B
Chases in outfield Baseball innovations could prolong games
NEW YORK (UPI) Professional baseball, 100 years old this year, begins its second century in a revolutionary mood.
Somebody called baseball's brass hats a bunch of old fuddy-duddies just once too often. Now they're moving fast as if to prove they're every bit as progressive as those hot shots over in the pro football world.
One experiment is being piled on another, as promised, to determine whether baseball actually does need something radically new to keep pace with modern times.
- The pitcher's mound has been flattened out almost to ground zero.
- The strike zone has been reduced in size as a quick tonic to cure anemic batting averages.
- Tests involving permanent pinch-hitters for poor batsmen and running specialists to replace slow-footed players who get on base already are underwav.
And now another taste of hasenpfeffer in the form of a jackrabbit baseball with 10 per cent more bounce has been introduced in exhibition games this spring.
The result?
One serious question will arise when all those ingredients-jackrabbit, lower mound, shrunken strike zone, batting specialists and runners who do nothing else but run—are mixed into one pot.
Who's gonna get the side out?
Baseball has tightened its rules in recent years to speed up the game, cutting down the elapsed time of a normal nine-inning affair.
Last year, when National League pitchers were having a field day against the hitters, the
But when the barons of baseball start tinkering with rules to encourage more hitting, it brings to mind one of Casey Stengel's astute observations.
average game went two hours, 17 minutes compared to 2:33 the year before.
Casey's idea
"I'll tell you what makes long ball games," snorted the Old Professor. "It's all those
And four 1969 Major League clubs are in the same boat as were the expansion Mets of Stengel's day.
Stengel was managing the New York Mets at the time. None knew better than he how long it required for outfielders to chase all those doubles and triples. Met outfielders of that era were almost permanently breathless.
outfielders chasing all those doubles and triples."
New to the American League this year are the Kansas City Royals and Seattle Pilots, created from castoffs of other clubs. New to the National are the Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres, formed by a similar grab-bag draft.
The combination of four expansion teams and the lower mound-strike zone rule may produce all the batting baseball needs until after 1970 at least.
If not, baseball's brass hats have their other gimmicks ready to write into the rules.
were having a field day against the hitters, the in Baseball's second round.
They don't want to be called fuddy-duddies in baseball's second century.
NEW YORK (UPI) Jerry Quarry, tossing away defense, spattered Buster Mathis with left hooks and knocked him down in the second round to win a unanimous 12-round decision in Madison Square Garden last night, setting himself up for a heavyweight title bout.
Quarry's left hook fells Mathis
The 23-year-old Quarry, an 11-5 underdog, won Mathis' respect by slamming a left to the
side of the favorite's head in the second round.
Mathis stood with his hand on the top strand of the ropes for a second and then slumped to his knees to take the mandatory eight count.
The Californian continued toshake the rolls of flab around Mathis' bulging middle with left hooks, and the giant from Grand Rapids, Mich., spent most of the
evening in quick retreat from the onslaught.
Mathis' eyes became glazed and he had all the appearance of a thoroughly beaten fighter way before the end of the fight.
Clay appeal returns to Texas court
DENTON, Tex. (UPI) — A pudgy Cassius Clay, carrying 20 extra pounds that almost popped the buttons off his blue serge suit, thanked the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday for giving him a second day in court.
"I'm just thankful, thankful," said the former heavyweight champion of the high court's decision which threw back into a Texas court his conviction for refusing induction into the U.S. Army.
The court yesterday ruled that Clay, and imprisoned Teamsters Union boss James R. Hoffa, were entitled to lower court review of their cases. The rulings stemmed from the court's controversial March 10 decision that government evidence based on illegal eavesdropping must be turned over to defense attorneys in its entirety if the direct conversation of the defendant was overheard or his own premises were bugged.
"I'm the type that takes everything as it comes," said Clay, carrying little of the sting in his voice he once carried in his fists.
"It is all in the hands of Allah and I don't worry about nothing. If the decision goes against me, I'll take it," the muscular boxer told a news conference.
"I'm not protesting with violence," said Clay.
Clay, who prefers to be known by his Black Muslim name of Muhammed Ali, was convicted in Houston in 1967, and sentenced to five years in prison after refusing to step forward with other Army draftees. He has been free on appeal.
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Big 8 schools favored in NCAA mat tourney
Oklahoma, sporting three undefeated wrestlers, will be among the favorites to win the 1969 NCAA wrestling tournament Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.
Defending champion Oklahoma State, winner of the Big Eight tournament by one point over Oklahoma, and Iowa State are also expected to make strong bids for the title.
Only two returning champions will be on hand for the meet, but neither will be defending his 1968 title. An illustrious slate of unbeaten grapplers will instead fill the void of defending champions.
Last year's 115-pound titlist, Lock Haven's Ken Melchoir, will compete in the 123-pound class this year. Iowa State's Dan Gable, winner of the 130-pound class last year, has moved up to the 137-pound class for the national meet this year.
3-time champ
Melehoir, three times NAIA champion, is undefeated in eight matches this season. His main competition appears to be Oklahoma's Stan Keeley, sporting a 14-0 record.
Gable has never been whipped in collegiate competition, and has pinned 15 of his 17 opponents this season.
Oklahoma's David McGuire,
Mar. 25
1969 KANSAN 7
McGlory has been a runner-up in the nationals the last two years in the 160-pound division.
Other undefeated wrestlers include Ron Russo of Bloomsburg, 17-0-2 in the 137-pound class; Oklahoma's Mike Grant, 14-0 in the 145-pound class; Stanford's Lynn Borchers, 14-0 in the 152-pound class; Oklahoma's Cleo McGlory, 14-0 in the 160-pound class.
Leigh's Jack Bentz, 11-0 in the 167-pound class; Miami of Ohio's Walt Podgurski, 177-pound class, and Oklahoma State's Geoff Baum, 9-0-1 in the 191-pound class.
beaten by Gable in the finals last year, will now be the favorite in the 130-pound class. McGuire won the title in 1967.
Best over-all record turned in this season was by Oregon State heavyweight Jess Lewis. Runner-up last year, Lewis has a 19-0 record for this season.
Dominate titles
Ranked behind the three Big Eight teams are Michigan State, Iowa, Colorado State College, California Polytechnical, Navy, Lock Haven and Maryland. Cal Poly has already won the NCAA college division tournament this year.
Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Iowa State have had a virtual monopoly on NCAA wrestling titles, winning 34 championships in the last 39 years. Oklahoma State has won the national title 26 times.
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