The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-08-20
THE DECISION
IN BASEBALL
OF THE LEAGUE ON
THE PROTESTS BY THE ELKS
AND MALES.

The trustees of the baseball league
have rendered written decisions in the
cases of the protests made by the Elks
and Maile teams. The Elks' protest
appears to involve a point not specif-
cally covered by the rules and is dis
cussed at some length. The facts are
admitted that Knight was running for
home and that Moore of the Elks ran
into catcher Leslie just in time to pre-
vent him from catching the ball with
which he was to have tried to put
Knight out. The Elks claimed that it
was evident that the ball was too slow
and that Knight would have got home
anyhow, but Umpire Lemon called
Knight out. The decision says in
part:
IF there is no discretionary authority
given the umpire in a case of this
kind the contention of the Elks would
allow a member of a club at the bat
tc deliberately go on the field and hold
baseman so that he could not catch
the ball which was being thrown to
him, and thereby allow a member of
the batting club to score a run.
1T would appear to go further If,
for example, the club which was at
bat had a man on first second and
third and the man at bat struck the
ball, while it was being felded to
first, a member of the batting club
coaching at first could rush on the
field, hold the first baseman so that
he could not catch the ball and con-
tinue to hold him until all four of the
base runners had reached home,
thereby scoring four runs, and the
only penalty which could be inflicted
on the batting club, would be fine
or disqualification of the offender.
THE run or runs made under such
circumstances might decide the game
and that game might decide the cham
pionship for the season.
1T is unthinkable that such methods
should be permissible in playing the
game of baseball, and the only reason
which the Trustees can conceive of
why rule prohibiting it was not in
cluded in the official rules, is that the
baseball authorities who formulated
the rules did not conceive that it was
possible that a member of a club at
bat would so far forget himself and
clean sport as to go onto the diamond
or so near thereto as to interfere with
the fielders
I'm view of the deplorable conse-
quences of establishing any such
standard of playing in Honolulu, the
Trustees would be loath to admit that
the rules of baseball could be con-
strued to permit the winning of games
by such foul means.
But the Trustees are of the further
opinion that the rules give the umpire
full control of just such a situation as
this, even though there is no specific
rule declaring base runner out when
he has scored by the Illegal assistance
of a member of his own team. -
THE Trustees are therefore of the
opinion that the umpire had the dis
erection and power to make the ruling
he did; that he exercised such discr--
tion properly and justly and they there
fore dismiss the protest and appeal"
In the case of the Males the protest
was on a decision against them by for
felt on May 80. The trustees hold that
even though the decision was made be-
fore the actual time for calling game,
the Males had given out that they were
not going to play and they were not
ready, hence the forfeit decision was
proper.