SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 1940 THE MTC mc. AN nxiT: v V APIV t vlir 1T-11 ".,L'1T1 1N41111 T7'tl A11 jWy fl jVyYj i' itil; 'i't1lCLG Block's Sparklincv Tw4litie~r Thips Wayne, -11- DES SEZ iNew Average Systeii S ,Earl Block, Pitcher By DES riOWA RT, Asv.oiate Sporty Editor Seven Tartar Misplays ,Aid Wolverine Victory 11jaj' Ui itsT 'Pace heiigan Nin. Al Iite By WALT KIbLE )e"( hild(Ale brilliant two-hit hurling of Earl Block, the Michigan base- ball team won its 21st consecutive ball game when it downed the Wayne University nine yesterday by an 11-1 score at Ferry Field. The Wolverines, playing with a makeshift line-up caused by injuries to key men, took advantage of every break that came their way in winning their season opener with ease. Block in his first appearance on the mound for the Wolverines displayed excellent form as he allowed only two 't--_ -FOR many years the system of de- termining batting averages in the major leagues has been the object of much adverse eriticism by leading baseball critics, players and fans alike. Admittedly the system now in use could stand much revising. How- ever, like the weather, much is said about the subject but little is done. To show how unfair the system is one need only take a look at last year's final averages in the Ameri- can League. George "Snuffy" Stirnweiss won the circuit's batting crown on the last day of the season, and then only by the narrowest of margins. Runner-up was Tony Cuccinello of the White Sox. Ap- parently the two should be placed on an equal rating, but such is not the case. Stirnweiss is the far su- perior ball player, and Cuccinello, despite his showing of last season, is no longer in the major leagues. T HE answer lies in the fact that Tony was not the ball player his average indicated. Most of his hits were singles; he drove in few runs. Stirnweiss' record in the runs batted in column was hardly impressive either, but his value to the Yankees far exceeded Cuccinello's to Chicago. Managers are not impressed by a player's average necessarily but not only to get on base but also to evaluation-that being the ability not only to get on base but alsa to come. through with a hit when there are men on base. True, lead- off batters and those following weak hitters are not given the chance to pile up big totals in the RBI column, but on the other hand a ball player is not worth much if he continually leaves runners stranded on the bases regardless of his batting average otherwise. IT IS with these inconsistencies in mind that we have devised a new system to give a true indication of the batter's effectiveness. We believe it is fool proof. In formulating this system three things are taken into account: the batsman's ability to get on base, his ability to drive in runs, and his ability to connect for long hits. This system does not take into account slugging percentages. Rather it includes times at bat, number of hits, number of men on base, and number of runs driven in. Let us assume for instance that Bob Nussbaumer has the following record: AB ROB II RBI Ave. 58 38 12 27 .406 This we obtain by adding the num- ber of times at bat and the number of men on the base and divide it into the total of hits and runs bat- ted in. Thus Nussbaumer, wtho would be batting only .207 under the present system, would boost his average .199 points because of bat- ting in the 27 runs for a RBI per- centage of .711. THIS gives Nussbaumer a higher average than let us say Elmer Swanson whose record might be as follows: AB ROB H RBI Ave. 43 28 16 1 .225 Swanson would be batting at a .372 clip under the system now in use, would not really be as valuable as Nussbaumer since his percentage of runs driven in would be only .036: A player who doesn't have many ATTENTION: BOWLERS! Watch this space for the announce- ment of the prize headpin tourna- ment to be held soon at the WIL- LOW RUN BOWLING ALLEYS. opportunities to bat in runs would not be penalized by this new system. For instance Don Robinson might have: AB ROB II RBI Ave. 22 1 11 3 .609 Robinson would be batting .500 with 11 hits in 22 trips to the plate. He had only one chance to drive in a run and succeeded. The other two runs batted in would be as a result of two home runs without anyone on base. A final advantage to the system is that the long ball hitter who scores runners from first or second is also compensated more than the batter who only advances the runners. EARL BLOCK certainly lived up to advance notices as he gave one of the prettiest exhibitions of twirling down at Ferry Field yesterday that we have seen in many a year of watching the Wolverine nines in ac- tion. In the score books Block will be officially credited with a two-hit- ter, but both were definitely of the scratch variety. One was a slow roller that just got by the big right-hander. The other came as a result of Dom Tomasi falling down in the seventh inning. Incidentally that play caused much discussion as to whether Dom should be charged with one of those Ilnavoidable errors. ilock's complete mastery of the Wayne crew was evident in the first inning when he poured through eight straight strikes. In fact he only pitched one ball all inning. Then after fanning three men in the first he got the next batter on three pitches in the second. Only two balls were hit to the Michigan outfield, one of them just back on the grass. The one lone tally which the Tartars did score of the ace Wolverine hurler was unearned. Not a bad show for Block's initial performance. Trounces .W t cf t i. i'i, 1 1 3 EAST LANSING, April 19-(P) Michigan State College opened its regular baseball season here today by smearing the University of Wiscon- sin nine with a 15-hit attack for a 11-3 victory. Joe Skrocki, MSC's leading hurler before the war, was credited with the win, his fourth of the season. Skrocki won three games on the Spartans' re- cent *southern tour which produced nine victories. He scattered 10 Badger hits and was never in hot water. The Spartans pounded Gene Jar-1 och, Wisconsin's leading pitcher, for 13 hits and 10 runs before he left the game in the seventh for a pinch hit- ter. Not only was Jaroch ineffective cn the mound but his supporting cast fell down, committing five er- rors. Second baseman Bob Groves andl third baseman Dick Mineweaser, both of whom were elevated to start- ing berths only yesterday, led State'st hitting. Mineweaser's triple in theY second inning drove in the Spartans' first two runs and his single in the1 third was one of six hits which pro-t duced four scores. Groves collectedt a triple in the fourth and a single in the third which drove in two runs. I' infield hits, struck out 12, and allow- ed only two balls out of the infield. Wolverines Get 11 Free Passes Mea nwl lesthe Wolverines were jumping on six Tartar pitchers who gave up eleven bases on balls and seven hits. Seven errors helped the Wolverines to all but six of their tal- lies. Bob Chappuis was the big gun of, the Wolverine offense as he banged' out a triple and a double in four times at bat. The triple was a long line baseman. Rosema scored the first run when Bill Collins dropped a throw from Urdea which would have been a force-out. Block came through with a double to center for two more runs. A walk to Houser and Bliss Bowman's fly to right ended the inning without fur- ther scoring. Two more runs camve across in the following inning on a walk to Rosema and Chappuis' triple and Tomasi's double. Two walks, three errors and |G oilers IeI Season A ainst MS( Ioda - by GiAl.UA VItIELAINII lVirliiganu t'olil-rs wm il lay their (openlinJ ' n [:: m1,8I l atWOson when they tee o l agains' the ) MiV igai State linksnen at 2 p.m. this after- noon at the University Golf Course. Chosen by Coach Bill Barclay to represent the Wolverines are Dave Barclay, Dune Noble, Pete Elliot, Bill Ramsey, Ed Schalon, and Roger Kes- sler in that order. All six men have shown they ar capable of shooting consistently in ti(e 70's. Dave Barclay hosi o cl- Fo First Spt A depeld«;ble , ll roundU golfer who has had c osid, a wle oornament ex- per'iencde, and, in t i t words of his coach, "knows all Ish ots,' Bar- clay further esta1 h li inself in the niumber one spot on the squad last week when he carded a neat 75 in a practice round. Elliot has been playing a brand of golf which would challenge Barclay's claim as the i team's Number 1 in'n if it weren't for his erratic putting. The remainder of the men have' been placed in the above order chiefly on the basis of experience. Noble, a letter winner on ihe 1944 squad, is the only playe whlo ias faced college competition. in iey made favor- afav - s a 1 Ioui nam en ts in the ut.1 a wIic a leni bcr of the Army Ai,, C,1 .<ix pnosi- verines seemed content with their tion would ' wi' I 1o! Wolerines ar margin from then on .out and the' edge. final score was 11-1. Score Char'tL, To lr; Posted Coach Ray Fisher plans to us ThIe shiles and