The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-02-08
The NEW BASEBALL RULES.
Changes Recommended In the Code
Tor the League.
NEW RULES GOVERNING COACHING.
the lsnscr Are Occupicd--rhc
Rules Made More Explicit.

Washington. February flames A. Hart.
chairman; Edward Hanlon and A. ]. Reach,
the committee TO the National baseball
league appointed TO recommend changes In
the code OF rules. have submitted their
report to President Nick Young. The re-
port Is as follows,
1--WE recommend no change In rules 1 to
10 inclusive which are those governing the
laying of of n ball ground. but suggest the
incorporation In the rules OF foot note
Failing attention to an amendment to the
playing rules In which viii be found a
direction for "A simple way of laying
off Il ball iield,' which is as follows;
Lay II tape line from center OF back
stop out into field 2li feet 3is inches TO
second base. AT 90 feet from the back
stop place home plate; with the tape line
| dividing IL at the center, place the pitchers
plate, with the tape line dividing Il at the
| center, l55 feet ia Inches from backstop
drive stake. AT right angles TO the tape
| line and 90 feet "a inches from the stake
aud 30 feet from both home plate and sec
ond base, place first base On one side and
| third base on the other This done re-
move the stake Lay lines connecting the
| bases thus formed forming the diamond
extending the lines from homo base and
| FIRST base and home base and third base
| IN each direction to the fence, thus form
| ing the foul lines and the catchers position
| Parallel with these lines and 80 feet away
lay the players lines, extending from In
! tersection with lines already laid 10 feet
! From this point lay lines at right angles
| TO lines Just described, extending to base
| lines. At right angle to these and parallel
| to the base lines 10 feet distant lay the
coaohers' lines, extending say 20 fas to
fla.x tAsa1I Iii ..a.t IN
feet back of home plate lay line beginning
IL feet from home plate and extending just
| past first base. On each side Of the home
plate parallel with the line from center OF
backstop TO second base and ak Iohcs
distant from home plate lay line ak feet
long running three feet each way from a
| line through the center OF home plate,
also lay other lines parallel with and four
feet distant from the ones lust described.
| Form these into parallels iN6 feet in "a
monslon. thus forming the hatsmai< POSI-
ton. Observe rules IL. 10 and H.
We consider this necessary The rules
as printed are positively correct but being
drawn from surveyors standpoint are so
burdened With tocbnicalities as to render
them almost undcfinable by n junior player
or the average ground keeper,
In section OF rule ii regarding the
ball, we suggest the addition OF the words
I'm the event OF a new ball being intcn.
IL player the umpire shall. upon appca
from tho captain OF the opposite side
forthwith demand the return Of that bal
aud shall substitute another now ball ant
, impose fine Of 50 upon the oifcndnl
player
This addition is made so that the UNI.
, pirc may enforce the rule
In rule II following the word pitcher
is said
While in the act of delivering the hal
to the bat" This is to make the rule NOR,
cNulicit.
We recommend the addition to rule Q
which relates to players benches, new
: section. which is as follows:
, Section 2. To enforce this rule the cap
tnin Of the opposite side may call the at
: tention Of the umpire to violation
whercupon the umpire shall immediately
= order such player to he seated. If the ordc
is not obeyed within one minute the OF
Tending player or players shall be dcbarret
from further participation In the game, ant
shall be obliged to leave the field forth
with"
In section of rule 25 change is made
whereby that rule requires tho umpire t'
notify the president OF 4 forfeited game
9 and the following added:
However failure In the umpire 10 -
notify the president of a forfeited gam'
, shall not affect his decision declaring thu
I game forfeited
This is done TO avoid technicalties,
Section J. rule 81, relating to substitutes
liz made ms follows
"ln every championship game each sid'
shall be required to have present ON Tho
4 field In uniform q sufficient number Of sub
p stitutes to carry out the provision Whicf
= requires that not less than nine players
| shall occupy the field IN any inning of I
game"
, In rule 20. which defines the pitchers pc
, sition. is added
, IF the pitcher fails to comply with tn,
requirements of this rule the umpire mus
call IA ball.
, Rule 49, regarding baking, is changed
!, by inserting In section I Immediately after
The word long "As In the opinion O
the umpire" and The addition of section b
which is Standing In position to piic
without having the BAH IN his possession
except In case of block ball ms provided
| In rule 30. section q
| In section | Of rule ~, which requires
PLAYERS TO be seated on the players bench
cs, although not changed much In dict'nn
IS radically changed In eject now read
ing:
when their side goes TO bat the players
must Immediately return to the players
bench as defined in rule 20 and thcie re,
main until the SIDE IL put out, except
when called TO the bat or they become sub
siitute base runners, provided that Inc
| captain or enc player only may occupy INV
space between the players line and me
|
rers are holding each and all nrst secont
and third bases. then the captain and on'
player or two players may occupy the space
between the players line and the captains
In es to coach base runners This permits
but one coacher when less than three
base runners are on the bsses In the uni
form Of the club who may stand In ethel
box known as the ccacher's box
Tn change Is recommends because II has
proven in the past that the presence OF I'VE
roachers allow crosshre Of talk between
them foreign to the game and frequently o.
ci aractcr Objectionable To the specta'
tors.
The batting rules have been changed II
diction materially. but not In their re
quiremonts II is recommended that the!
stand as follows;
Rule asa fair hit is o ball batted b!
the batsman while he Is standing within
the lines OF his position; that 1t mrs
touches 'fair ground or the person OF
player or the umpire while standing on fai
ground and then settles in fair groun'
before passing the line Of frst or th'r
bases.
section IA foul hit is slmiiarl