New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-26
BASEBALL MEN MEET.
THE RULES COMMITTEE OF THE LEAGUE
AT WORK.

CONE STRIKING CHANGES sUGGEsTED-PRo-
Family AND NOISY COACHING TO BE
srorPED-GIANTs REPORT AND HAVE
4 "BEEFsTEAK DINNER"
An interesting meeting of the Rules Committee OF
the National Baseball League was held at The Fifth
Avenue Hotel yesterday. and some excellent changes
n the playing rules suggested. That the
changes will be adopted almos, intact is reasonably
certain. The committee as now made up is gooa
one and is composed of c. II. Byrne, president OF
the Brooklyn club: Edward Hanlon. president OF
the Baltimore club. and James A. Hart. president OF
the Chicago cub. thoroughly informed III
latter-day baseball and competent TO nahu'e '"e
delicate questions before them.
The committee originally included Frank de mas
Robson Of Cleveland but friction arose JEW" -,
Hanlon and Robson and Robson retreu, '"
Kerr OF Pittsburg. taking his place MI NJ
could not reach the city yesterday ana !, ~
Pyrne who should have been on the con"'''ee
from, the start was asked to take his place
Under the new rules profanity. noisy coaching
and dsreputable practices OF all xmas VIII ne pun"
ished severely. The umpire question Is also nan
died with some tact. and those unfortunate mortais
will no longer be allowed 10 interpret rules as they
may see fit
AS already suggested in The Tribune. the changes
in the pitching rules will give the pitcher little
more latitude that is all The slab against which
he rest loot IN pNCnlnS VIII De lnCIedseu
from 70 by inches TO "a by inches. In Rule H.
Section Q the last sentence is struck out. and the
following change is added: The alternate or new
ball so delivered 10 the pitcher may be discolored
ny him. but by other player. But in so doing
he shall resort 10 no other means than rubbing 1t
with his hands or gloves. and shall use no Foreign
substance other than earth said ball snail not De
rolled nor passed from player TO player
Rule Is is cut out Hereafter the bat must he
round and made wholly of solid hard wood This
cuts out the dimensions. weigh, or length ana II
will make it Impossible for willow or pine bats 10
be used A PLAYER may a bat weighing NIFTY
pounds and as long as a telegraph pole. IL he so
desires.
Another good change will he made regarding the
wearing OF leavy padded gloves Hereafter, only
the catcher and hrst-baseman can wear such
gloves The other players will be allowed TO wear
kid or huckskn gloves only. The old Rule 20 was
wiped out because Of its ridiculous features and
the changes in Rules Is and % are in language
more than in effect Hereafter. player VINO is
ordered out of a game has only one minute to
obey the umrire and he is not allowed FIVE minutes
~ nraneling as has been the case heretofore.
Rule "a will be amended so as TO stop squabbling
and ..soldierinc" The dead BALI is more clearly
defined as the word touch is added. Hereafter
a ball which is handled stopped or touched by an
outsider is no longer in play. The umpire will no
longer be called upon TO approve the batting order
the captain Of the team will do that. What will
constitute foul infeld hit is also clearly Defined
The new definition OF the hunt hit Will be as fol-
lows: "A bunt hit is a deliberate attempt on the
part OF the batsman to hit a ball slowly wthin
the nfield so that 1t cannot be handled or felded
by an inheder in time TO retire the batsman
Rule As will have this section added: "A strike
10 ball tipped ny the ha'sman and caught ny
the catcher within ten-foot line. In cas- batsmen
hat out of turn only the batsman at fault or who
should have gone 10 the bat originally is punished
The coaching rule will be rigdly enforced. Coach
ing shall be restricted the base-runner only IN
case a player Of the Tucker or Clarke order Of
fends the team of which the offending player Is
member shall be debarred from further playing
The committee also recommends to the League
the following amendment TO the constitutions II
shall be the duty Of the umpire TO enforce the rules
as they are written regardless OF his personal opn-
ION as 10 their merit. This shall especially apply TO
Rule 50 and TO Section g. of Rule Sc and in the event
OF his failure to enforce these rules he shall be
fined SO for each offence upon the sworn statement
Of the captain of Of the opposing teams ana
Two reputable witnesses. which afhdavts. however
must be forwarded TO the secretary OF the League
within twenty-four hours from the time OF the Of
fence"
Another change will be follows: Amy player
other than the captain leaving his position in the
field or leaving the bench TO question decision OF
umpire shall be fined by the umpire SO for the
first offence. and for the second offence he shall be
removed from the game and be required to leave
the field forthwith" <.r
Of shall emo psyes for y.moYeG
shall be ineligible to play in championship game
for the next three succeeding days" This refers TO
improper language addressed TO spectator, umpire
or player.
6 Eysry'hing is in readiness for the Giants TO go
Soutn Nearly all OF them reported TO Manager
PAYS at the new headquarters in corandt-st yes
terday, including Farrell Doyle, Dad" Clark. Ger
man. Murphy Burke. Herman. Bannon. Stafford,
Knauss and Aleck Smith
Rusie Meekin Van Haltren and Fuller will e.
rive there: Il is probable that Parke Wilson will not
get any spring practice A contract was mailed to
him some time ago nut nothing has as vet been
heard from him. Knauss and Smith are 10 be
taken along as experiments. II they show up well
they will be retained.
The team will start at o'clock this afternoon for
Savannah by boat from Canal-st thence to Jackson
Vile. Fla. by rail. No games have been arranged
with other teams OF the National League. Manager
Davis has decided to have the players practise for
the first three weeks by themselves They Will be
divided into two mines so as to play regular games
After three weeks in Jacksonville they Will work
their way North meeting other teams-not National
League-on the
Nick" Engel gave beefsteak dinner last night
10 the Temple Cup winners and well-known baseball
men now in the city.