Evening star., 1940-02-13
Curb on Hitters
Seen in Longer
Hurting Step
Chonee Long Sought
By Griffith; Only
Collins Objects
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sportx writer.

Associated Press Sports Writer.
BELLEAIR, Fla, Feb. 13.-Re-
lief has been a long time a-coming
for the baseball pitcher, and he
has taken some hard knocks in the
last 20 years, but the elders of the
game at last are getting in a mood
to help him stand Of the batters.
At its meeting here yesterday
the Rules Committee voted, with
only one dissenter, to allow all
of the pitchers In the country to
rear back and take another COM
plete step as they deliver the
ball. That Is the first really i'm
portant move toward helping the
hurler that has been made since the
rule makers began abolishing freak
deliveries back in 1919.
Full Victory for Griffith.
Opinion was widely divided, even
among members of the committee,
whether the new rule would effect
any great and immediate change.
Several were doubtful that the pres
ent top pitchers would be able to
employ the new freedom to ad-
vantage. But all agreed that it was
a move toward harnessing the hit
ter, or at least toward giving the
pitcher an even break.
Adoption of the rule was q COM
plete victory for Clark Grifnth, vet
eran president of the Nationals, who
for several years has been carry
ing on a loud and vigorous cam
paign for pitchers rights.
The new rule, adopted in the
course of a long session, during
which the rule makers fused In
terminably and Commissioner Ken
esaw M. Lands fidgeted and
drowsed in the presiding chair,
will permit the pitcher almost COM
plete freedom with one leg. There's
only one thing he can't do now,
and that is to step sidewise.
Collins Fears Cheating"
Whereas the haraSsed hurler pre-
viously has had to stand with both
brogans on the rubber, he now Gin
the case Of a righthander) can
stretch his left leg far out behind
him during his windup and take
q long, complete stride as he swings
through to deliver the ball.
Eddie Collins, general manager of
the Boston Red Sox, who voted
against the rule, growled that it
would produce even more cheating"
by pitchers than they have been
getting away with.
with this new latitude some of
those guys will be lifting their front
foot OF the rubber when they start
and taking what amounts to couple
Of Jumps before they throw" he
predicted.
President Bob Quinn of the Bos-
ton Bees said it should give any
pitcher who learns the new way a
little more speed, but he feared it
might result in lack of control in
some cases. Tom Connally, chief of
American League umpires, thought
it remained to be seen how much
the new rule would help the average
finger.
Intentional Pass Stands.
The solons fatty rejected the
repeated demand of Quinn that
something" be done about the in
territorial pass. The others declared
that the moundSman should retain
his right to pass any batter he didn't
want to pitch to. Quinn wanted
the man so passed to get two bases.
President Ed Barrow of the
Yankees wrote the committee sug-
gesting that the batter to be in
tentionally passed simply be told to
trot down to first, thus saving the
time required to throw him four
wide ones. This also was turned
down.
Taking ofIlcial cognizance of night
ball for the first time, the committee
decreed that no inning should be
started after 1850 pm, and that
no more than two games should be
played by q club in one day.