The Bismarck Tribune Newspaper, January 16, 1917, Page 6

a ee en & u v b t d ° t E a a » m a it wv a & T nm m o@® TIGRE POS Soeseraseawe|s. SZSLSA TRE RSR 3473. i SCOOP BATTING DROPS 2 PER CENT IN FIVE YEARS Change in Rules Might estore Balance Declares Baseball Expert By Paul Purman Batting averages for the last six years show the balance between the offensive and defensive sides of base- ball has been destroyed and the bat- ting game is steadily losing out. Some managers are recognizing this and would willingly listen to “plans to change the rules to restore the balance. Tf the advantage which the pitcher now holds over the batter is contin- ued, the .300 hitter may disappear’ from baseball. In half a decade batting in the ma- jor Icagues has fallen twenty-one per cent, a tremendous drop when it is e ered every ball player in both leagues ‘is considered. The composite batting averages of both leagues in 1916 was a fraction na compared to ,268 in 1912, (7“a year earlier. This means sthatJes$:than one man in four who Taces the pitcher hits safely. : What'ls taking the swat out of base- ball? What has destroyed the balance be- tween the offensive and defensive angles of the game? Different managers advance differ- ent reasons and advocate different $ : fing had about reached its clim- ‘ax im’ 1922: In that year 44 men batted over 360, 15’ of whom reached the .325 plane, six batted .350 or better, three acheived .375 and one passed the al- most impossible .400 figure. Since then pitching has grown con- stantly better. Managers have built up a wonderful defense and last year only 16 players batted .300, Five alone batted 325, two reached and on- ly one hit more than .3 These figures are for players par- licipating in 50 or more games. Perey Haughton, Boston National magnate, suggests changes in the Tules to make the offensive game bet- > ter, His suggestions include: Elimination of the spitball. Have only one foul strike A more drastic balk rule. Reduce width of the plate Move first and third bases nearer the plate. Of these the foul/strike rule looks “BERWICK RROW ew frmJit COLLARS are curve cut to fit the shoulders perfectly. 15 cents cach, Oforgor CLUETT PEABODY &CO:INC Makers THE CUB REPORTER 4 WHEN $0 OLD AM" RUBBERY like the most reasonable and changes, in the balk rule might be of benefit to men on bases, but the others are scarcely practicable and have no chance with the rule committee. Here's what has happened to base- ball in six years: Runs have fallen off 2264 since { 1911. i Hits have fallen off 1747 since’, 1912. | Stolen bases have dropped 641 since | 1911. Batting averages have points in five yea’ | The spectacular side of baseball, from the spectator’s standpoint is{ the offensive. | The cracking base hit, the sucess- | ful slide into the bag and the runner | crossing the plate are the high points. Sooner or later the national com-; mission must restore the balance in baseball and it is up to the members to find out a way to do this without materially changing the game. i | fallen 21 | SPEAKING OF SPORT Lurid Larry says: Most of the baseball strikes seem! to be called by the umpires. | 1 i Jess Willard told Fred Fulton to get a reputation. Now that he’s get- ting it Jess better retire. Most of the umpires spend their winters in the south. That probably accounts for Johnny Evers staying in| the north during the winter. Evers says he will retire in 1918.! He doesn’t need to wait that long it he mixes up with Bill Byron, After announcing that he doesn’t care to play carly games with minor league teams, George Stallings goes out and signs up with a series with the Athletics. The idca of a bout' with Mike Gib- bons+seems to be as popular with Les Darcy as going to the trenches. St. Louis Browns are going south: in February. Well. they can’t stay there too long to suit us. Ad Wolgast wants to fight Welsh and give the receipts to a war relief fund. Ad must stand for advertise: ment. Connie Mack is done with the rah- rahs, It's about time Connie was done with something, Chicago man bets 1 to 6 New. York will cop the National flag. McGraw ought to send him a hero medal. Les Darcy was to get $5,000 a week in vaudeville. Then he was to get Foe tos ae Ne ‘(OU CAN : % “Box on {7 é MY. (a) STAGE $2,000 a week. Wonder how much he | will really get. Mysterious Billy Smith is the latest | :to talk about a comeback. If Billy tries that he will stop being mysteri- ous.» res Order a Load of KOO! Lump Coal Tod It is a good clean coal, very little ash. It will hold a good fire all night, and is economical. This coal has given the best satisfaction with our customers. You will like it. Ritchie Mitchell Sets New Record; .. ~~ To Box Two Champs in Two By Paul Purman, For the first time in ring history a boxer will meét two world champions in the short space of two. weeks. The boy who has ‘tackled this job is Richie Mitchell, the clever, hard- hitting Milwaukee lightweight. On Jan. 16 Mitchell will take on Freddie Welsh at Milwaukee in a bout which Welsh is taking more seri- ously than any 10-round affair he has tangoed in since he won the cham- pionship from Willie Ritchie in July, 1914. (Tall On Jan. 30 Mitchell will go to Cleveland and stack his wares up against the collection of hooks and jabs Johnny Kilbane, featherweight champion, carries around with him. For Welsh, Pichie will make 135 pounds and against Kilbane he will .| weigh in-at 133 pounds at 2 o'clock. Just how seriously Welsh takes his ' RICHIE, bourt with Bitchell is shown by the champion’s insistence on Mitchell..de- positing a forfeit of $5,000 guarantee for a return bout in case the title change hands. Neither is Kilbane regarding the bout lightly. He has mapped out the hardest training campaign. since his »cham- pionship pout with George Chaney. Kilbane’ knows Mitehell and regards him as one of the most dangerous men in the ring. 4 The two. have met twice within the Mitchell was given credit for outpoint- ing the feather champion, the first time this had been accomplished since Kil- bane won the title, In addition to his boxing abilities, Mitchell is a dangerous-hitter and has floored such tough boys as Joe Welk ing and Stanley Yoakum. INTER Es DANCING IN. DANCING IN SNOW is one of the gest events of the year.in he norhwes, in wi NOW: 1 BlG FEAT URE OF PAGEANT = PASKERT: SAYS . PITCHING Dode. Paskert; a Phillie outfielder, will:try to interest managers in a base- ball’ pitching aparatus ‘perfected by him ‘and’ which"he' has used to advan- tage in‘kéeping his batting eye during the long winter season. The Paskert machine is different from. most now on the market, in that it throws a ball from about the same height of an average pitcher and can be controlled. : x; ing to be right for a left or right hand- ed batter and either a high or:low ball may be thrown at any speed from re M ACHINE pak af WILL IMPROVE BATTING EYE ‘A system of-lévers permits the pitch- |, the slowest of slow ball deliveries to the speediest of shoots.” — Paskert, declares the machine: ‘per- mits @. man‘ to train on the bells: he is weakest on and is ‘bound'to improve any batter's style. .. i ‘Knother advantage of the machine, if taken up by big league managers would be that it would release pitch- ers. who are usually used in batting practice and give them chance to bat themselves. Paskert also bejieyes the machine ‘could be used to advantage in col- leges. which train in gymuasium cages during.the early spring. yesterday. “ Ward county leads the state i nthe number of resident licens- es issued, with:a total of 2,597.. Cass county, with 2,063, is second. The total revenue of sales licenses and seizures for 1915 in resident Ii- censes. is. $13,820.10; for 1916, $35, -204.50, or a total for the two years of $69,534.60. . Non-resident licenses for 1915 netted revenue of $2,743; for 1916, $4,188, or a total of $6,931.42, Seizure sales ‘for 1915: amounted to $100.65; for 1916, 103.77, or a total of $204.42 and a gratia total: of $76,600.02. There were 261 arrests during the biennial period, 245 convictions: -and {16 cases dismissed. “Resident hunting j licenses for 1915-16 totaled 75,933, and non-resident Jicenses, 259. The increase in the sale of jicenges in the past four years is given.as almost all due to: the activity of the ‘wardens in the fields, E.B. McCutch- eon, chief game warden, recommitnds a: chicken: bag limit of -five, balence of game bags to remain unchanged. .— erent Mitchell is 21 years old and has heen fighting for.about. four years, , enter- ing the iting ias::a featherweight. He is 5 feet: 9:inches tall and has a reach of..72:inches;::temarkable in a, light- weight. Hunting Licenseg Over the Preceding Year. An increase of 3,157-hunting licens es for 1916 over the preceding year and an increase of 52 non-resident l- of time is a portion of the Wurth bdi- ;Game. and Fish board made public REPORT OF GME BOD Shows an Increase of 3,157 Resident ie censes for the corresponding period)’ rénnial report of the North Dakota}: | , the: “ness and the full-bodied * ‘Kentucky Burley cured BE ‘Join the : ftesh;-clean‘and ‘ From the-Old“Camel Back” To the Modern *‘ Pacific. F“QHEY'VE changed the type.of engine, F but. not. the :type_ of. ..« Same. old. man of ought .is for.the ‘‘system;’”, his :second ‘fo, He civ of . Piper Heidsieck which ‘has been railroad man’s mainstay these 35: yearss: © “has all the piquancy and zest—the fruity Hich- = -- elusive ‘* Piper’’: process. ind.army of alert, Gn‘ every, walk. of life who:know “good: Chewin : Tobacco. Treat. your. palate: toa S@etZone taste of ‘the-.wonderfuls “cha: 're:a'* Piper’’ : Patriot for ‘life.: rm, -dust-proof, , convenient ‘package kecp- “ftesh, appetizing. =. Sg ;.tin whe 9 We wee the railroad” man. irs! . Keen .eyed,; cient! His <first his ‘second | for flavor of choicest white _ by the original. and ex- active Americans ‘champagae 104, . Alto in .. ial plug form.