The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-26
BALL RULES CHANGED
PROPOSED ny THE
NATIONAL LEAGUE COMMITTEE.
Provisions for Filming Both Turbu-
lent Players and Negligent Um-
pires-General Sporting News.

James A. Hart, of Chicago and c. H.
Byrne Of Brooklyn, met in this city to-
day in the Fifth-avenue Hotel. Mr. Byrne
took the place of W. w. Kerr. of Pitts
burg, who was unavoidably absent.
The committee made numerous changes
which will be voted on by the League at its
meeting on Wednesday. 1t recommended,
among other things. that the pitchers plate
be enlarged, placed restrictions upon noisy
coaching, gave to the umpires greater power
to discipline .kickers'' and changed the
wording of many rules, some of which were
heretofore vague and ambiguous. Among
the changes recommended are:
Rule No. s, to make the pitchers plate
24x6 instead of 12x4.
Rule IA, Section 2, is changed to read: "The
alternate ball delivered the pitcher may be
discolered by him, but by no other player.
In so doing, the pitcher shall resort to no
other means than rubbing the ball with his
hands or gloves
Rule 49, Section g is changed to read: mo
players, except the catcher and first base
man, shall be permitted to wear padded or
lined gloves or mitts.''
Rule 40 is thus defined: "A bunt hit is a
deliberate attempt on the part of the bats
man to bunt ball slowly within the intield
so it cannot be fielded by an infelder in time
to retire the batsman.''
Rule % is changed to read: The coach
ers shall be restricted to coaching the base
runner
An amendment. to Rule So. Section 80.
reads. 1T shall be the duty of an umpire
to enforce. the rule regardless of a per-
sonai opinion as on their merits. This
shall apply especially to Rule 50 and Sec
In the event of the umpire's failure to
enforce these rules he shall be fined $40 for
captain of the opposing team and two, rep
utable witnesses, which affidavit, how
hours from the time of the offense."
Rule 56-The committee recommend that
rule as follows: Any player other than
the, captain leaving his position in the field
or leaving the bench to question tic decision
pire for the first offense ana for the sec
ond shall be removed from the game and
Rule 60, Section S is amended to read:
The umpire shall remove player for
player so removed shall be ineligible to play
in championship. game for the next three
succeeding games.
The bat can be of any size or length,
but it must be round and made of 'tsolid
hard wood
Another most important change is one
that constitutes foul ball Hereafter any
ball that goes onto foul ground between the
lines, of bases is to be considered foul,
or in the air. This does away with the
old ten-foot rule.
Inc 1Oul tip was sat upon as fOliOWS. "A
ball tipped by the batsman and caught by
the catcher within the ten-foot line is
strike. This is direct concession to the
pitchers, the only one made by the COM
mittee.
The regular schedule meeting of the
league takes place at the Fifth-avenue
tees report will be presented.
New York Ball Team Going SOUTH
NEW YORK, Feb. -25.-The steamer Talla-
hassie, which sails for Savannah to-inor-
row. will carry the members of the New
York baseball club From Savannah the
club will go to Jacksonville, Fla, to begin
its practice work George H. Davis, the
field captain of the team, will be in charge
of the men. Those who will go are G. A.
Farrell; catcher: W. H Clark ar pitcher; J;
base: Mike Herman. E. d. Burke. Thomas
E. Bannon, w. H. Murphy, Frank Knauss
and L. s. German. In Jacksonville they
will be Joined by five more men who have
signed. Among them is Rusie, the pitcher.
The club will remain in Jacksonville about
Of the ~ cub viii u Join his mem next Week
and will remain with them during their
practicing.
First of OrmOnde's Get.
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 25.-Fairy Rose,
the celebrated Palo Alto brood mare, has
foaled filly by Ormonde, and w. H. Nc
Donough considers himself $4,000 loser.
Some time ago McDonough, who paid $780,,
600 for Ormonde, made contract with the
Stanford Palo Alto stock farm, whereby
number of Palo Alto brood mares We're to
be bred to Ormonde. McDonough was to
take all the colts foaled and the fillies We're
to go to Palo Alto. McDonough had been
if it turned out to be colt, but the young
millionaire scorned even that fancy price
for one. of Ormonae's progeny The filly
just foaled is the first one of Ormonde's get
this year, and, under the terms of the
contract becomes the property of Mrs. Lee
land Stanford.
The Coming Yacht Race.
NEW YORK, Feb. 25.At a meeting of
the American cup committee held to-day,
letter from Lord Dunraven was read say
ing that the first race is considered by him
to be professionally fixed for Sept. Z. and that
he will use his best endeavors to get across
the ocean in time to race on that date. The
resignation of c. Oliver Iselin, from the cup
committee, accepted. Another letter
was received from George j. Could, in which
and will bring back the Vigilant, so as to
have her at the. staring line, barring acct
tion of Mr.. Iselin frum the cup COMMITTEES
is due to the fact that he is a member of
the syndicate building the new cup de-
fender, which diSqualifieS him for the posi-
ton.
East st. Louis Track to Reopen.
ST. LOUIS, Feb. 25.-The East St. Louis
Jockey Club held meeting to-day and de-
cided to reopen it's track and run daily,
commencing with next Saturday No Ii
cense from the turf congress will be asked
for at present, but in view of the fact that
the track may apply for one later no out
lawed horses, owners or jockeys will he
allowed to participate in the meeting In
deciding to run every day and barring the
Madison horses, owners and jockeys, the
East st. Louis people will clash with the
Madison track, and, naturally, this will
bring about another race-track war Capt.
Sinclair will preside at East st. Louis, with
j. w. Brooks handling the flag.
Baseball in England.
LONDON, Feb. 25.--At a meeting here
to-day of the baseball association it was
decided to play forty-two games during the
coming season, which will open in May.
Extensive grounds have been secured, and
Americans teams are expected to compete
with the English teams. There were $50
persons present at the meeting.
Two Old Couples Perish by Fire.
DAYTON. o., Feb 25.-At 4 o'clock this
morning George Weaver and his wife. an
old infirm couple, living alone on a farm
seven miles west of here, near Trotwood,
Neighbors FASTENED to the spot but the
flames were fierce TO prevent all
hope of rescue.
HADDAM, Conn, Feb. 27.-Thomas Cava-
naugh and wife, both about sixty years DID,
were burned to death in their farm home,
near here, yesterday.