The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-05
PULLIAM WILL BACK
UP HIS UNI
PRES
President of the National
League Intends to Make
Gentlemen of His Players
Rules Will Be Strictly
Observed This Season.

WASHINGTON, D. c., April Ma
tional league baseball players will nave
to be good this year. They will be COM
PEELED to pay attention to what the
umpire says, abide by his decisions
without kicking" and refrain from
all acts Of roWdyism. They will do
this or else they will be punished.
At a conference between President
Harry Pulliam and his staff of UNI
pires, which was held at Old Point
Comfort, the umpires were assured
that they will be given the support Of
every magnate in the league n Of
the president.
They were told hat they will be
supposed to take the upper hand of
the naturally rowdy ball players at
the beginning of the season and then
keep the upper hand until the season
is over.
They were advised by President Pull
liam that the way to do this is to
chastise rigidly the first player who
commits an o~ffense, n do it in such
a name that the player will not for
get 1T. This is expected to serve as
an excellent example to the other play
erS.
The general feeling as expressed by the
president is that no mercy will be shown
any player and whether he be a star or
just an ordinary man he will be disci-
plined. The league realizes hat 1t is in a
position now to dictate to the players,
and it is determined that no d~isgraceful
scenes such as bothered patrons last sea-
son and the season before will be en-
acted.
This is the first time tina the umpires
Of the National league have been assured
in such a determined spirit that they will
be protected against the lawless men of
the diamond and they say that they are
ready to enforce the rules and make the
players toe the scratch. They were told
that they should make every attempt to
get on friendly terms with the players
and try to rule them in this manner as
much as. possible, but to go as far as they
wished il any player attempted to over
ride the umpire's friendliness.
An important construction was placed
on rule 29, relative to the pitchers posi-
ton. 1t is that the pitcher in taking his
position shall place no part Of either foot
BACK OF the rubber. nor shall he take
more than one step in delivering the ball
to the batSman.
While it is known that the rigid en-
forcement of this rule is likely to cause a
great deal of trouble it will do away with
all of the preliminary steps either to the
rear or to the side of the pitchers rub
Der.
1t was agreed thai there vii be a strict
er Interpretation of the rules prohibiting
the batSman from baking the catcher or
tbrow with him when he tries to
throW TO second base. No "accidentaP'
movement on the part of the batter will
be excused and the chances are that wnen
a man. tries this he will be sent to the
bench in a hurry. W
Base runners between the bases are also
10 BE protected. Fielders nave been in the
haplt OF taking liberties with the runners
SO caught IN one way or another. Some
runners have been handled very roughly
put PRESIDENT Pulliam declares that this
sort of work must stop.
Hereafter no batsman will be allowed
TO take first whom hit NV - II. =
mas been delivered slowly. The umpire
Is 70 De the judge of the speed. Emphasis
IS lald on the rule requiring runners to
to first. ~ 1" SUING