hear the changes in
baseball personnel.
The Yanks are not alone in
their desire to reveal all that is
going on to the spectators. The
Athletics are installing loud
speakers at Shibe Park, Phila-
delphia, and shifts in the teams
will be spoken into trans
mitter on the bench which viii
"boom" the announcements
through dozen or 50 ainipli-
fiers.
This system will make all of
the announcements louder and
quicker and will make patrons
feel like returning for future
games, in that the management
is trying to keep them apprised
of the proceedings.
Baseball should not fail to
take the initiative in any direc-
tion which will attract and hold
people to their exhibitions. We
would like to see some such
systems as the Yankees and
AS are to try adopted here
in Washington, And, as we
have said many times be-
fore, there should be some
way of telling the public
when a hit or an error is
scored in cases where there is
doubt. Veteran writers often
disagree on hits and errors,
there being an appointed Off
ciaI scorer whose word shall
be final and whose decision
should be flashed in some man
ner to, the patrons by the
booming of a cannon or some
thing like that.
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