New-York tribune., 1901-05-05
BASEBALL CHANGES.
NEW REGULATIONS OF PLAY THAT
WOULD PUZZLE THE OLDTIME
ENTHUSIAST.
ENTHUSIAST.

1t would be puzzling experience for one of
the dved-in-the-wool baseball cranks'' of the
balcvon days of the eighties to go up to the
Polo Grounds this season and watch modern
game of baseball. The game has changed ma
terially since those popular days, and the for
mer enthusiast would find it no easy task TO
understand all of the plays now In vogue III
fact, it is rather puZzng even to those VINO
casually follow the game from year to year To
understand all of the more recent changes.
The rules that now govern foul balls, for in
stance are intricate. few years ago the Ma
tional League introduced law that made
foul tip a strike against the batter If 1t were
caught by the catcher while standing within
the lines of his position; that is, oh the bat
as old baseball players know it. This year the
rule makers have gone still further, and foul
hit which is not caught is also counted as
strike against the batter. unless there were al
ready two strikes against him when the play
was made and in that case the foul ball counts
as nothing unless it is caught before it touches
the ground. This proviso, making the foul ball
a strike at time and not at another, com
plicates the game that ii is more dliticult ior
the unnitiated spectator TO follow the play
Under old rules a base runner could never
advance, after a fair fly ball had been caught
until the pitcher had returned To his box with
the ball in his hands Now the runner Is al
lowed to leave his base the instant the ball has
been caught The result of this is that man
on third base often reaches home after long
fly has been caught in the outield. and some
times a runner manages to steal third from
second on such a play. Unless the fly was
caught in the extreme right field, however, the
throw third base is much shorter than to the
home plate, and it is difficult for him to steal
the base without being put out.
Another new rule that was put through not
many years ago requires the umpire To declare
a batter out if fly ball that ne has knocked
into the field is muffed Intentionally by the
fielder The reason for this that fielders
often failed to catch short fly balls when the
bases were filled. by letting the ball drop to
the ground the runners were all forced off their
bases and the fielder could pick it up and
make a double or perhaps a triple play
Th. old rule that permitted batter 10 take
first base. without Interference if he We're struck
by a pitched ball was modified this year. but,
owing to many complaints has practically been
restored
The tendency Of the changes in baseball rules
IN the last few years has been To make the
game go faster and to shorten the playing time
OlGtimers can remember when the pitcher was
allowed eight balls before the base on balls
penalty Was charged for his wildness of delivery,
nut now the pitcher is allowed only three bad
deliveries. the fourth bali allowing the batter
To go 10 first base without interference. With
the increase in pitching skill and the consequent
reduction Of batting the game has become much
shorter. and the average playing time IL
less than TWO hours old ''rooters" we'll rernen-
her when three hours Was hot considered long
for "A championship match.