The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-13
DISCUSS new RULES
BASEBALL KINGS NOT SATISFIED
WITH RESULT OF BUFFALO
CONFERENCE
JOHNSON FOR HICKEY LEAGUE
Insists That American Association
Representatives Had Right to
Vote With Others-AIanager
Griffith Is Outspoken.

CHICAGO, Feb. 1.-THE result Of the
Buffalo conference of baseball rulemak-
ers was the chief topic Of discussion
at local baseball headquarters yester-
day, and the general opinion seemed to
be that the committee had made a mis-
take in adopting so complicated an af-
lair as the new rule regarding the foul
strike'-that it would have been better
to adopt either the National league
rule or the American league rule of last
season instead OF the hybrid affair,
which will only tend to confuse the
public and give the umpire more lines
to watch and more chances to have his
judgment questioned instead of less.
The garbled reports of the meeting
sent out from Buffalo were so conflict
ing and indefinite, however, that there
was disposition to await the official
report of the affair before passing final
judgment upon it. This was the stand
taken by President Johnson. He said:
L prefer to wait for Chairman Kill
foyHs report of the meeting before dis
cuSSlng the rules suggested. From the
reports SO far published / am unable to
understand just what was done If the
committees declined to give the Ameri-
can association representatives vote in
the matter, as reported, they made a
serious mistake, and I wired Kilfoyl to
that effect this morning There was no
more justice in declining to give them
voice in the matter than there would
have been in shutting out the other
minor leagues or representative of the
freedman faction, if one had been sent
That conference was in the interest of
baseball, and not in the interests of any
league or collection of leagues. Shutting
out the American association was sim
ply shrewd move on the part of Pow
ers III his hight against HickeS''
PRESIDENT Comiskey of the White
Stockings was also inclined to keen
silence. He thought the rules in force
III the American league last year were
$500 enough but was open to convic-
tlon To the contrary. He did not say
however, that it was wrong to make
compulsory for the catcher to stay
cIose behind the bat all the time.
mat IS all right he said, Sin the
American or National league, where
there are always two good catchers to
alternate, but i'll the minor leagues
Where one catcher is depended on to do
most of the work for the season. it is
a hardship. 1t will entail greater ex9
penditure for catchers'
Manager Griffith was more outspoken
ana, although pitcher himself and
therefore likely to profit by the rule that
calls fouls strikes, he was opposed to the
compromise rule suggested. He summed
ms views up as follows:
It's about time these theorists, who
look at baseball from the bench and Law
out their rules by geometry and a lot
oI imaginary lines, took back seat and
ieIt the making of rules to practical
baseball players. Pretty soon we will
nave the whole field laid out in squares
ana pail striking in a particular
square will count so much for or against
batter, just as it does in this game
i tnat they call indoor golf-isn't that
Omplres Cantillon and Sheridan ex-
pressed comment on the alterations in
the rules and said the changes were any
thing but good.