Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 232, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 October 1914 — BATTING SYSTEM IS QUERIED [ARTICLE]

BATTING SYSTEM IS QUERIED

New Scheme of Secretary Rlckart of Federal League, la of Much Interest to Ball Fans. Lloyd H. Rlckart, secretary of the Federal league, who is sponsor for the scheme of having two batting averages compiled, one for the right handers and the other for the left handers, has received from all over the country queries and comments regarding the innovation. Baseball magnates and players throughout the country have taken a deep interest in the scheme, which is entirely original with Mr. Riekart, and is likely to be adopted sooner or later by all the leagues, as his arguments in favor of the new batting’record system are convincing. Mr. Rlckart argues that, as the batter stands closer to first base when he bats left handed and the natural force of his stroke helps to place him In his stride, he has a big advantage over the right hander, who stands on the other side of the home plate when he hits and is out of stride after his stroke at the ball and must get under way without the running start of the left hander. - It can be readily seen, therefore, that a slow runner who bats left handed has a big Advantage ov'ter a fast runner who bats right handed. It can also be seen that many of the batting stars of the country owe their high batting records to the fact that they swing left handed. Supposing that two runners, one left handed and the other right handed, take practically the same length of step and are practically of equal speed on the bases, it therefore follows that the two handicap that the “left hander has over the right hander on account of his batting po sitloh oftentimes will enable him to beat out a grounder that the right hander would be thrown out on by a close decision. The distance from home plate to first is ninety feet and, supposing that the two runners each make the distance In thirty steps, the left hander, therefore, has practically two steps advantage, or 6 2-3 per cent. In other words, if the batting percentages of the two men are equal at the end of the season, the right hander is really 6 2-3 percent the best. .