The sun., 1898-02-14
CURRENT SPORTING TALK.
PUBLIC DEMAND TO HITB MAO
MATES PUT ON RECORD.

Majority or national League Clubs In Faver o
Cleas BniI--somo Points for the Fubii'
About water Pota-seArs ana Mefrat Dis
cuss the Proposed RoetbHli Changes.
Two weeks from to-day the maRnates OF the
National League will assemble at st. Louis for
tho purpose OF holding their annual spring
schedule meeting. During their deliberations
the rowdy ball question will be considered and
the public will await action with interest.
Those who want to abolish all kicking and dis
order arc figuring on tho undivided support of
these clubs: Boston, Brooklyn, Philadelphia.
Cleveland. Chicago. Cincinnati, and probably
Bt. Louis. That makes q majority OF seven
clubs with Washington. Louisville. and Pitts.
burg to bo heard from. Baltimore and New
York are hanging back. Tho Pittsburg Club is
expected to fall In line. though, for President
Watkins has always been an advocate Of fair
play. II tho patrons OF the game in that
city can be educated to n spirit of
fair play, the club will doubtless bo re-.
lieved of n great deal of the blanc that has
been attached to tho officials for the treatment
Of visitors. The attitude OF Brush and the Gin
cinnati Club officials is to bo commended. Last
yoar many teams complained that they had
been unfairly treated at Cincinnati, and their
complaints were undoubtedly based upon facts.
Brush concluded to call n halt. and ho issued in
structions to his players and the patrons of the
game to refrain from conduct that might be
termed unsportsmanliko. Following this Brush
made the first official move against rowdyism
by introducing his proposed "blacklist" rule.
He says now that the Cincinnatis will play clean
ball and that visiting teams will bo treated with
squareness. Frank Robson, tho Cleveland
magnate, resortcd to heroic measures more than
o year ago to suppress his own players-Tebeau,
OConnor, Burkett Mexican and other kickers.
He realized that their behavior has greatly
injured the game in Cleveland, and in order to
restore its popularity he saw that the only
thing to be done was to compel his men to stop
all rowdyism. As n result. tho Clevelands
created very little trouble last season, and
Tebeau surprised the public by stating In an in
terview in THE SUN that the muc ch. abused UNI
pire staff was the best he had ever encountered.
Hart has not been compelled to change the
policy of the Chicago Club a great deal, for the
reason that the team has always tried to play
about the needed reforms he. as Chairman OF
the Rules Committee, will introduce a new rule
ut the coming meeting that must be officially
considered by the magnates, including those
who are in refractory mood. Ebbets and Abell
Sontrol a team h that has not been fagrant VIC
9n, admitted last year that he kicked to intimi.
date the nmpires, The Brooklyn officials are
strongly allied to Brush. Robson, and Hart, and
promise to be in the thick Of the fight when tho
point comes to an issue. A; J. Reach Of the
ton Club, two Of the Oldest baseball men in The The
stand by the aboyenemed reformers under all
While Reach and Soden do
pot belong TO the so-called Brush faction in
league politics. they realize that the salvation OF
fair play is permitted to rule In the future tho
Sport VIII degenerate into depl9rable state of
anpoR%ilaF%ty: in, % PresdeSt MuGkenfuss and Man.
be tho latest officials to join the No Kicking"
crusade. and the vote Of their club will give to
oonsdered enough By Hart and his h"S eoieaFues nes
who wish to put every club in the League on
record.
Tho outside public has no idea of the possibili.
lies OF water polo Asp as PLACED BY athletic club
pever seen game was guest at the Knicker-
booker A. 9. on Saturday night during the in
Invited him to see the water polo game. and
when he got downstairs into the tankroom this
Two hundred or more members and their
friends, completely surrounding four sides of
> big swimming tank filed with blush green
Of tho spectators had their coats Off and were
hopping the perspiration from their faces, as
The moment the referee, who stood on q plat.
lorm exactly in the middle of one side of the
tank, blew his whistle and threw q ru bber ball.
about the size of man head, into the water, tho
fun and excitement began. Both teams. which
had had h been m hanging on 70 tho goal posts at each
Tor the ball that bobbed up and down ON the
surface Of the water. A Knickerbocker swim.
EGs to and daasr ss Hnd ea hss ys
he 4 spectators until they were yelling like In
:" Give It to him, Reeder, old boy!" yelled tho
Knickerbocker contingent as Reeder encoun.
tered visiting swimmer.
Put him under the water and keep him
thereI cried another man who wore Boston,
emblem on the lapel of his coat.
Foul Foul T. yelled Reeder, as the Boston
Inln nm hfQ hnnlF hi
:. No foul I, reared the Boston crowd. Don't
Shortly afterward the Knickerbockers won,
md the crowd came out Of tho room cheering.
Every body's collar had wilted:
never seen water polo before. but it's great
J: Fl. Sears, an ex.member of the Football
Rules !, Ies Committee. said yesterday to reporter
"In my opinion few radical changes will be
made in tho rules this year. The COMMITTEES is
very conservative body. 1t takes a unani-
make any changes. 1 think that Mr. Dashiei,
the delegate at large. will have number of val.
long experience as an umpire at the big games
makes him Invaluable as a member of tho com.
nittee. for he knows perhaps better than any
body where the present rules are at fault"
Alexander Moffat, who is Pripceton's repre-
tentative on the committee. says that the prin-
The way they are worded. He further says that
on some points. as, for instance, the calling Of
shed, there is nothing to go by except precedent
Ind the individual Judgment of the officials
The exact points to be covered by the authority
Df each official. Moffat believes, should also DO
more plainly set forth. He shows that in tho
case OF "interfercnce in the centre II has been
I common mistake for the referee to penaIize for
The offence. whereas there is nothing in the rules
that authorizes this. The umpire, not the ref
1ree, should judge such cases of fouling. Moffat
contends that tho committee should take some
radical measures to abolish close formation
quarter back to run with tho ball. Moffat saws
Inc matter should bo carefully considered Ho
e not IN favor OF changing the system of scor.
should continue to be tho most valuable play to
Whist.
The second round of the intercity tournament
was played at the Knickerbocker Whist Club