St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-08
CHANGED The RULES.
Base Ball Magnates Meet in
Annual Session in New
York.
Nick Young Thinks His Seized.
ule Will Suit All the
Clubs.
The Pitcher Set Back to the
Center Of the Dia-
mond.
Other Changes Also Made il
the Rules Of the
Game.

NEW YORK. March AT noon today
the delegates to the spring meeting Of
the National League CT 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
Colt, of New York; Won der Abe. of
st. LOUIS; Brush, Of Cincinnati; the
Wagners. Washington; Won der Horst.
Of Baltimore: Byrne, of Brooklyn;
AnsoD and Hart. of Chicago; +. De Il.
Robinson, OF Cleveland, and Soden, OF
Boston. For the first in the history
OF the league it was to be an open meet
ing. The rules committee, composed of
Messrs. Brush, Byrne and Won der
Horst, which has held frequent sessions
at the Hoffman house, reported in de-
tail 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
center of the iEfeld. abolishing the
pitchers box and substituting therefor
a boundary plate covering a twelve
inch space, to when the pitcher will De
confined; third. abolition of the fiat bat;
fourth, lucid
Definition of a BaIk:
fifth, simplfication of the rules per-
tanning to the actual playing of tho
game; sixth, the codIfying of all rules
applying to the duties, powers and re-
spOnsibllities Of the umpires; seventh,
a rule governing official scorers, which
provides that a player VINO makes
sacrifice hit which advances base
runner shall not be charged with time
at bat.
One of the most important things to
be settled is the schedule. The task OF
preparing this document was some time
ago put upon President Mick" Young,
who makes the surprising announce
ment that he "guesses he's got il fixed
so as to satisfy every one" If the
schedule goes through the cham
pIonship season will begin on April q,
with the Eastern clubs playing in
Washington, Baltimore and Phiiadel-
phla and the Western clubs i'll Louis
vile, Cincinnati and Cleveland. Each
club will play about 1872 games " hich
Will bring the season to close Sept. ID.
OF month earlier than last year. The
meeting will last until late tomorrow
night, although it may run over into
Wednesday. eSDe cially If snag Is
struck in the playing rule changes or
dissatisfaction is expressed as to the
schedule.
Open 20 Inducements.
Mike Kelly came to the hotel shortly
after II o'clock, and held an hours con-
versatiOn with the players in the cafe.
He had little to say about the offer made
him by the New York club, but SAID he
was tired Of the stage and was omen to
inducements. All the routine business
before the league was transacted at the
early session, in order that the players
might enter upon the consideration OF
the playing rules. A new national
board of arbitration was appointed,
consisting Of Messrs. Young, of Wash
ingtOn: SOden, of Boston, and Won der
Horst, Of Baltimore. Young, Phelps
and Byrne composed the old board. MIR.
Hart. of Chicago. who was a committee
of one to secure quarters for the players
at Chicago during the world. 5 far, re-
ported that arrangements had been
made for the base balliStS to stay at the
fremont house. A recess was taken at
o'clock.
Inc CN6HlllS llCCtiliSs oI NIlOiA NV
playing rules were to be revised, was an
open one. Before the Opeu meeting
was held, however, there was
An Executive Session.
and the rules as amended were adopted.
Among the findings of the committee on
PLAYING rules were the following:
'sThe pitchers boundary will be
marked by 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 sixty feet. six
inches from the outer corner OF the home
plate, so that a line drawn from the
center Of home base to center OF
second base will give six inches on
either side. 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 pitch
er's plate He shall not raise either
foot except in act of delivering the bail,
nor make more than one step III such
delivery. He shall hold the ball before
the delivery fairly in front Of his body
and in sight OF the umpire"
Rule IS abOisheS the flat bat. Rule
SO defines the balk. 1t says: "A balk
shall be any motion made by the pitch
er to deliver the ball to the bat without
delivering it," Mr.. Brush said the
above were the principal changes. al
though there were a few minor ones.
chiefly in dictiOn, which he did not
read. The league ADJOURNED until to'
morrow morning at 10 O'Clock.