Evening journal., 1893-03-08
HARDER ON THE PITCHER
The Box Set Five Feet Fur
ther From the Home Plate.
RBYIsINa BASE BALI RULEs.

tion.
NEW YORK March s.-The annual
spring meeting of the National League
of baseball clubs was held at the Fifth
Avenue Hotel, yesterday afternoon.
Enough magnates players, managers
and cranks were present to form dozen
thirteen men teams
The convention was one Of the largest
and most important in the history Of the
national game. There were no questions
in dispute between leagues or clubs, and
no chickering's or quarrels marked the
proceedings. The meeting was devoted
solely to the legitimate interests of the
major baseball organization, and to a
discussion Of the rules, with the object
of improving them and adding to the
attractiveness of the game.
The developments of the days session
were extremely gratifying to all those
who take an interest in the great pas
time, and augur well for prosperous
season. Elements in the baseball world
previously in antagonism were united ia
a common effort TO help place the sport
again on a solid basis. Those who had
labored for tho Players League, former
representatives Of the American Associa
tion and the upholders Of the National
League, all Joined hands for the benefit
of the game
Many important moves were made,
the most vital of which was that relating
to the pitcher The Committee on Play
ing Rules submitted a report to the
league, recommending that the pitcher
be placed In the centre Of the diamond,
which would increase his distance
from the home plate by eight feet. The
league, as a committee of the whole,
modified the report so as to provide that
the pitcher should be moved back fve
feet. The pitchers box is abolished, and
piece Of rubber, IL by inches, will
mark the rear boundary Of the pitcher
The question of enlarging the diamond
was not considered
The league went into session about
o'clock, the clubs being represented as
follows New York, q. Van Cott and e.
B. Talcott; Boston, A. H. SOden and W.
II. Conant; Philadelphia. A. j. Reach
and John l. Rogers; Brooklyn. C. II.
! Byrne Washington, +. ) Elliott; Balti
more II. r Vonderhorst; Pittsburg, w
w. Kerr and A. X. Scandrett Louisville
j d. Puckstuhl; Cleveland, f. Deli
Robinson; ST. Louis, A. II Soden, Proxy
Chicago, j. A. Hart; Cincinnati, John Il.
Brush
About the FIRST business transacted
was the election of a new National
Board, consisting of a. Il. Soden, II. r.
] a.. II
| Byrne, of the former board, declined to
serve longer because of his connection
with the new professional bicycle league.
Chris Won der Abe arrived to attend
the meeting, but received a telegram
from st. Louis announcing that his son
was worse and he started for home
Immediately.
Having completed their routine work
and submitted the rules to the committee
OF the whole, the League opened the
doors and invit ted the public in TO dis.
cuss the rules before final action was
taken upon them Mr. Soden occupied
the chair, and John T. Brush, as chair
man of the Rules Committee, explained
the views Of the committee of the whole.
The first change proposed was a substi
tute for the present rule regarding the
pitchers position, which reads as fol.
lows:
"The pitchers boundary line shall be
marked by white rubber plate, 10 by
inches in dimensions, so fixed in the
ground as to be even with the surface.
at the distance of 60 feet and inches
from the outer corner of the home plate.
80 that line drawn from the centre
of the home base TO the centre Of the
second base will give inches upon
either side
Relative to the delivery of the ball
the next rule reads:
"The pitcher shall take his position
facing the batsman, with both feet
square on the ground, one foot in front
of and in contact with the pitcher s
! plate, as defined in Rule He shall
not raise either foot, unless in the act OF
delivering the ball. nor make more than
one step in such delivers He shall
hold the ball before delivery fairly ir
front of his body aud in sight Of The
umpire. When the pitcher feigns tC
throw the ball to a base he must resum,
the above position and pause momen-
tarily before delivering the ball to the
bat,
The next amendment referred TO play
ers benches, and provided that the play
ers of team should be confined TO tn,
bench for their use, and that, excepting
in batting or coaching, they shall remair
on their bench. 1t was explained that
this was designed 10 keep players from
wandering around the feld and sitting on
the bench of the opposing team, causing
friction and i'll feeling.
Rule l3 was so amended as to knocl
out the fat bat feature and that much
discussed weapon will now disappear
from the game.
The suggested new rule regarding
balk reads as follows:
"a balk shall be any motion made b.
the pitcher 10 deliver the ball to the ba
without delivering 10.
Section The holding Of the bal
by the pitcher so long as to delay tn
game.
Section 3.-Any motion In deliverin,
the ball 10 the bat by the pitcher Will
not in the position defined by Rule 81.
Don't Want the Pastor's Funitur
Removed.
The members OF the Blaekbird NJ. Z
Church at Blackhird. are much excite,