Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-03-08
BASE BALL MAGNATEs MEET.
New Rules Formulated For the Game
This Season.


NEW YORK, March AT noon to-
day the delegates to the spring meeting
of the National League Of base ball
clubs assembled at the Fifth Avenue
Hotel. The schedule and proposed
changes in the playing rules were the
principal topics to be discussed. All
the big guns were there. They include
President Young, President Van Cott,
of New York; Won Der Abe, OF st.
Louis; Brush, Of Cincinnati; the Wag.
ners, OF Washington; Won Der Horst, OF
Baltimore; ByrDe, OF Brooklyn; Anson
and Hart, OF Chicago; F. FL. De Robin
son, of Cleveland. and Sodon, OF Boston.
For the first time in the history OF the
League IL was an open meeting. The
Rules Committee, composed Of Messrs.
Brush, Byrne and Won Der Horst,
which has held frequent conferences at
the Roffman House, reported In detail
the substantial results OF its actions as
follows:
First-No enlargement Of the infeld
now in use.
Second-Removal of the pitcher from
his present position to the centre OF the
infleld abolishing the pitchers box and
substituting therefor boundary plate
covering a twelve inch space, to which
the pitcher will be confined.
Third-Abolition OF the fat bat.
Fourth-A lucid definition OF balk.
Fifth-A sim mplification of the rules
pertaining to the actual playing OF the
game,
Sixth-The codlfying Of all rules ap-
plying to the duties, powers and respon-
sibilities OF the umpires.
Seventh-A rule governing official
scorers, which provides that player
who makes a sacrifice hit which ad-
vances base runner shall not be
charged with time at bat.
The task Of preparing the schedule
was some time ago put upon President
mick" Young, who announces that he
''guesses he's got It fixed so as to satisfy
everyone" If the schedule goes through
the championship season will begin
April 27, with the eastern clubs playing
In Washington, Baltimore and Philadel-
phia, and the western clubs in Louis
Vile, Cincinnati and Cleveland. Each
club will play about 1872 games, which
will bring the season to close on Sep
tember Is, or a month earlier than last
year.
A new national Board OF Arbi-
tration was appointed consisting Of
Messrs. Young, of Washington, Snow
den, OF Boston, and Won Der Horst. OF
Baltimore.
Among the finding of the Committee Of
PLAYING Rules were the following: "The
pitchers boundary shall be marked by a
white rubber plate twelve inches long by
four inches wide so fixed in the ground as TO
be even with the surface at the distance Of
60 feet 8 inches from the outer corner Of
the home plate, so that line drawn from
the centre Of homo base TO the
centre of second base will give
six inches upon either side
The pitchers shall take their position
facing the bstsmen with both feet
| square on the ground, one foot
| in front Of, and in contact
with the pitchers plate. He shall
not raise either foot except in the act OF
delivering the ball, nor make more than one
step in such delivery. He shall hold the
bali before the delivery in front Of his
body and in sight Of the umpire.
Rule 30 defines the balk. 1t says: "a
balk shall be any motion made by the
pitcher to deliver the ball TO bat without
delivering it."