Hammond Times, Volume 5, Number 35, Hammond, Lake County, 29 July 1910 — Page 9

BASEBALL IS ALL RIGHT.; Nothing Wrong With the Gams, No Hatter What the , ,.j Kickers Say. Tinkers with baseball law are trying to change the game so that batting might Increase. - Various suggestions have been made, some of them worthy and some of them absurd. One writer goes so far as to say that a return to the old style In which the batsman asks for a high ball, low ball or any kind of ball he desires might olve the so tailed problem. This writer was pot trying to be humorous, but was dead serious, which reflects some of the absurdities one occasionally encounters In baseball literature. In all the mass of suggestions to promote batting nobody has pointed out how present day baseball was so disgustingly unsatisfactory that It ought to be changed at all. Would a fan like an 18 to 7 game better than a 2 to 1 contest? "What Is wrong with modern baseball? The people want lots of hitting, they answer. How do they know they do? Do the men who go out to games every day want to see two and a half hours of aimless slugging? Possibly the man who sees one game a year would like to see a quarter season of hitting on the one day he enriches the club's treasury, but how about the others who go regularly and are the backbone and support of the game? To take drastic legislation to Increase hitting would simply ruin the game. It would be taking a step backward. It would put inferior managers on a footing with the competent managers. Nobody ever hears the Macks. Jennlngses, McGraws. Clarkes and Chances making a wail about the lack of hitting. These shrewd managers are always able-, to gather about them a number of men who are able to worry a pitcher once in awhile. Look at the Collinses, Murphys, Bakers, Davises, Cobbs, Crawrords, Doyles, Brldwells, Wagners, Leaches. Millers, Tinkers and Hofmans. They are not thinking much about the pre-eminence of the pitcher. The game as it Is played today cannot be Improved. It is a battle of wits, with one team trying desperately to outguess the other and the opponent equally on the alert to know what Is going on. In the game today a hit has some meaning. We are sure to see a contest and not eighteen men in a rough, witless, leather mauling duel. The pitchers today are good. That is a fact. When a Mathewson, Bender, Joss or Walsh is carded to perform you can generally take it for granted that you will see high class work in the box. But there is plenty of good, solid hitting all the time. There is no need to return to old cat or town ball. The sport is satisfactory to the majority of persons that support the game today, even if some su-? perannuated writers, always barking about the glorious past, want to go back to the seventies.

Pitcher Beebe In Despair. Pitcher Fred Beebe of the Cincinnati Reds is in despair over his apparent Inability to secure control this season. Manager Griffith has not lost faith in him.

: Australian Swimming Champion, Who ?

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I'hoto by American Press Association. If the schedule carries out. Frank Beaurepaire, the champion swimmer of Australia, will be seen in America in open competition within a few weeks. Beaurepaire plans to come to America after the international swimming contests In Brussels. He is in England accompanied by R. M. Collins, honorary secretary of the Victoria Amateur Swimming association, who has mapped out an itinerary for ,the swimmer which covers about eight months. Xew Tork is on the list for a visit, and this is only natural, as it is understood that the pair will sail for home from San Francisco. How long he will tarry In this country is not stated, but no doubt he will stay long enough to test whatever speed . .there U our crawj experts.

Mmy Siuitltppaiw" Pitchers Mawc

IT is a common expression In baseball that when a left handed pitcher goes through a game with one or two bases on balls he had good control for a left hander. As a matter of fact, when it comes down to that there are some left handers, and not by any means a striking scarcity of thenv who hare quite as good control day In and day out as most right handers. There aren't any southpaws who have as good control as Christy Mathewson of the New Tork Nationals, but Mathewson has exceptionally good control among right or left handers. The two left handed pitchers who have been in the box for the New York Americans this season have put the ball over the plate as well as any right handers, those two being Vaughn and Frill. Vaughn has shown noticeably good control. Another left hander whose control Is nearly always conspicuously good for a right or left hander Is WHtseof the Giants. Control - is his long suit. Plank of the Philadelphia Athletics Is a left hander "who has nice control as a rule, and so has Doc White of the Chicago White Kox. Rube Waddell of the St. Louis Browns when in good condition has splendid control. Among the left handers of the olden days "Lady" Baldwin was possessed of efto America 4

fectlve command of the ball. Wildness was not among his faults, while Matt Kllroy had fine control, and Ed Morris knew how to and could put the ball where he wanted to. It must be conceded, however, that the very best control is shown by the right handed pitchers. Also among the pitchers who did the most work

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SIX OF LEADING LEFT HAND PITCHERS

last year two or three left handers were conspicuous by the number of passes they issued. There was Kalian of the Detroit Tigers, for instance. In 173 innings, about nineteen games, he gave forty-nine passes to first, which One on Sam Langford. It Is not often recorded what boxer holds the record for getting out of the ring In the quickest time, but Joe Woodman, manager of Sam Langford. the colored heavyweight, is satisfied that his man is entitled to the honor. It was not made because Langford wanted to avoid punishment from an opponent, but because an infuriated colored woman came after him with a razor after he had knocked out her husband. It was In Colorado, and the boxer whom Langford defeated was a private in a troop of colored soldiers who had bested every other colored man he had met. The officer noticed that the colored soldier had an inflated head, and Langford was engaged to take it down. He did it in less than a round. At the ringside was the soldier's wife. She figured on emulating other fighters" wives by giving encouragement to her spouse during the course of the battle. But the sudden ending of the battle turned her head, and she was quickly In the ring flourishing a razor. Langford was about the first to see the woman, and he could tell by the fire In her eyes that she wasn't showing the razor for fun. He got out of the ring so quickly that most of the spectators thought he had gone through a hole In the ground. He did not go around to offer any sympathy to the wife of the fighter afterward, but got out of town by the first train. Baseball Stars Scarce. The Cobbs, Speakers, Bushes, Easterlys. Fords, Collinses, Bakers, Johnsons and the other American league players of lesser Vnagnitude who have broken Into the big leagues' spot light during the last five years are not to be found anywhere at any price. Big league club owners are paying scouts fancy salaries to dig up new material, but the odds are 50 to 1 against the "finds" making good. At the present time the Naps have two of the best versed baseball men in the country digging here, there and everywhere for new material, but th?y are meeting with no more success than the scouts of the other teams. The demand is greatly in excess of the quantity. That's what makes theew players wBo are starring in the minor leagues today as valuable as eighteen carat brilliants to their owners. The joy of the major league magnates would be unbounded lf there would be the same sort of an influx of star ball players during the next year or two as there has been outlet during the last five years. But there Is little chance for this to come to pass for the very good reason that they, are not to be found. Superstitious Bob Unglaub. First Baseman Bob Tnglaub of Washington has been in the American league for fight years. It is said that during all that time he has used the same bat and the same mitt. He does not use the stick in practice, but only in the game.

Is an average of nearly three strolls a game. Nap Rucker of the Brooklyns gave 101 bases on balls In thirtyeight frames last year, which was almost three a game. Three bases on balls a game don't seem so very many when you come to think of It. not enough to harp on wildness, yet Rucker gave more bases on balls than

any leading big league left hander except Killian and Karger. Mattern of the Boston Doves in forty-seven games dispensed 101 promenades to first base. Leifield of the Pittsburgs gave only fifty-four in

BASEBALL PILOTS WANT CHANGE IN SYSTE . They Would Prevent Many Useful Players Being Sent Back to Minors

Charles A. Comiskey, the "old Roman" of the Chicago White Sox. Is being given credit for the origin" of the Idea of prohibiting major league clubs from disposing of a ball player t6 a minor league club without first securing waivers on him from the fifteen other big league outfits. Comiskey recently suggested to Ban Johnson that such a rule should be made. Inasmuch as he declared he would have been glad to take Del Howard, of whom the Cubs disposed to the Louisville club In the American association. There is no doubt that the plan is a good one from the standpoint of the player, but it never originated with President Comiskey. Five or six years ago, shortly after the adoption of the MACK PRAISES TIGERS. Manager of Athletics Thinks Tigers One of the Best Teams Came Ever Knew. Manager Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics was asked recently if his team was going to win the pennant, "I would think so," replied Connie, "were it not for the Tigers." "You think well of Detroit?" "Think well of Detroit?" repeated Mack. "There is one of the best baseball teams ever organized. If the Detroit team were out of the league I would do a little prophesying on my own account." "But the Tigers have no great pitchers." "Great pitchers!" said Mack, with something like a sneer. "What does a club like Detroit need of great pitchers? A team like Jennings' will carry any ordinary pitcher along. "I sat on the bench during our last series there in sheer amazement at the things Jennings, Cobb, Crawford, Moriarity, Bush and Stanage brought off. 'Tve seen some great ball teams in my life, not forgetting the old Clevelands, the old Orioles and the old Browns, but these modern day Tigers there's no such thing as estimating them. "A team like that doesn't need pitchers; scarcely needs a manager. Every player Is his own, manager." Browns Let Two Good Ones Go By. Arthur Hofman and Vincent Campbell, both St. Louis boys, were offered to St. Louis clubs, but could not get a chance at home. Campbell and Hof man would look good to friends of the

Browns now-

thirty-two games. Lush of the Cardinals provided sixty-nine walks In thirty-four games. In 275 innings, about thirty games, last year Plank walked batters sixty-two times, an average of a fraction over two. Waddell in 220 innings walked slightly over two men a game. Krause of the Athletics averaged over two a game, forty-nine

IN GAME TODAY walks In 220 Innings. Killian averaged close to three a game, White less than two, and Karger, who was the "wildest" of any of the leading southpaws, over three. Karger gave twenty two bases on balls in sixty-eight innings. peace agreement. President Barney Dreyfuss of the Pittsburg club tried hard to have such a rule adopted. The local club owner suggested It to President Harry C. 'Pulliam, but nothing ever came of it, and today a player who has been In one major league for more than a year can be disposed of as the club holding the title to him sees fit without the rival major league having a chance at the player. Moreover, when a player is given his unconditional release he can be claimed by another club in the same league within tendays, in wtiich case any contract he may sign in the interim with a club in any other organization is void. The present system is not only a rank Injustice to the players, but it j New Swimming PENNCULE

SWIMMING IN THE SEINE WITH HIS NEW AQUATIC I Jf ' I APPARATUS. If f 1

J. Penncule of Paris recently Invented a new swimming device with which he asserts he can travel in the water at the rate of six kilometers an hour. He calls his new invention the aqua pport apparatus. Penncule has made several successful trips on the Seine river. Later, it is said, he will make an attempt Vrt r.ivll.). .Vnnnl H"! 1 1 . . I 1 T , A t. .

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By comparison the work of several of the prominent right handers is given. Mathewson distributed only thirty-six bases on balls in thirtyseven games. Brown gave fifty-three In fifty games, averaging slightly over one a game to Matty's less than one. Camnltz gave sixty-eight bases In forty-one games. Smith of the White

Sox gave seventy bases on balls In 365 Innings, Mullin of the-Detroits seventy-eight In 303 Innings, Young of the Clevelands fifty-nine In 295 innings. Bender of the Athletics fortyfive In 250 Innings, Walsh of the White Sox fifty In 230 innings. Joss of the Clevelands thirty-one in 242 Innings, Johnson of the Washingtons eightyfour in 297 innings. Warhop of the Highlanders eighty-one in 233 innings and Pelty of the Browns fifty-three in 199 Innings. Smith averaged less than two walks a game, Mullin over two. Young less than two, Bender less than two, Walsh less th4n two. Joss a good deal- less than two, Johnson less than two. Warhop over three and Pelty over' two. "Wild Bill" Donovan, a right hander. was wilder than any of the pitchers of either kind named. He handed out sixty bases on balls In 140 Innings. That is practically fifteen games, and sixty walks for fifteen games Is an average of four a game. also robs some clubs of men who might be factors in giving them a higher place in the race. One might cite plenty of examples to verify the truth of that statement. Imagine, for Instance, that Pittsburg had gathered two clever shortstops from the minors. Of course they would have no chance to make good with Hans Wagner on the job, and President Dreyfuss might not feel like carrying three men for the position. It could also happen that all other clubs in the National league were well fortified at that position. Just because of that condition an ambitious young ball player might be forced back to the minors, where he may be ultimately buried, simply because the injustice has taken the spirit out of him. Device Now Becoming

1912 OLYMPIC GAMES. Short Program For International Contests to Be Held In Stockholm. .

A meeting of the international 01ym pic committee was called at Luxemburg recently for the purpose. It it said, of passing on the program of tht games at Sweden in 1912. This pro. gram has already been arranged an will be presented by Colonel Balck and Comte Clarence de Rosen, th Swedish representatives on the international jury, and to Judge from th cursory allusions about Its makeup i will not be nearly as long as the program of the English Olympic twa years ago. Such sports as football, archery, boxing, golf, hockey, lacrosse, rack eta tennis, motorboat racing and polo ar to be excluded, but there are to be a few events belonging to the track and field department which were not included in the English list. One is th penthathlum or all around championship. This was given In the program at Athens In 1906 and was won by Mellander. a Swede. Colonel Balck. it is said, will suggest that the entire fixture cover about ten days and that the entries from each country be made through their respective governing bodies to the international committee. The Swedes will also suggest that the date of their games be fixed for the early part of the month of June. The work of constructing the stadium has progressed considerably. It la situated in the Idrottsparken, near Stockholm, on a picturesque site. As to the success of the fixture there need surely be no ioubt, for the Swedish, government is behind it, and the crown prince will be the president of the meet. The government has donated 400,000 francs toward the expenses of erecting the stadium and other incidentals. TAYLOR HAS AMBITIONS. Owner of Boston Americans Would B a Baseball Manager. Ask any dozen of the baseball fan In Boston what they think is the mos( cherished ambition President John L Taylor of the Red Sox has in his systern and they will answer, the whol twelve of 'em, "To have his Red So team win the 1910 pennant," and th entire twelve will be wrong. President Taylor does aspire to hav his Sox land the Ban Johnson bunting this year, but way down deep in his heart John I. has another ambition, an ambition that he sees no way of gratifying. John I.'s ambition which he secretly, cherishes Is to be the- manager of hia own ball team not manager in reality by making his hired manager a mere figurehead, but full fledged manager, acknowledged as manager before and by the public. John I. Taylor- is so thoroughly wrapped up in baseball that he would cheerfully resign, as president of the. Red Sox for a season if he could be appointed manager without hindrance on the part of the other league magnates, the league president or the national commission. If John I. chose to go ahead, regardless of criticism, and appoint himself manager of his team the other magnates and the powers that be would have a right merry time stopping him. They could make It exceedingly interesting for John I., however, by strewing his paths with obstacles which would make the "Pilgrim's Progress" pitfalls look like a concrete walk in comparison. No precedent has been " established by any big league magnate who entertained the idea of being president and manager all in one, and John L Taylor will not be the one to establish the precedent. When he is sitting up back In th stand and he sees his Sox sneak over the tying run in the ninth inning and i win out in the tenth by a display of scientific baseball John I. Taylor Is a proud man. His happy smiles when he Is congratulated by friends are always tinged with the least trace of wistfulness, though, if you care to study his face closely. When you detect the wistfulness you can bank on it that John I. is thinking how much happier he'd be If he were his own manager, sitting down there with the players, directing the plays that turned the tide of defeat to victory. Popular In France

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