Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-02-28
Observation-Disclosures
Sporting. !
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
UP BEHIND TIT BAT.
Several Important New Playing
Rules Adopted by the sationa

Rules Adopted by the National
League
NEW YORK, February 27.-The Ma
tional League base ball magnates met
again this afternoon at the Fifth Ave-
nue. hotel. At the close it was annouHc-
ed that the report of the committee On
rules and constitution has been under
discussion. A rule was adopted which
does away with the Intentional foul
ing off, of pitched balls by a batsman.
The first and second foul balls hit by
the batsman unless two strikes have
already been called against him, shall
~henceaorth be counted as strikes.
Rule No. 8 defining the position OF
the catcher5' lines vas altered so that
the catcher will have to stand within
ten feet instead of ninety feet Of the
plate. This places the catcher up be-
hind the bat" throughout the game.
A rule making the pitcher deliver the
ball to the batsman as soon as the lat
ter takes his position at the plate was
adopted. Should the pitcher deliver
the ball to any other place than the
plate a ball will be called for each de-
livery. A rule was passed which n
allied ore ball against the pitcher il
he fail to deliver the ball to the bats
man within twenty seconds after the
latter has taken his position. A rule
was passed empowering the umpire to
remove from the game, and if need be
from the grounds any player guilty of
using improper language to another
player. captain, manager or spectators.
Written proof of the offense must be
submitted to the president of the leaeue
within "a hours, who may, if the proof
be satisfactory, suspend the officer from
play.
President Freedman, of the Now
YORK club, wanted power given to the
managers Of teams to remove the Of
1ending player, but his suggestion was
not adopted.
patsman may not henecfortb
take his base if hit by a pitched hal,
but the ball will count as a hall aga;nSt
the pitcher. Several rules con6ictino
with the changes named were stricken
out or changed to conform to the al
terations.
At the even1ng-session the magnates
summoned President Charles Power
and w. II. Watkins, of the American as
ISOLATION. The American association
men practically yielded up the ghost
early in the afternoon. Before night
most Of the members had left for home.
No Official announcement was made. but
predictions were made by many men
posted on such affairs that the Ameri-
can association would not begin the
season.
Bill" Clarke, the Boston catcher.
who was to have had charge of the
Baltimore CLUB in the association, said
ne was out for good, and left for Bal
timore early. He said the association
had died before it was really born.
President Charles Power was the last
to give up. He waited all day, hoping
to get a hearing from the magnates
for his organization. Members of the
association bitterly accused the mag
mates of falling to keep promises to
give financial aid to their association,
and thus causing its demise. The
League was said to have promised to
finance the association in at leasxi
three cities of its circuit, and lack of
funds was the cause conceded for the
associations death.
". II. Watkins, of indianapolis, Is
said to have So, 600 tied up in the club
he was to put into his city. 1t was IN
derstood that John T. Brush was his
hacker.
President Young to-day announced
that the league had granted all the
players demands. The players have
agreed to sign league contracts under
pain of suspension. The suspension,
however, sis only operative until the
players organization can meet as a
body and act on the matter. AS a
matter Of fact, the agreement sign
ed BY President thinner amounts to