The Washington times., 1930-08-12

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Aren't there enough ordinary
hazards, such as getting hit by
a batted ball or getting beaned
by an opposing pitcher, to which
a hurler is subjected and over
which he can have little con-
troll, to justify himself in pro-
tecting his person at all other
times"
We believe a pitcher owes self
preservation to himself as well
as to the club which is paying
him, on the average, more than
it pays the others hanC on the
team. That goes whether the
hurler lii question is the leading
pitcher of the team, as Marberry
was, or whether he merely hopes
to occupy that exalted position
some time.
When your hurlers are inca
pacitated, ladies and gentlemen,
it isn't like one of your infield-
ers or outfielders were out Of
the game. The job of pitching
and the Importance Of pitching
and the scarcity of good pitch
ers, is not to be spoken Of in
the same breath with the same
values as applied to the other
eight positions on the club.
With the lively baseball in
vogue and 11-runS innings like
we saw here last Sunday,
whether a pitcher, who hap
pens to be a base runner gets
an ext'a base or not, would
make little difference in the
final score. If he didn't get his
base, what the hell, Bill, some
bod.- else on his team would
come along in that or the next
inning, maybe. and get a lot Of
bases.
Now in the old days, with the
3-to-2 and 1-to-0 scores, q
pitcher had to get his hit and
run bases along with the rest
of the gang, but I believe the
necessity for the pitcher doing
much more than hurl and
make normal attempts to score
is pretty well passed. in view
of the lopsided scores which
are developing in the newer
scheme of things.
Some will contend that this
be bad baseball, but unless a
run were needed in the late
stages to tie UP a game or to
actually win one, I believe it
would be better to conserve the
well-being of the pitchers and
let them be content to do the
pitching and only what other
base-running as comes handy
not be out there taking chances
with the fractures, compound
and simple.
Tomorrow, at the Lorton
Reformatory. the Police Depart
ment baseball team is to play
the temporary residents at
Lorton, and their meeting
should bring up some startling
situations.
Suppose. for instance, the
cop who pinched a bird in the
act of blowing open a safe,
should be at bat with the
cracksmith doing the hurting.
What do you think would be
the impulse of the safe-blower,
to bean the batter or give him
four balls?
Also, don't forget, there are
a couple of policemen down
there spending the summer for
doing this odd job and that
and imagine the chargin of be-
ing run down between second
and third by a pair of guys
you yourself had to help run
down back here in the District
OF Columbia only a couple Of
months ago?
The District firemen have al.
ready played the Lorton out
fit three times this year in
preparation for the Firemen-
Police game Labor Day, the
fireeaterS having won two
and the Lortonites one.
Sidney Bieber. former Dis.
trict fire marshal, who still
keeps his interest in local Fire
Department affairs, accompan-
led the firemen on their last
visit to Lorton and declares
the inmates down yonder rally
to their baseball and indeed
the game helps them pass many
moments happily that other
wise might drag.