The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-15
ONLY A MAKESHIFT
HART NOT SATISFIED WITH HIS
COMPROMISE FOUL STRIKE
RULE
ANOTHER MEETING PROMISED
SpaIding's Western Agent Believes
the New Measure should Be
Tried-American AsSocia-
ton Not Barred.

CHICAGO, Feb 14-President James
4. Hart, of the Chicago National league
team, admitted yesterday that the foul
strike rule, adopted at the recent con-
ference of baseball men in Buffalo is far
from being fiawless. Right on the heels
OF the admission Hart made the remark
able statement that he believed that be-
lore the coming playing season was a
month old the various club owners would
reject this latest bit of legislation and
play out the season under the old foul
strike rule which> prevailed in the Ma
uonal league last year
In brief, Mr.. Hart, with refreshing
trankness, acknowledged that he pushed
through a bad rule in order to keep his
favorite foul strike on the baseball stat
ute book. Mr.. Hart returned from Buff
falo yesterday. and cheerfully discussed
the events and incidents of the confer
ence that failed" After enthuSing over
the peace and harmony which prevailed
at the meeting of the joint-rule committee
from the various leagues he got down
to the essence of the matter and talked
about the new ''foul-strike" rule Among
other things, he said:
Although 1 went into the meeting a
strong advocate of the foul-Strike' rule
used by the National league last year,
soon found that l was in minority I then
suggested that we figure on some sort
OIL compromise. as | realized that if
code of rules 1t would prove difficult to
ever get it back again. After debating
the issue for a long time I offered as a
suggestion that We draw lines from first
and third bases, as leta-4ed in the rule
as finally adopted.
The suggestion appeared to satisfy
everybody present, and the amended rule
was passed by unanimous vote Per-
sonally, don't think that the new foul
lines will cut much of a figure and [
believe that before the season is a month
ola the various leagues will do away
with them and play under the old foul
strike rule However. it was the only
way to save the foul strike and although
Know that compromise rules seldom
prove satisfactory, | voted for it. hoping
Chat it would soon demonstrate the great
Value of the foul strike as Interpreted by
the National league umpires last year.
There is no truth in the report that
the American association was frozen out
OF the conference. Hickey Quinn and
Watkins. and, in fact, all baseball men,
Were invited into the council chamber
ana had the privilege of expressing their
opinions and offering suggestions. There
was no baseball politics talked at the
conference, and l for one believe that the
meeting will work for the good of the
game"
When asked if he believed that tse va
rious leagues at their coming spring
meetings would consider and adopt the
new rules formulated at the Buffalo con
ference. Mr.. Hart SAID:
We'll, the National Association of
MINOR Leagues went on record several
GAYS ago as saying that it would in
dorse all changes made in the rules at
the Buffalo conference. AS regards the
american league, I can only saw that
president Kilfoyl, of the Cleveland club.
VINO acted as chairman of our meeting at
buHaio told me that that league would
accept the revised code Of playing rules -
Nhen the foregoing statement was re-
peated to President Ban Johnson, of the
Al.erican league, he simply said:
The American league will not accent
3ndorse nor play under the rules as
framed up at the Buffalo conference. all
reports to the contrary Notwithstanding -
slO q UA,,o 6iy1o
any open criticism on-the work of XII
1oyIe. Mack and DWyer, who represented
the American league at the Buffalo con
ference, but yesterday he found if diff
cult TO hide his chagrin over the record
made by his committee. Just what hvD-
motto influences were brought to hear on
h n who headed the delegation, it
Is Impossible to say, but it is a fact that
Ihe cleveland magnate placed himself~1n
an aDSur- position by voting for a Ma
11lonal league rule which the American
league did not want, even in its amended
form. and has now repudiated.
hIlfoyie is clever man of business.
put ne is very, very new in baseball
He was sent to Buffalo with q f11T cot
Of instructions from the American Lao ono
HAD he followed these instructions NOT
even compromise foul strike rule would
nave been adopted, and the news would
not nave been spread broadcast through
the country that the conference had re-
EuIteu IN distinct victory for "a g.
bpaldlng and organized baseball
kllfOVlp
us IifSC diplomatic battle with the Ma
LlCGa! league statesmen over in Buffalo
ana literally changed certain victory into
Illuminating defeat by failing to follow
instructions. The knowledge that he
neId the winning cards in his hands and
could have secured everything he asked
Ter, makes the humiliation Of Kilfoyle
III the more aggravating to his associates
N the American league.
AS regards Mack and Dwyer the other
members OF the committee they cut no
important figure, for the good and SUI
1cIent reason that Kilfoyle as chairman
Vas empowered to do the voting OF the
American league. There was a bare
possibility that the Cleveland magnate
WI omer some eloquent explanations to
mis- colleagues when they meet in Detroit
EeXt month, but at the same time If is
safe to predict that, if the American
league ever holds another joint confer
5hce with the National league President
Johnson will not send KilfovIe as chair
nan Of his committee
But by long odds the Strangest atura
Of the aftermath of the Buffalo confer
snce is Mr.. Harris frank admission that
ne does not expect that the fouI-strike
rule in It's present form will last a
month after the playing season opens
This in itself shows the absurdity of the
rule, for Mr.. Hart admits that it was
framed on the lines of his own sugges-
ticn. Now he practically disowns ali the
Objectionable features in it.
There is no disputing the fact that
Hart was justified in making a strong
fight for the old foul-strike rule at But
falo, said a well-known baseball mag
nate yesterday, for there are a great
many club owners, both in and out of
The National league who think well of if
Iiut at the same time 1 don't think that
he was warranted in springing sucn an
absurdly weak compromise measure as
re did in order to save the foul strike
from oblivion. He ought to have known
that neither the press nor public would
indorse it, and that the American league
would never accept it,
So it has come TO pass that in spite of
all of Harris clever diplomacy, and he
undoubtedly did do clever work in out
whiting Kilfoyle and his associates, the
15uffalo conference has ended in dismal
iallure as far as the American league
is concerned. As things look now there
VIII be all sorts of playing rules in use
this season. The American league will
in all probability play out its string under
the good old-fashioned rules of long
ago; the ,sspaIding half of the National
league will undoubtedly adopt Mr.. Harry
--latest revised code" of PLAYING laws
while there is no telling what Andrew
Freedmans bunch will do The Amer
icsn association will probably follow
JOhnson's lead and use the old rules