Adjust fences
Baseball taking measures to cure hitting problems
NEW YORK (UPI) The hitters probably are more anxious than the pitchers to get on with spring training.
Coming off their worst season in modern history, the batters should be in a big hurry to swing into what could be one of their better years. The owners they've been battling in baseball's pension dispute went all out to make on-the-field life cozier for their batsmen.
- The size of the strike zone and height of pitching mounds were reduced to slow down rampaging pitchers.
- Five existing parks have shortened their fences or knocked down screens.
- Seattle, one of four expansion teams this year, has the friendliest homerun fences this side of heaven.
Reaction may be slow when the hitters start sampling this
collection of goodies, but you can't say the barons of baseball failed to respond to the deadly dullness produced in many areas last season.
Futility in '68
There were 340 shutouts in 1968—that translates into 21 per cent of all games played in the Majors, a record for batting futility.
During the early winter, rules changes clipped the strike zone and shaved four inches off the height of the mounds. Several owners then acted
independently, altering park dimensions.
Changes were ordered by the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and Philadelphia Phillies.
The White Sox are installing a temporary fence cutting the foul line distances from 352 to 335 feet, left center from 375 to 370 and center field from 415 to 395.
"More homeruns should be crowd-pleasers," says general manager Ed Short. "And the fence will eliminate some of those question-mark plays including the ones in which fans reach out to touch a ball in play."
Several changes
Team title to KU in karate tourney
KU's Karate Club, hosting the first Jayhawk Karate Tourney, was anything but the gracious host Sunday night—winning both the team trophy and eight individual trophies.
Twelve teams were entered in the day-long tournament with KU club members claiming trophies in every belt division they entered.
Trophy winners from KU were Mike Sheahon, Wichita senior, 1st in white belt kata; J. D. Culea, La Grange, Ill., sophomore, 2nd in both white belt kata and kumite; Terry Rees, Kansas City sophomore, 2nd in green belt kata; Clement Ching, Kowloon, Hong Kong, senior, 2nd in brown belt kata; Susie Spalding, Bonner Springs junior, 1st in women's kata and 3rd in kumite; and Lorene Fred, 2nd in women's kata.
The Dodgers are moving home plate 10 feet straight out toward center field, trimming the power alleys in left center and cright center from 285 feet to 275 and center field from 410 to 400. Foul lines remain at 330.
Eddie Wong, Wichita freshman, competing for the Roger Carpenter School of Self-Defense, took first place in green belt kata.
Team points were awarded on a 3-2-1 basis according to the individual rankings. The KU club scored 17 points, edging Bushidokan of Overland Park by four points.
Tournament director Max Muller said of the meet:
"It surpassed all my expectations. We had more than 80 competitors and some of the best-known black belts in the area.
"More than 300 persons watched the meet," estimated Muller. "It will definitely become an annual event."
The Braves also cut 10 feet off left center and right center, which now will be 375 feet, and snipped two feet in center to make it an even 400.
The Phillies are adding a fence in center, reducing the straightaway distance from 447 to 410.
Kansas City, home of the expansion Royals, retains the same distances used by the Athletics before shifting to Oakland, but a 40-foot screen in right and right center comes down. A 13-foot fence remains. It'll still be no bargain for hitters.
6 KANSAN Feb.26 1969
Pitcher Night Wednesday
6:00 - 12:00
Private Party Room
available
Open Fri. & Sat.
1:00 - 12:00
Mon.-Thurs. 4:00 - 12:00
1344 Tennessee
Intramural cage results
FRATERNITY A
SAE (60) - John Ladeux 12, John Schmidt 14, Monty Rell
Schmidt 11.
Lewis (5) - Monty Briley 17, Jeff
Baxter 12.
INDEPENDENT A
BEGINNING LEVEL 43
Pearson (82) - Rich Harrison 30,
Bill Newland 20, Jeff Mewers 14.
Jolliffe (43) - Mike Liekite 22,
John Gough 12.
agmutations 38, Hot Doggers 30,
10, Hot Doggers 30, Hot Doggers 30,
Hot Doggers (30) -Lynn Chance
Sneakers 54, Wizards of 1d 48
G sneakers (54)-Rich Ballie 15, Jim
G sneakers (64)
111 Sneakers 54, Wizards of Id 48
Navy Nesp 50, Delta Functions 18
Navy Nesp (50) - Lee Gurke 12,
Marine Corps 13
Blackhawks won by forfeit over Gamblers.
INDEPENDENT B
Rip City 45, JRPN 28
Rip City (45)-John Brann 14,
Briant City (45)
Phi Psi Phi. 3, 36; TKE Nio. 1
Phi Psi Phi. 3, 36) - Gene Rainey
JRP 5M (28)—Charlie Anderpoulos
B. Dave Guffer 8.
Delta Functions (18)-Gerald Holmberg.
FRATERNITY C
TKE No. 1 (25)-Doug Scott 6,
Curt Thomas 6.
ATO No. (1) J.B. Benson 19,
BSA No. (2) Jim-Belt 16, JBM-
SAE No. 1, (3) Steve Jones 11,
N.Y.C. No. 1
Navy Nrsep (60) Inc.
Rollentem 12
Delta Delta (18) - Gerald
Sig Ep No. 1 (20) -Dan Marting 8,
Gary Gueksenbamp 8.
PK Tau 21, Sig Eg No. 1 20
Kirk Tau 23, Dan Marting 8, Gary
Glieseon k. 8
Delta Chi No. 1 (18)—Larry
McElwin 14.
Gary Gluesenkamp 8.
Sig. Ep No. 8—Russ Gard 12
18
Tom Poos 14.
Delta Chi No. 1 (18)—Larry
exp, up No. 1 (20)—Rusan Gaus 12.
up No. 2 (32)—Dale Evans 20.
DU No. 2, (32)—Dale Evans 20.
INDEPENDENT C
71 By-Pass 64, Apricots C 23
71 By-Pass (64) - Maurice St.
Germain 16, Ellis Mekanna 12.
Apricots (23) - Fred Coester 10.
Potter's Lakers won by forfeit over
Ellis.
This Fri. and Sat. — Feb. 28, Mar. 1 FREE ADMISSION with Rock Chalk Ticket Stub night of performance RED DOG INN
Mike Finnigan and THE SERFS—Mar.14 and 15
Hill playoffs ahead in KU intramurals
Intramural basketball teams, laying their undefeated records on the line, will be out to capture divisional titles and playoff berths for Hill Championships in tonight's final slate of regular-season contests.
Monday's schedule was shortened because of the varsity basketball game with Oklahoma. But in the 11 games that were played, teams faced either a narrow escape or a one-sided trumping.
In the A league the SAE's smashed the AKL's 60-45, and Pearson walked over Jolliffe 82-43. Navy Nesep breezed by Delta Functions 50-18 in a B league game and 71 By-Pass
trounced the Apricots 64-23 in a C game.
Phi Kappa Tau got eight points from Dan Marting and Gary Gluesenkamp to edge the Sig Eps 21-20 in a C contest. In the A league the Sneakers slipped by the Wizard of Id 54-48.
The playoffs for the Hill Championship will begin next week. The playoffs will feature an elimination tournament to determine the team leaders in the Fraternity and Independent divisions.
The two top teams in each division will then clash for the title of Hill Champions in each of the A, B and C leagues.
Poetry Hour William Paden Reading Alfred, Lord Tennyson
4:30 February 27 Music Room
Miss Sugar Yaun a LADYBUG suit from the . . .
at the back of the Town Shop 839 Mass. St. Uptown VI 3-575
Uptown VI 3-5755