Evening star., 1937-12-20
FR|CK E[UCIDATES
ON HONEST BALL
Says New Sphere in Senior
Loop Will Cut Number
of FIuke BingIes.
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

n YEW YORK, Dec 20.-H there.
any truth in what the Nationa
League barristers are saying
q these winter days, the Ameri.
can League should come clean next
season and add new column to its
omcial box scores: "Unearned hits"
After you have heard President Ford
Frick delineate the delights OF the Ma
tional circuits drowsy new ball, it be-
comes increasingly clear that in this
way alone could the American League
waddies atone for their stubborn re-
fusal to scrap the old buck-jumping
pellet that the Di Maggios and the
GreenbergS love to belt about.
Frlck puts the issue so squarely, so
honestly, that the stoniest- hearted
American League magnate is likely to
break down completely and bewail his
delay in seeing the light. But they
had their chance at the recent Chicago
meeting, and now it's too late.
What We in the National League
are after Is true values" admitted
Frick in describing the new sphere,
which is sewed with five strands as
opposed to the rollicksome four
strander. That's our main aim, no
matter which side wins the game or
the series or the pennant-truly played
contests every day all season."
Would Eliminate FIukes,
THERE. The American League can
be as stubborn as it likes and
Keep on playing with its hopped-up
horsehide and knocking twilight zone
home runs" (as Prick calls them). but
1t can't make light of statement
as solemn and earnest as that one, and
that isn't all Frick says, by any means.
Our aim is to do away with those
half-hits which sometimes play a big
part in a ball game" he continued.
What we are trying to eliminate is
the thing that happens when batter
hits only piece of the ball instead
OF connecting squarely.
Sometimes it's one of those lazy
bounders that get to the outfield be-
cause the smoothness Of the ball won't
let the infield grass or clay take hold
Of 1t. Sometimes it's pop fly just out
OF an inf1elder's reach. Sometimes
It's even home run in parks where
the stands or fences are not far from
home plate. The National League
ball won't travel that fas or that far
when it is only half-hit.
"Squarely hit drives will have Just
a. good chance to be homers as with
the old ball. The only change the new
ball will make in National League
home run statistics is the elimination
Of huky homers."
Frick Frankly Penitent.
A LII this, Of course, amounts to a
frank admission on President
Frick's part that patrons of National
League parks during the last four
years have been taking a genteel
licking. Clearly, they haven't been
getting their moneys worth in the
form Of truly played contests" and
they have been piled with "fluke
hits" so cleverly that they felt no
pain. Prick admits all that frankly,
but he's penitent, while the American
Leaguers aren't. They're going right
on with the nefarious business.
It remains to be seen how the Ma
tional League batters themselves take
to this latest progressive move of the
senior circuit solons," as it is labeled
officially. 1t would seem to stand to
reason that they would be delighted
e play honest. four-square baseball
again.
The sturdy outfielder, though he
may be hitting only 267, will be able
to look the little woman squarely in
the eye over the dinner table and
say: Il got another blow today,
darling-an honest blow"