The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-31
THE BASE BALL SEASON.
The Long Struggle on the Diamond About
to Begin.
Makeup of the Large Profits
Interest Than Eve Befo Are he Prophets
Forward To.

tain one Of the teams OF the Western
League this season Cincinnati has Sc
cured a lot Of young players from the
Western League, who are being tried for
places this spring.
In st. Louis the base ball cranks are
bowling with JOY over the acquisition Of
Center Fielder Tom Brown. who has
been secured from the Louisville team.
He was once ranked as fastest base runner
in the league. and Is still thought to be
phenomenal in this line. He will play in
the outfeld for Cincinnati during 1898.
St. Louis has also exchanged Pitcher
Hawley for Pitcher Ehret Of Pittsburg
Pittsburg rooters are glad to secure the
services Of Hawley. for they believe him
to be a really remarkable tWirler. as do
many OF those in the east. Last fall Haw-
ley pitched for St. Louis in the last series
OF games against the Boston team. and
by his fine work in beating the Beaneaters
three straight games, materially aided
New York TO win second place in the race
for the league championship pennant.
There are many minor changes in the
other teams, and viii be changes in all
until the day their play opens, when the
men Will settle down 10 hard work for the
season. The long season OF preliminary
practice games always serves TO bring
out the good material which is lying
dormant, and the captains seldom have
much difficulty in selecting from the men
at their command when time is called In
New York. as in several other league
cities, there are a lot OF players under
provisional contracts, who will be re-
leased as soon as the final makeup Of
the team is decided upon. A team cannot
afford to carry eighteen or twenty play
ers all summer, and many will be allowed
to go as soon as the black sheep can be
selected from the white. The games
against college and other amateur teams
during the two or three weeks before the
regular league season opens GER
tainly does a great deal toward
making this choice an easy one, while in
the south the men are still too green to
show their real worth.
There have been a number of changes
in the playing rules this year, most OF
which seemed to be aimed at the better
enforcement Of the present laws rather
than new ones. The umpires will be gov
erner BY much more atringent rules
than heretofore, and will be subject to
hne' just as the players are. Another
feature will be that the management Of
the teams will not be allowed to pay the
fines of their players. All have agreed
not to do this, and the men fined must
pay out of their own money. This will re-
duce the kicking and other boisterous
work of the unruly players somewhat by
their fear of loss financially. Noisy
coachihg, swearing and talking back to
the umpires will be severely treated this
summer.
As to other changes. perhaps the most
important is that which declares that a
foul tip caught within ten feet of the
plate will be counted as a strike this year
No players other than the catcher and
hrst baseman will be allowed to wear
big mits, and only small gloves will be
allowed to other helders and basemen
owing to the confusion on the question
of base running on short fly hits, the UNI
pires this year will call out at once on
each fly ball when two men are on bases
and there is not more than one out.
whether the ball is an inield or an out
field hit. On the former the base-runners
cannot be forced out, and on the latter
they can; hence the confusion In decid-
ing.
Taken all in all, the new rules all seem
likely to work favorably, and the pros
poets for another good season-for both
managerss players and spectators-are
very bright indeed this spring Which
team will win the pennant and which will
capture the Temple cup next fall is as
much in doubt now as the next number
to come out on a policy slip. Every we'll
regulated crank however, has his own
clearly defined idea, and predictions by
the thousands will doubtless be in evil
dence before the season is fairly started.
j. Parmly Paret