The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-08
SPORTING L
.NlGNlTES ARE sTIII TRYING TO
DODGE TEE ROWDY BALL ISSUE.

DnsH HWtng says the Cincinuah C1ub Has
usen 1etsesgthsnea-aeai ktekinG may Ne
R.seurarea ~ the Ruies Ceusnittoe-Wn
Dsve Sullivan Succeed chaIpien Dtzen
Ono or two baseball maenates, who favor
Hiokinr, arc thought to DO lodging behind O
teohnioal term In tho rule which prohibits
players from disputine decisions. The rule
says that only the captain can dispute q point
and that Il must be q legal misinterpretation"
of the rules. For this reason 1t IL surmised that
these magnates believe the words legal mic.
INTERPRETATION" will bear stretching, especially
when they adopt such far-fetched arguments
e. that. When an umpire calls o strike and
the ball does not 60 exactly over q portion of
the plate, between the knee and the shoulder of
the batsmen, he 10 guilty of "misintorproting
the rule and the captain, therefore, has a
legal right to wrangle with the judge OF play.
II IN q matter Of record that o certain club
owner said last fall that an umpire 'is interpret
Cd the rules when he called q base runner out at
second base on n close decision; ''for." the mag.
agnate argued, ''the baserunner wasn't touched
with the ball until after he Ind reached the
bag safely, and was therefore not out accord
ing TO the rule" Drawing the line as finely as
this will surprise old baseball men like Sodcn.
Reach, Spalding. Mills and others. who wcro
instrumental in having tho rules no drafted that
the umpire could DO the sole judge of play"
BY q 'misinterpretation OF tho rules they
meant that It should merely involve a techni-
cality In the code, such as declaring forfetts
and other points OF u similar nature. which could
legally be protested. In spite OF all such alb
surd arguments, however. the magnates can
not lose sight OF the fact, fair-minded persons
say, that umpircs never reverse their deci-
nions, and that written protests against .tochni-
cal rulings filed with the Leagues Board of
Directors arc generally turned down. The
magnates. at the st. Louis meeting, must
either change the rules TO permit kicking, IL
they wish II, or enforce the present code by
punishinR their players IL the latter do not
respect the umplres. who, while on the field,
are official representatives Of the National
League and not saepegoats for rowdy ball play.
ers and unfair spectators.
Ansor's straightforwardness In refusing the
offer Of o big testimonial suggested by his old
friend, A. G.. spalding, has increased the veter-
ans legion OF friends. 1t 10 simply character.
iSt,O Of a,t the man; though o u b for "Ans e, has has a aNySG
week week and 10 feels shs. i i would Be- Imposing o.
me- nothing" Anson Is quoted as saying. ii
S Ian 's true sA but p ako n pabiic is indo St Sf to the Is PEI! PED
man for his Integrity and his untiring efforts
e kSsR a the r1 nSsiSnn a,S gsr'e Dr fsSe from the sn eytis
S!noo the. official announcement by the Chicago
Club Of the veteran captains release, the latter
isisnd is0s Mns dd Riisnty .L al t sSy%P viii never 1T1% en ess
the Chicago grounds again. This assertion has
~ioDo;ono Of their favorites. but when the gong
SStnss for the season to 6sgiS they ar generally lyy
" as manager OF screral:Lcague teams. for no.
body knows tho Rame better and few enjoy the
respect OF the profession moro than he docs.
-
n, AsSS 90 saiaE to- to The he R Ws,, 5GStS sn.,,, ralSs ara ann2
kicking from the field Is not encouraged. The
perte, who believe that this branch Q! the sport
o set forth'by some college inern hereabouts that
s sssIn.s hsS4.l lssi H tsll by Of R sho YRnai. q. s eSlns'l
University Of Pennsylvania md Baird of
Princeton against various teams. is n feat that
10 entitled to more reward than my other play
made. The additional fact is alluded to that
goal trials Of this kind are SO seldom successful
when the ball does fy across tho GOAL posts. 70
r xSs,ssr tie = I, reward ! ARD for fIct = Gssl from ON The field fs1d;
Ave SHsi points. 70 a q d hgare e'i fcss of Gan tSSt Ss:r ,Eo@
from q touchdown Is therefore regarded as a big
mistake, and the Rules Committee. On Feb.
while there Is no chance for the Value Of a
sidered:enough now. it is quite-possiblo that the
'sommtttee VII openly advocate tho play, BY
suRReslng INFORMALLY that all schools, uni.
good drop-kickors. Tho committee is expected
70 DO soinethipg of this sort; for tho members
alumni Of tho. big institutions are In. favor OF
sha kicking game both pnn!ing and dropping.
creating. considerable discussion. Already
two Of the ORIGINAL Members, Sears Of Harvard
AnS N Mannn Of Of Pr hros lin have rssn been rep replaced sslu 5y
ths otSss soIle sss, WI, ;aG 20. waiter :" Camp M % Siil
Cornell and tho University, Of r Pennssivania
have yet 70 be heard from, although I; N; Den
have represented these universities in the past.
Paul Dashiel Of the United States Naval Acad.
s S%Si Gas Of I sfH %os SbI E" To o asten mep PSs ms Of ,ae
1t is hoped, because of his practical expert
ence with the rules rs umpire in all Of tho big
Buck Ewing thinks that the Cincinnati base
seasons tho Cincinnatis have been close to the
then. siumped. chiefly, because their pitchers
could not STAND the strain and their batsmen
ise iSSwa siS oa e. e. s ssSeaul su shds hi last SsI iali f' Sow
legs to the front Until Until the iHs w shiSsfi Is reached ae 6 DIS Fec He
now declares that no will stand pat. Cincin.
natl will have a remarkably strong corps of
and Goar. These men viii more than excel
kRhines, Ehret. and Dammon,. who pitched for
ttne Team u year ago ana nave since been
traded.
Bteitenstein was the leading lefthander in
the League last. year. and Hawiey is expected
to bitch faater ball than no ever did at Pitts
burg. Dryers ability is we'll known. and Hill.
the lefthhhder secured from Louisville. is
thouRht 10 be O. conner. Goar. in the estima-
ton Of good Judges. will prove competent
enopghto pitch regularly. He was with Pitts
burg q few years ago, but was released without
getting much chance to show his ability. In
Peitr and Vaughn Cincinnati has a pair OF ino
catchers. The former led the League last year
and IN nna nl this afFnnDaaf fhFnxrsRa ~ tha noun
try, Beckiey, MoPhee, Corcoran and Irwin
win cover the inield again. :and they make a
field win be much more formidable than when
" was composed, of Eddie Burke. Hoy and NIL
lor. for he Intends to play Mcbride and Mcknr-
land. two heavy hltters from tho Western
League, out there: Elmer Smith, recently with
Pittsburg, will all Hoy's place in centre field.
Miller will BIO compelled to show an improve.
ment IN his general Play In order to gel back
20 say nothing of pitching, he Cincinnatis,
therefore. appear to have been strengthened.
In the estimation of many sporting mon