The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-11
TALK ABOUT BALL RULES
BAN JOHNSON DISCUSSES RADICAL
CHANGES IN PRESENT SYS-
TEN USED
HE WANTS BUNTING BARRED
Sacrifice Hits, Too, Declared ObsO-
Iete-NatiOnaI League Laws
Said to BE BacI-
Numbers.

CHICAGO, Nov. 10.-Indications point
to many radical changes in the methods
employed IN running a baseball league
during the coming season. caused primar-
lily by the expansion of the American
league. With the stride forward of this
organization from secondary to a ma
donal league, rules that heretofore have
governed the game, because the National
league controlled every thing, will be
abolished and new ones, more in keeping
with the progressive spirit of the Ameri-
can league, adopted.
President Johnson and the circuit COM
mittee of the American league are now
In the East studying the situation as it
there exists before taking in the three
new cities that will place that organiza-
ton on a. paritay with the National
league. When this committee returns
meeting of the league magnates will be
called to decide definitely what Western
cities shall be dropped to make room for
the three newcomers. The league will
be reorganized on this basis officers
elected and other minor business will be
transacted that may present itself for
consideration
This is not to be the last meeting,
however. of the league magnates, for the
purpose Of considering matters pertaining
to the expansion of the circuit Another
conference is contemplated with the idea
OIL QTGdRlIE away from the rules ana
regulations laid down by the National
league governing the game and substj-
tuting others more in accordance with
the idea of these men. Indeed, breaking
away from all National league restraint
is one of the provisions under which Nc
Graw and Robinson consent to join tIns
league and head the Baltimore club.
Just what these alterations in the gov
erning rules will be cannot be foretoid
with Snhie0f &c in q
chaotic state, even among the magnates
AS yet they have formed no definite con-
illusions on just what they can agree
upon, though the matter has been
brought before them frequently and is
agitated every time they get together.
President Harris theory that the prac-
tice Of foul tips should be done away
with meets favor in the eyes of many
of the American leaguers. In addition
to this, some OF them are anxious to see
the game further changed by making a
rule against sacrifice hits and bunting.
Another rule, believed to be obsolete, so
far as this league is concerned, is that of
giving a base to the batter when hit Dy
a pitched ball. This rule was put in by
the National league because several
pitchers got to throwing too close to the
batter, often hitting him, and thus un-
necessarily prolonging the game at crid-
cal moments. To obViate this, the rule
was passed giving the batsman base
when hit by pitched ball. but now, ac-
cording to the American league officials.
the batter has made the rule work to the
harm of baseball by attempting to get
hit, thus often robbing the game OF many
brilliant fielding exhibitions.
81 believe many of the rules that gov
ern baseball today are useless, said
President Ban b. johnson, just before
leaving for the East yesterday. For
instance, bunting and sacrifice hits spoil
the game They rob it of its most sea,
sadonal fea ture-good base running. A
man gets on first and stays there. lie
makes no effort to advance himself Il
base by his own ability, but stands idly
waiting for the next man up TO sacrifice
or bunt and thus gets his base.
This kind of play has injured the
game. We don't see any such base rum
ming now as we did ten years ago, when
WEIGH, Comiskey and Arlie Latham Were
in their prime. / watched every game
carefully that was played on the south
side grounds, and / saw a good many
of the National league games, too, but
not once did l see a sign of really clever
brought every spectator to his feet with
cheer. Kelly of Brooklyn and Hamil
ton OF Boston are about the last of the
old guard that know how to do the act,
and even they are getting out of prac-
tiee, owing TO this system of sacrificing
and bunting.
THE American league cannot afford to
follow rules that hamper the game and