Evening star., 1963-04-26

Frick Following
Rule to q Fault
By MORRIS SIEGEL

1T Is UNLIKELY that any umpire ever will have the
pleasure Of calling bak the commissioner Of baseball
Most Of Ford Fcks administration has been spent coming
to q stop, Just like Rule sos requires.
While the trgger-happy umpres have been making
farce Of the National Leagues version Of baseball for three
weeks with their silly balk interpretations the commits
Sioner has been doing what easy for him. Nothing
Yesterday after about 10 balks the commissioner with
his usual of awareness grudgngy to the
clusion that something ought to be done about this
tomfoolery.
He acted Enthusiastically. He called meeting. The
executive council charmanned by the commissioner soon
will hold meeting his office said to discuss the matter
Meanwhile, open balks will continue, presum-
ably.
THE COMMISSIONER HAS NOT said the balk rule
interpreted by the National League is bad The COM
missioner also has not said the balk rule as interpreted
by the American League bad He merely has said he
wants the rule interpreted the way by both leagues
1t took the commissioner three weeks to think of that
He very busy man, what with the A-Star Game COM
ing up In July He must select the umpires for the big
classic. this isn't full-time job, requiring
weeks of concentration and staff Of assistants the COM
missioner is doing his best to make 1t one
This year he got break There is only one Al-Star
Game again. This reduces the commissioners work load by
so per cent After the A-Star Game comes the back
breaking task Of selecting umpres for the World Series
No wonder the commissioner has little time to devote
to mundane things like baks, dwindling attendance and
general decay in interest.
FOR YEARS THE commissioner has been so preoc-
cuped running basebals ship Of state that he rarely
found time to attend opening day game in Washington
Yet the President of the United States who also has few
problems manages to set aside the afternoon to pay
homage to the game which supports the commissioner so
handsomely.
Now about this matter Of uniform Interpretation,
which seems to be bugging the commissioner lately It's
about time The way the National League and American
League 60 at the old game Of FOUNDERS you might think
they were playing two different games
In the National League, for example, manager can
deliver his pitcher twice every inning without
taking him out In the American the second time the
skipper out he also out with the pitcher.
In the "other" league pennant dead-heat Is de-
cided in playof In Joe Cronins fraternity,
they 60 for broke with only one game.
THERE ARE OTHER differences, mostly minor but
the point that there differences in two leagues both
of which derive their counsel and legality from the same
office.
To speed I'D the game American League pitchers for
the first time this year will be permitted only five
wamup between innings after the first month OF
play They used to get eight. In the National League,
they already have been ratoned to five.
The balk-rule farce has been crying for someone to
step In and tell the umpires to keep calling em as they
have been for years. Yet dared at least not until
admitted the kid stuff cause for concern. Giles
failure to act quicker should have sparked an immediate
move by the commissioners office.
Bill veeck once put the commissioner in his proper
perspective 1--WE been waiting for this man to make
decision for years." Veeck exclaimed Even bad one
Frick seems determined to keep his work chart
spotess.