The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-04
AGAINST RoWDY BASEBALL.
BOARD or DIsCIPLINE ANXIOUS TO
GET INCREASED POWER.

Break tho Rules Tried By This board
Secret Agents In Each City To Repor
OIenders-whnt Secretary Kramer Says
On next Saturday and Sunday the maRnatei
OF the National League OF Professional Base
ball Clubs are expected 10 drop Into town fol
the purpose OF holding the annual fall bust
ness meeting at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Al
TIL Sun has already outlined. the rowdy bal
problem bids fair to occupy most Of theil
time. and. according to indications. they will
be com PEELED to take some action to satisfy the
clamor OF the public. Having already taken
steps TO suppress obscenity aud kicking on the
field, although they did not live up to the rules
themselves, the maRnates. IL would seem. can.
not afford to throw up their hands by ~ceasinR
the crusade begun with such apparent sin
cerity at st. Loui last March. John T.. Brush,
President of the Cincinnati Club. who is the
pioneer reformer...ha has several plans to bring
to the notice OF the magnates.
some OF Brush's enemies have seen ut 10
raise a howl against his resolution aimed at
obscenity ON the ball field. and are now busily
engaged in predicting that IL will DO repealed.
But Brush's most intimate friends laugh at
these statements. and say that he will not only
insist upon having his resolution readopted,
but will also amend IL In such away that evil
doors next season will not escape so easily as
In tho past AS an adjunct to the resolution.
q Board OF Discipline. composed OF three nom
partisans. was appointed to try all cases that
might be brought before 1t. The board is still
In existence. and is made up OF Frederick X.
stearns Of Detroit. l.. q. Krauthoff Of Kansas
City and Louis Kramer Of Cincinnati. Not a
case was tried by this board. for the reason
that the umpires were afraid to make charges
against certain players, whose employers
backed them up, With this in view. the mem
tion to the National Board of Arbitration.
somposed Of Messrs. Brush, Hart. RobIson.
more power. and making various suggestions
Ia that line. which have been under considera-
Unless all signs fail. therefore. 1t is prob
able that Brush and other reformers will sug-
gest to the League at the coming meeting
that all cases involving players who use OBJ
scene language. indulge in fights among them.
selves; or with, umpires and spectators. and
Kicking, shall be tried by the Board OF Disci-
pine; also that players who insult, by actions
or Who are unjustIY fined or suspended by
their employers. shall have n iair trial at the
hands Of the board. 1t Is also probable that a
twelve secret agents, one in each city Of the
League. whose duty 1t shall be to report to the
way and umpires who iail TO punish them or
bring CHARGES. In this way it IS thought that
rules. more through fear than anything else
BY giving to the Board of Discipline arbi-
trary power. the League would. be compelled
" iNAC" no iNSu ~ " bilC btultlly
itself In the eyes OF. the public. Those who
believe this plan will work successfully say
Their opportunity to make such ~farrical rulings
as we're brought out by the Holmes. Rusie.
s so be aeGsp thS s1 B9srd ioF oi al b &. fnfh ma i r. a Tiil
common talk that the latter should receive
additional power to discipline club owners
who violate the agreement to prohibit kick:
ing. Louis Kramer. secretary OF the Board of
Discipline. Is qGoted as commenting on the
There is no doubt that baseball is drift
ing IN the wrong direction. and heroic
measures must be resorted e In order to nut
1t amounts to nothing, unless the League sees
IT TO enlarge our Ioyers by making US more
which We have held since we were appointed
In 81. Louis we framed rules to, govern our
dent Brush's resolution. and at the same time
we gave to any player that might come before
US every opportunity TO prove his innocence.
because we were .comneiied to wait for cases
TO be brought before US, and our power was
ii believe that the Board of Discipline
should receive the power that are vested in
rHe rs" Tor any n offence e' III itStS three ,1 ee cnsss
handled by tho Board OF Directors. those of
l!usie. Tebeau and Holmes. made that board
the laughing stock OF the country. and demon
strated that a PLAYER did not receive an even
chance. in any controversy with the magnates.
er. the League. to look into the many cases OF
disorder on the, field. assaults on umpires.
hGnIS. DetWeell buyers, KICKING ana rOWCylSm
cries for a remedy.
A this could be done.away with. the game
Maud Wo 1srs be @o plIaice rac on a higher higher Plane an R and the ns
Discipline were to receive power TO take these
cases in hand. investigate them. fix penalties
and spare nobody, yet give justice to all alike.
In order to carry out the plan 80 that Gull
prits could not escape. | would suggest that
twelve men should he engaged by the Board
OF Discipline, each to REPRESENT one OF the
twelve League cities. Their identity should
should he IN FnnnFf fn fhn hnaT 1 or fine prpof-
dent Of the League any failure on the part OF
the umpires to enforce the rules or the PLAYERS
to obey them. In. that way several cases
would probably be brought to the attention OF
the board, and the players could be made to
understand that the rules mean something.
If the League does not take some such action
as this. the game will go 70 the dogs"
The MEMBERS of the Board Of Discipline
further declare that If their power Is not in
creased they will resign in a body.