| OCR Text |
Show NEW RATING OF MAJOR PITCHERS The won and lost system of rating R pitcher's ability has been eliminate ! by the American league Hereaftt r a pitcher's value will be established by Ihe number of earned runs opponents oppo-nents make. This system will give a much better line on a pitcher's ability abili-ty than the old system, and gives a pitcher of ability a chance to make a showing even though he Is with a losing team The following circular letter which President Johnson has sent to all official of-ficial scorers gives a clear idea of just what a pitcher will have to show in order to get a good position anions the twirlers of the league, and it eliminates all doubt as to which of several pitchers should be charged With a defeat or get credit for a victory, vic-tory, as the case may be; To Offl cial Scorers: Must Use Judgment. Dear Sir Your attention la called to several changes in the Official score blanks of the American league for this season, the more Important , of them being for the purpose of establishing, es-tablishing, as a basis for computing , the official records of pit hers. a , modification of the former "earned run " This is designed to replace the won and lost system of rating pitchers' ability. To accomplish this, it is desired to obtain n complete record of the runs for which each pitcher was pmctic-all pmctic-all responsible something quit- different dif-ferent from the basic Idea of the former for-mer "earned run." In determining the number of "runs earned by on ponents" in the plt hers' summary this year; please follow this rule. Charge the pitcher with an "earned run" eery time a player completes the circuit and scores by the aid of base hits sacrifice hits, stolen bases ''bases on balls, batsmen hit. wild pitches and balks, before chances to retire the side have been offered and mis&cd. The intent of the rule is to include under "earned runs" all the factors hut produce runs for which the pit h er Is chiefly responsible. Determining Earned Runs. Runs scored as a result of fielding errors of all kinds or passed hallc. i arc not to he charged to the pitcher In this computation Runs should not be charged against a pitcher, even if scored by clean hitting, after good chances to retire the side have been offered and not accepted by the fielders field-ers (Including the pitchers.) Complications and differences of opinion mny arise regarding certain runs, particularly when a change of pitchers occurs with men on base fn SUCh cases the scorer should use bis own judgment, or include the fans nnd the difficulty encountered in hla official report of the game, so that faults In the system may be remedied as far na possible. It will no longer be necessary to I determine the "winning" and "losing" pitcher which will offset partially the additional task or computing "runs earned by opponents." An "earned run" column has been .Killed to the Individual record of the batsmen and also columns showing individual bases on balls arid strikeouts strike-outs "First base on error" has been eliminated from the summary. Care is requested in recording th number of men "left on bases," be-cause be-cause thai furnishes the key by which a score sheet is prn ed up or balanced bal-anced in the pitchers' summary under "At bat opponents," please record the oc-tual oc-tual number of batsmen who faced each pitcher. Im am yours truly, R 13." JOHNSON |
