The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-14
NOT FOR B. JOHNSON
REFUSES TO ACCEPT
NEW RULES
DID NOT EXPECT BLUNDERs
Ban Wants Universal Code, but Is
Opposed to Any Radical Change
Hickey Feels the
Same Way.

CHICAGO, Feb. 13.-Several new and
important angles in baseball politics
have developed since the famous con-
ference of the rulemakers at Buffalo adj
journed on Tuesday morning. To begin
with, President Ban Johnson Of the
American league, after consulting with
Umpire Jack Sheridan and President
Hickey of the American association, yes
terday authorized the announcement that
the American league will not accept the
new rules framed up at the Buffalo
meeting. This means the complete col
lapse of A G. Spalding's plan of formu-
lating a universal code of rules under
which the games in all leagues, both pro
feSsiOnal and amateur, were to be
played.
1t is safe to predict that Hickey Will
follow JohnsOn's lead and several other
minor leagues are likely to follow suit.
Although Johnson would not commit
himself on the subject, the chances are
more than even that at the spring meet
ing to be held in Detroit on March the
American league will decide to play all
championship games during the coming
season under the playing rules in vogue
in 1890 The return to the old rules dem
onstrates that Mr.. Johnson is the first
of the leading men in baseball to realize
the folly of the constant tinkering with
the playing rules. The rules of 1890 were
not nearly as complicated as the existing
code. and they possessed the merit of
simplicity and enabled ball players of
class and ability to give gilt-edged eX-
hibitiOns
Johnson has maintained from the very
first that he was opposed to any radical
change in the rules and his only motive
in accepting Spalding's proposition which
resulted in the recent conference at Buff
falO was his desire to see a universal
e
delegates to the aforesaid conference in
tended to make the radical blunders that
they did make, and directly he recovered
from the first shock after reading the
new-fangled amendments framed I'D in
Buffalo he promptly repudiated the en-
IRE scheme JohnsOn's prompt action
sFlll do much to clear the rather elouded
situation, although there-is no doubt but
what he will come in for some rather
harsh criticism from the Spalding faction
In the National league Be this as it
may it is fact that Johnson's repudia-
ZION OF the new rules will meet with the
approval of both press and public
1t also developed yesterday, according
TO President Hickey, who attended the
Buffalo meeting, that the new foul strike
rule was engineered by President Hart
OF the Chicago National league club. and
that the latter, with the aid of Pat Pow
ers OF the Eastern league, managed to
get It adopted by a close vote and in
spite Of the determined opposition of
several Of the delegates to the meeting.
After johnson had listened to Hickey's
story, who, by the way, made straight
Tor the formers office the moment he
arrived from Buffalo, he sent for I'M
pre- Jack Sheridan. A long conference
IoIowed- Sheridan showed Johnson how
cumbersome and impracticable the new
iuies were and how badly they would
handicap the umpire. Then and there
Johnson decided to wash his hands of
the whole matter and pass up the report
or the Buffalo conference for al time
livery member of the local basebau
colony is opposed to the new "fonl
strlke' rule adopted in the compromise
d: al 6uHaIo- President Comiskey ridicuIes
II; Manager Griffith says 1t has sInnIv
ADDED to the complication Of the National
league rule, and Umpires Sheridanh and
oahulion unite in saying that there were
ALREADY enough lines-ima ginarv and
otherWise-about the diamond without
giving the umpire another one TO watch