The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-20
SPORTING NEWS.
Baseball Rules May Be Uniform
This Season.
Committees Appointed From
Two Big Leagues.
HAVE A JOINT MEETING
President johnson Not to In
wade National Territory.
American Not to Enter Gotham
OR Pittsburg.

Chicago, Jan. 20.-An baseball games
during the season of 1902 will be played
under the same old code of rules.
There will be no more trouble arising
from the different codes used by the
American and National leagues, and it
is more than probable that the rule con-
corning the foul strike will be cut out
altogether.
The American league will not invade
New York and Pittsburg this year, be-
ing content to play out the season
with it's present circuit unchanged.
This announcer emit will settle definitely
the repeated rumors of the invasion of
New York and the lifting of Barney
Dreyfus' Pittsburg champions from the
National to the American league.
These were the two points of great
Importance in baseball agreed upon by
President Johnson of the, American
league and A. G. Spalding president
of one faction of the warning National
1eaguers,. al their conference in Chi
cago today at the Auditorium hotel.
The rules committee of each league
will meet at Buffalo and draft set of
rules which will be acceptable to both.
President P T. Powers, president of the
National Association of Baseball
lGdSu Will pG dShcQ u CO-OPOI
with them.
The men who form the rules commit
tee of the National league are Messrs>
Reach, Hart and Hanlon. The rules
committee of the American consists of
date set is February 10, and although
there are a few things to be arranged
yet before the details for the meeting
are CON plete no hitch is expected.
The nnF0n1itfAR the American
league will be instructed before it
goes to Buffalo This much was said
by Mr.. Johnson today: Are you in
favor of the foul strike rule?' was asked
him. His reply was, mo, sir
1t was Mr.. Spalding and not Mr..
johnson who asked that committees be
sent to Buffalo, and SO it is more than
likely that Mr.. Spaiding's men will
declare they want.
I'VE do not want the foul strike,''
said Mr.. Johnson. Our umpires are
told if they consider that a batter is
strikes on him. Our umpires do away
with all unnecessary fouling, and there
is no reason why, other umpires cannot
do the same thing
The cornmittea will report at the reg
ular spring schedule meeting, which is
to be held at Detroit, March 5.
According to Mr.. Spalding, President
Johnson promised that no National
league territory will be invaded by the
American league this year. MIR. Spald-
ing's statement concerning this point
was as follows: MIR. johnson stated
that the American league circuit is
made up for the ensuing year, and that
there will be no change in it in any
way
Mr. Johnson, after the conference,
would not deny that he had made such
an assertion.
This does away with the stories con-
corning the probability of the American
league going into Pittsburg and New
York. Mr.. Johnson has said time and
again that these towns would not be
invaded.
To give more weight to svch an I'M
Outstanding between johnson and
Spalding Dreyfus came in and had a
ong conference with Mr.. Spalding in
the afternoon. At this meeting Mr.
Dreyfus announced to Mr.. Spalding that
ne thoroughly approved of the course
ne had taken to date in conducting the
baseball controversy, and expressed the
Utmost confidence in the ultimate out
come of the ENHANCEMENT He stated
that should it be impossible for Bos-
ION, New York, Cincinnati and ST. Louis
20 be whipped into line he would play in
1 fOur-club circuit