Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-16


be learned by the men backing Amer
lean league teams before they have had
much experience. People lose interest
in baseball when rival leagues are at
war. That was the case in 1891, when
we had the Brotherhood, and it will
be so again.
Charley Nicho's the veteran twir,er,
talks as follows on the new rules in the
Kansas City Journal:
This rule about pitchers are being al
lowed to timber after batter has taken
his pace is al wrong. Just as soon as
the SIDE in the field is retired the next
man up at the bat will make sprint for
the batter's box and the pitcher won't
have chance to warm up at all. If he
throws to an outfielder it will be called
ball, and even if all nine fielders are not
in their places he will be prevented from
exercising, as there is a rule saying that
there will be no practice on the field
between innings. No matter how lively
a pitchers arm may be, he doesn't rest.
Under this new rule he will be obliged to
deliver one or two slow ones to the bat
ter before he cares to put them in fast,
and thus he may throw away two
chances to have strikes called I find
TO fault with the rule saying that ball
must be delivered within 20 seconds.
co not ask for any more time 1 am sat
sfed too, with haking foul balls called
st iles under some circumstances. 1t
makes it easier for the pitchers 1t will
ba hard on the catchars to make them
stand at the plate al the time. More
catchers will be needed. and they wal
have to play at intervals instead of one
man working several days in succession
~
It is not good .po,icy to make radical
changes in the paying rules of profess
sonal baseball. Such changes should be
made only after ma ture de!iberation OF
their consequences. The changes made
at the recent league meeting are not all
indorsed by players and there have been
many discussions as to whether they will
really hep the greatest of outdoor
sports. In fact. some of the changes
ALLOTTED appear to be steps backward.
Changing the rue governing the hitting
OF a batsman by the pitcher is one of
them. The fact that the batsman was
given a base on being hit with the ball
compelled the pitcher to be careful Now
that he is not to be penalized the chances
are hat many player will babe sore
ribs or a broken head before the season
is half over. 1t will be recalled that one
of the secrets of the success of Tim
keefe was the way he intimated the
batsmen by driving the bal! close into
them, and frequently hitting them. AS
soon as the batsmen We're driven from
the plate Keefe would speed them
straight over. OF course he could not in
timldate all the players, but unfortunate
ly all players have not the nerve that
characterized Kelly, Arson and some of
the other old timers. To declare every
foul strike is a lso a mistake. 1t was
al right, in order to suppress the tire
some bunting habit, to penaliZe the bats
man who purposely fouled the balls or,
but the proposed change goes trif1e too
far. and will be positive hardship on
such hltters as Delehanty f lex and
other batsmen of the sugger type 1t
! Is to be hoped that the American League
rules makers will pass up both these
changes, even if they were suggested by
Ned Han'on.
Those who We're duped by the leagues
promised support OF the proposed Amer
lean association are hardly to be pitiel.
AS maintained in these columns from the
very inception of the movement, there
never was a chance for it to play a game
| That was settled beyond all doubt when
| the owners of the Philadelphia Club in
| sisted on the price of their consent that
the new club should play on their
| grounds. Koch. who appeared to be the
| angel Of the outfit, is the only real sur
| ferer, however. He is stuck with five
| years lease of the Detroit grounds. Ar
| thur Irwin will easily come out whole on
| his Boston venture by renting his park
| for football and bicycle purposes. Wat
| k.ns is bound to catch on with Indian
apois in western organization. There
| was nothing doing in either Baltimore
| or Washington, although Bill Clark
came near" to sending one of the stars
he had in view 5000. Louisville will LAM
| all right. Quinn and Hevenor, of Mil
waukee, will lose the money they spent
in travelling around the country. but then
look what they gained in knowledge by
| coming in direct contact with some Of
the more astute magnates.-Cincinnati
Enquirer.