The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-25

dience.
President A. j. Reach, of the Phila-
delphia Ball club, has given out the
report which the rules committee of the
National league has forwarded to Pres
ident n. r.. Young. The committee
consists of James a. Hart, of Chica-
go. A. j. Reach, of Philadelphia, and
Ned Hanlon, of Baltimore, and the re-
port will be acted upon at a meeting
of the league next Monday. Consider
able discussion will result, as Mr.. Han
lon has not signed the report and has
announced his intention of making a
minority report.
The majority of the changes recom-
mended in the playing rules are simply
To make their reading more clear.
TO Rule i6. section 6, 1t is recommend
ed that the following be added; AN
illegal delivery of the ball is made,
if the pitchers pivot foot be not in
contact with the rubber plate at the
time of the delivery of the ball or if
he takes more than one step in deliv-
cry; or if. after feigning to throw to a
base he fails to pause momentarily
before delivering the ball to the bat"
The following are the proposed rules
their respective duties:
Rule A-Wher two umpircs are as
signed to duty each shall serve in his
regularly appointed position and dis
charge the duties of the same as rro-
vided for by these code of rules.
Rule 57-No umpire shall be changed
during the progress of u championship
game, except by reason of personal ILL
ness or injury incapacitating him for the
discharge of his duties.
THE TWO UMPIRES.
Rule 56--When two umpires are as
signed one shall be known as the Ref
cree Umpire" and the other as the AS
sistant Umpire" The formers regular
position in the game shall he behind that
of the batsman; and the latter's position
in the field near either first, second or
third bases, and the umpires shall not
exchange duties during the progress OF
game, except by consent of the captains
or the opposing teams.
Rule 51-The especial duties of the ref
cree umpire shall be to call balls and
strikes and to decide foul balls. Those
OF the assistant umpire shall be to decide
all points of play in running the bases
except the home base, which the referee
shall alone decide.
Rule 5S-The referee umpire shall act ds
the government representative Of the
league and as such shall have the power
to enforce every section OF the code OF
playing rules of the game and he snail
have the power to order any player or
captain or club manager, to do or to omit
to do any action that he may deem nec-
| essary to give force or effect to the laws
of the game.
Rule 59-There shall be no appeal for
any legal decision of either the referee
umpire or the assistant umpire.
Rule G0-Under no circumstances snail
lf.sV.t al
ion by either umpire, in which only an err
ror of Judgment is involved; and no de-
cision rendered by either umpire shall be
reversed, except it be plainly shown by
the code of rules to have been illegal;
and in such case the captain alone snail
be allowed to make the appeal for re-
Versal.
Rule 6l-In all cases of violation of
these rules, either by "A player or u man
ager the penalty shall be prompt re-
moval of the offender from the grounds,
followed by such period of suspension
from actual service in the club, as the
umpire or the president of the league may
elect.
Rule 62-Before the commencement of a
game the referee umpire shall see that
the rules governing AL the materials of
the game are strictly observed. lie shall
ask the captain of the home club wheth-
er there are any special. rules to be en-
forced and if there are. he shall see that
they are duly enforced, provided they do
not conflict with any of these rules.
Rule G3-The referee umpire shall not
only call play" at the hour appointed
for the beginning of the game, but also
announce game called" at it's legal con-
clusion,
WHEN TO SUSPEND PLAY.
Rule G4-The referee umpire shall sus-
pend play for the following causes:
| tn, il foil h.l lNvilN IN,
oblige the spectators to seek shelter; in
! which case he shall note the time OF sus-
pension; and, should rain fall continu-
ously for thirty minutes thereafter, he
shall terminate the game.
Rule 65-The referee umpire shall sus-
pend play in case of an accident to him
self or to the assistant umpire, or to Il
player which incapacitates him or them
from service in the field, or in order to
remove from the grounds any player or
spectator who has violated the rules.
Rule 66-In suspending play from any
| legal cause, the referee umpire shall call
time" when he calls time" the play
shall be suspended until he calls play"
again, and during the interim no player
shall be put out, base be run, or run pe
scored. "1ime" shall not be called by
the umpire until the ball is held by the
pitcher standing in his position.
Rule 67-The referee umpire shall call
and count as a bali any unfair ball de-
| lvered by the pitcher to the batsman but
not before such ball has passed the line
of the home base, He shall also call and
count as a strike" every fairly delivered
ball which passe over any portion of the
home base, and within the batsmans
| legal range as defined in Rule 13, which is
not struck at by the batsman, or a foul
| tip which is caught by the catcher stand
! ing close up behind the batsman, or
which after being struck at and not hit,
strikes the person OF the batsman; or
when the ball is purposely hit foul by the
batsman, or when the ball is bunted foul
| by the batsman.
Rule 6S-If but one umpire is assigned.
| his duties and powers shall be that Of
| both the referee umpire and the assistant