Clipping:Scorer should list at bats
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| Date | Sunday, January 23, 1876 |
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| Text | We would suggest that the scorer of each professional club should incorporate in their scores, the “number of times at the bat” of each player, as the only proper method of making up the averages at the close of the season is to give the percentage of runs or base hits to “ties at the bat,” as the three first batsmen of a nine have almost invariably one more chance at the bat in each game than the others, and it gives them an advantage, if the average is computed by the base hits to a game. Philadelphia Sunday Mercury January 23, 1876 proposal to let the batter cross the plate; calling balls and strikes; balancing pitching versus hitting The pitcher has a very decided advantage over the batsman as matters now stand–an advantage that is all in favor of swift, wild pitching, and in opposition to head work. Under the present rules, the pitcher may pitch three wild balls to have a ball called on him. The striker is allowed no margin at all, but must take every proper height ball that is pitched over the plate. A wild pitcher gets opposite a batsman and lets him have the first ball in his ribs, the second ball close past his shins, the third ball anywhere–the umpire, if strict, calls “one ball!”–the fourth ball is sent in in the neighborhood of the batsman’s head; the fifth is a ground skimmer, but the sixth, by some accident, comes over the plate at a right height, and the umpire calls “one strike!” the next ball is a good one, but goes to the “foul” region, and by the time it has returned five umpires out of six will have forgotten the previous “ball,” or at least the two bad balls prior to the “strike,” and will begin their count over again. We have seen this sort of thing done even by that prince of good umpires, Hick Young. To say the least of it, the batsman has a 3 to 1 worse chance with the ball than the pitcher. This encourages the pace to terrify and intimate, and discourages the fine artistic head-work. To a good batsman it is not the pace of the pitcher that kills, but the wildness–the uncertainty whether the next ball will be into the ribs or far out of reach. Give the batsman a right to step across and drive a good height though wide ball, and he will not be in any fear or doubt. He will know that if it is a head or body ball, he can get out of the way; but if it is a wild one he can take advantage of it or not as he pleases, and consequently will be on the look-out for a display of his skill. Bond would not then have more terrors than Spalding or Zettlein, for his wild curly ones would be whacked at pleasure or let go wild to score against himself. Scientific batsmen would not have to wait patiently to be knocked out before getting a ball they might strike at, but would at once take the first ball that suited their taste. We would then see those fine phases of batting which we cannot now see, and would not find left-field hard hitters getting in as many base hits as master of the art of hitting. The game would have fresh interest, as it would open out fresh fields for skill; the game would be more lively, and we should not have to wait till the pitcher chose to give a good ball; the fielding would be improved, because the fielders would not have to wait so long between hits, and they would be kept warm and alive to the game by a more rapid frequency of balls to the field. The pitching would improve, because pitchers would find that nothing but a complete mastery of the ball would do them any good, and every man who pitches, or aspires to pitch, would first learn to pitch over the plate, and accurately, before coming before the public. Another phase of base ball would be opened up. Pitchers would study the weaknesses of the players they pitched against, and pitch them swift or slow in opposition to their weakness. We would se more head work and less of the steam engine, and we believe we would see a distinct and rapid improvement in the game. Let the pitcher pitch wildly if he pleases. Give him three wild pitches before you call a ball on him; but by all means let the batsman have the liberty to lay into such wild pitches as he may think fit, and for this purpose give him lateral liberty. Philadelphia Sunday Mercury January 23, 1876 |
| Source | Philadelphia Sunday Mercury |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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