Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-05
SOME NOW TW|RL
8 INNINGS IN DAY
Old Time HurIers Now Must
Realize How They Were
Imposed Upon.
BY WALTER TRUMBULL.

IRON all over the country COM
l. plants are coming that the
hurting STATS Of professional
4 base ball clubs are in need oi
sympathy. The batters are al
right, but the pitchers are sadly over
worked.
1t would seem that something should
be done about this. OF course the other
members of the club need no sympathy
All they have to do is field, bat and run
bases. To be sure, they have to dc
these things for nine innings or more
but none of them are required to pitch
although it frequently has looked as II
they might be.
To an outsider it might appear that
the batters are overworked. With the
modern base ball, but some of them run
around the bases for a total of several
miles, but at the same time balls over
the fence must be great rest to the
fielderS. The men on the inner line OF
defense don't have to do much running
They just have to be good dodgers
In case of another war, any of them
could dodge bullets with extreme ease.
Driving Willing Horse"
But the true student of base ball
knows that it is the pitchers who suffer
from overwork. Why, on some teams
those poor hired men are expected to
go nine innings in the same afternoon.
There is such a thing as driving a will
ing horse to death.
When the Giants had Matty, Mar
guard, Wiltse and Ames. and the Cubs
had Miner Brown, Overall, PfeiSter and
Ruelbach. wages were lower and condi-
tons different. Pitchers were even
more oppressed in those days. The men
mentioned didn't realize how they were
abused. They would pitch full nine
inning day and sometimes work three
days a week.
Back in the dark ages when Joe Nc
Ginnity was working, there was even
more oppression. Cases are on record
where McGinnity not only worked three
days a week, but toiled 18 innings a
day. Poor, shaving Joseph did not real
dze how he was being imposed upon.
But automobiles, airplanes, stock
tickers. golf clubs, mechanical progress
and education in general have done a
lot for this country. AS general thing
the condition of base ball labor has
greatly improved The old timer
wouldn't have heard Of a war in China
or any other place outside his league,
and his reading was confined to batting,
pitching and fielding averages.
Sure Is Tough Life.
The modern ball player turns on his
radio, and not only knows Of wars in
China. but of the latest battle between
the aged financier and the chorus lady
he did or did not make his welded
wife. The modern ball player has no
one-track mind. He is informed on
subjects of general interest and never
has to sit silent at the party. He may
not know the baseball averages as well
as the old timers. but he knows the
IF MI
heard.
But there still are conservatives con-
nected with the game who would apply
the ancient slave driving methods, and
1t appears that the pitchers are the
ones who are suffering. They are grow
ing pale and wan from too much physi-
cal and mental exertion, although 1t
must be said that certain managers,
such as John McGraw, do try to tighten
the pitchers labors by doing their
thinking for them. which leaves them
only physically exhausted.
The thing is to figure out way to
help these sufferers. One suggestion
which comes to mind is that they might
form a pitchers organization. They
then could demand a five-inning day
and day week. ANY pitcher could
be forbidden to work over Is games
year. That would be the maximum.
IICllSl WOu1O, VI SOui NC WI
untary, and would command overtime
pay.
In order to be perfectly fair to the
followers of the game. 1t might be best
to establish minimum limit of two
games each season.
Yes, gentlemen, the poor overworked
pitchers certainly need protection.
(Copyrieht 1929. by North American News
paper Alliance1