Show E mow TIMELY HITS HIT SHO YiN IN r I AMRI AMERICAN AN R URD New Av Averages ra Though Yet Incomplete Will ill Demonstrate Value of M Mens Men's n Batting to Club ClubBY ClubBy ClubBy By I. I E. E Sanborn C CHICAGO May fay 18 Eventual Eventual J transformation of the o batting batting batting bat bat- ting records of baseball is forecast forecast forecast fore fore- cast by the innovation introduced by the American league official score blanks this year whereby timely hitting is to be a feature of the 1918 averages For years ears it Jt has haM been recognized that the existing method of ot ranking batsmen merely by the number of ot base hits credited to them with more or less impartiality b by the tho lax system system system tem of or official scoring worked serious injustice to some of or the most valuable I players and handed undeserved honors to batsmen of ot comparative little use to their teams But the I conservatism of ot the sport has been so pronounced In recent years ears that 1 no suggestion sugs for or a radical change chango In the system has been been entertained by tho the promoters who also are the I rule makers I EW E SYSTEM FALLS SHORT snORT A batsman who makes a home run with the tho bases full rull got Jot no more moro credit I in the official averages of the past than if he had scratched a bunt safely ly past the tho pitcher with tho bases empty Each was a base hit and counted the same Inthe in inthe inthe the dope I Only a partial remedy is made m possible ble by the new system which is s 8 to bo hI tried out this year ear The old unjust ranking of batsmen b by tho the number in instead instead in- in stead of oC the efficiency of th their lr hit hits still sUll will be used with merely merch a n supplementary supplementary supple supple- mentar record compiled to show each mans man's record for timely hitting It Il is proposed d to lo show sho in the official scores cores how many runners were on ou bases each time a given I cn batsman hatsman en came cameto cameto mo moto to the plate mid anti these arc ire to be charged charge to him Just as ns times tines at bat are charged under the old system Then each batsman Is 15 to be given Ivon credit for every cry one of oC those runners whom he ho scores as a direct result of oC his own o ef efforts efforts of- of forts by b- base baso Jilts bases on balls sacrifice sacrifice sacrifice fice hits hit or infield outs outs outs-In In fact any anyway anyway Va way except b by an un opponents opponent's error snows SHOWS ur VI II II nS This will furnish a far tar better line lino on the real team efficiency of oC a ball pla player er than the old style batting baiting averages based basel wholly on the number of or hits made by each man n In an a n season There are players well wen known In the major leagues who arc aro almost helpless at bat when there arc ra runners waiting toa to enn a LIt lint who M o it nut earn n Vilt hits I i itt with tt 1 frequency frequency if they C come I up P with nobody on I This Is la partly explained b by the fact act I the pitchers work harder when runs runs' run are threatening Ihan than the they do when the I bases are arc empty empt The They will uso use all their slab wiles to keep a batsman from rom i driving ln in a run but will not Ditch allI as all carefully when the thc sacks arc are all empty empt I That Is one ono of oC the chief reasons why the present batting batting- cr a averages arc are so sou u useless I HOW 10 MOVE MAY y D CI Carrying out this new system of ai a ai i timely hitting hitting- championship It will be only one step more to charge chan e the th batsman bats man with over every runner on a R base when he comes to bat und and to credit him with ever every base he advances such runner or runners b by his own efforts at tho the plate Under the Innovation suggested d for tor this year If It a a. batsman comes up with aman a aman man on first and two out makes a 3 single single single sin sin- gle on which the runner goes oes to third only to be bo left lert there the man who advanced ad advanced ad- ad the runner two bases will get Jet no credit for or It On the thc other hand If It he had been fortunate enough to como come to bat with a man on second and had scored d him with a bare bae bJ e hit he ho would be credited credited credited cred cred- with driving in a run In n each case the batsman would advance ad the runner tho the same R. dl distance tance but In one ho would get only a demerit mark while Inthe Inthe in the tho other he would be bo given a n reward of of- merit STEP lV IX RIGHT DIRECTION Tho Ideal system that will do full justice Justice Jus jus- tice to tho the players who work ork to win wit a n. ball ban gamo game instead of or for Cor their own batI batting batting bat bat- ting in ave averages E has J not yet tL been e. e found o I put Dill me the nu uy u 0 mu uw Ican lean league Is a stop In the tho right direction direction tion and if IC used generally will result In a R gradual change to u a more just junt method of oC recording a ball players player S 'S value Tho The ern a average e baseball 11 fan Can Is one ono of oC the biggest stumbling blocks In the way of oC improvement ement o of or the official averages He lie objects to being obliged to learn any thing thinS now new about his favorite game For Instance tho the major leagues Sues years eUs n ago o discarded tho the Joko joke system of oC ranking pitchers b by the number lumber of or games troa nua and lost b by their teams while they were on the slab It was supplanted b by th the earned run system which gave a pitcher on a tall tail end team a n chance to get Jet credit for Cor his ability to hold opponents to low scores instead of ree relegating him hint to a alow alow low Jow position In the pitching records because be- be CAUSO cause his team could win only a small email percentage of its games in a season HAVE fYE f YE TO TOI WIN WI I V But the average fan Can still sUIl Insists a ay pitchers pitcher's ability Is established by 11 y the te number of oC games he wins wins' and lo loses wholly oblivious of the fact that only once or twice In a season dotS does a n pitcher r actually win or lo lose o a n game himself They The still Insist that the pitcher who Continued on page 2 t C I II TIMELY HITS Continued from page pac 1 Is balt batted d for ten ter parn earned rl runs run but hart whose ho c t team can am makes twelve runs In the game alne thereby winning 1 12 to 10 10 Is h. entitled to more credit than tine the man who hol holds a his hi opponents to one run run made malle on an all error while his own team Is 18 unable naMe to lo Ion core and loses th the game ame 1 to 0 0 O. |