The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-13
CURRENT SPORTING TALK.
ABELL ESTS Iy AGREEMENT
AMONG THE CLUB OWNERS.

Says they should al sign n Promise to sup.
press Kicking ana SuppnTt the Cmpiree-
nrooki,n Players In Raver 81
DoinE Away with Gsais from ToucbdoWns
Tho proposed rule TO stop kicking on tho
Baseball field, which wns recently drafted by
James A. Hart, Chairman Of the National
Leagues Rules Committee. bids fair to create
more discussion at the coming meeting of the
League at ST. Louis than any other point that
may be raised. Hhrt's declaration that no In.
tends to place every League club President on
record has caused no end OF comment among the
magnatcs, and as he win be backed up by spal.
ding, Brush, Robson, Sod en-, Abel. Ebbets,
and others, there promises to he a pretty warm
time. Hart has undoubtedly sounded his col
leagues on the subject. for no is making clabo-
rate preparations TO either kill all kicking or
show. what clubs and magnates favor rowdyism.
Abel Of the Brooklyn Club. who will accom-.
pany PRECEDENT Ebbets ito tho meeting. is en-
thusiastlc over the reforms proposed by both
Hart and Brush.
.when 1t comes to a showdown" he said
yesterday, you will find that no club Prcsi-
dent In tho League con afford to say that
he is in favor OF rawdy ball.. which in part
means kicking. I have already been quoted
in THE suN as being unaltcrably opposed to
rowdyism, but / would like TO say further that
The League should make a terrible example OF
one or two OF tho players who have constantly
disgraced tho game with their senseless wran.
Cling and unfair bulldozing. / believe in radi-
cal measures. A player who uses the language
attributed to some OF tho leading stars last sea-
bon should, In my estimation. BIO indefinitely
suspended-perhaps for life. II he increases
the magnitude of his offence by striking an
umpire or another player on tho fold. he should.
In my opinion, be put out OF the business. Tho
bigger the player to be so disciplined. the bet
Ger It will be for tho game. In those words
1ou can SEQ that I practically advocate Brush's
eo-called blacklist rule, although / suppose 1t
will DO modified. But Harris proposed rule
must be passed. The umpircs must BIO sus-
tainod and their power increased.
Hart strikes the keynote when he proposes to
Let umplres or the President of the League sus.
pend kickers for from one day to q week for
disputing decisions and for unruly conduct. ]
cannot, for the life Of me, see how any fair-mind-
ed club owner can object to that rule. or a sim
There is n big difference between rowdyism
and aggressiveness as THE Sun showed this
morning, and this rule. suggested by Hart, is
feel that their.teams will Acknowledgment fit is
70 make such a;ruIe, or any, rules, effective. the
umpires must be supported by the club owners.
Ready iSf to o. sign snp an agreement 4 in black and " White
TO the effect that the Brooklyn, Club will en-.
f S|sSsr sh to r oSes t Ss ad sna viii Ti snpe eo%P PSe a Hmr
pires at all hazards. Such an agreement should
be drawn up at the coming meeting at st. Louis
and each club owner should sign II. In that way
the public would readily see who wants clean.
fair baseball, and who does not. The League
will be compelled to take action of this sort, for
the respectable patrons Of the game demand It.
Such conditions must be made to exist that
Visiting teams will receive fair treatment from
home crowds. players. and club officials. and II
they ~ can W win on the en merits IneT the, they are r entitled
s one '9 fsv o1ne Clean la BAH r and Ge fhe en socFetl 10 a az o ense
prrd in BLACK and white as Hart proposes to do.
Dent has the Brookiyn' Clubs Hearty support,
and there.l be others BY the time we get to-
President Ebbets Of the Brooklyn Club an.
bounced yesterday that he had received the
e9isa 9 e9 Msnsiosd, Il aal Imam, sh hisadpIsa and ssSSs saf::
TafSao;se y yet to Dc sri heard h from si are GeG ri%P, a s ssaRs.
Grisham. Dunn. powd. Miller. Fisher. Lachance.
Dowd. the ex.Georeetcwn University SI pitcher fer' IS
2 puzzle, not SSnlyin his curves ~ YES. but:in his way Of
Srefessionssl P pitches for sc soma mas TIMER Dssn ana rsIf has as re =
Prom various minor clubs. But he has never
TIC Newport team Of tho New England League
last year, but before doing 20 he fell into a neat
accepting terms BY wire. Under tho national
agreement such action is regarded as binding,
oiaim on Dowd's services the claim was allowed
BY the National Board. In order to get free
40 did not Know this until:he asked the New.
port manager TO let him go, SO that he might
pitch for another club somewhere in New Eng
at will cost you just 500 for your release
paid the manager.
Abel Of the Brooklyn Club, who was at New.
RSomp pt 'A paid itn' 500 Ssa to the q New Newp ,oS'a manager srq
Tor the ex-collegian's release.
lyn can use him."
o. subsequently q BrookiyS contract was sent
Of letters and kilograms have alsosbeen sent to
him, all of which have brought no response.
Club and canno. play with any other team in
the country under the national Agreement. II
fessional teams he is. OF course, at liberty to do
20: Mccarthy. formerly of the Bostons. who
serve list and a Contract has been sent to him re-
Prot. L. NJ. Dennis of Cornell has again been
ball Rules COMMITTEES at the meeting here y
next Saturday. He has carefully considered
It is said, will make an entirely new suggestion
e the committee. He believes that the goal to
should be entirely Abolished. He says The play
Itself is uninteresting and under the system Of
sSGnias nli SS%saS fa TOO q t %ush as eon P ? bo with
will further propose that a new system of scor-
Ing shall he adopted by which a touchdown
will count five points, a goal from the field four /
points; and a safety touchdown two points. the
The fact that u goal following n touchdown. has
been discussed at other instltutions:will.. it:is be-
leved, cause some action to be taken by the
committee. The other day THE Sun showed
how many football men believe tho goal should
BIO kicked from n point directly in front OF the
posts, no matter on what part Of the goal line
p touchdown has been made. Prof. Dennis's
idea is in limo with that OF other experts who
believe that the kicking ot-Eoals after touch
00XnS does NOT raallf In N fatr fnEf % thn ,t.
tive strength of two teams. His proposition
TO make a touchdown more valuable than a
goal from tho field may create quite a discus.
aion. 1t cannot be donied, however, that 1t is
Q trif1e odd why u team, after fighting with
desperation for probably thirty minutes receives
only four points for crossing an opponents
full back kicks a goal from the field from
tho 30 yard line and scores FIVE points
with much less %oNertiOn than his rivals scored
four points. II has boon said that several nom
bers OF the committee are of tho opinion that
the goal from the field should be maintained
a. The most valuable play, inasmueh as 1t
qonbtedly u most scientific department in foot.