The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-16
CHANGES IN RULE
 ON HUNTED BALL
Trouble May Result from Sev-
 eraI Amendments
UMPIRE HAS FULL SWAY
Baseball Magnates Close Session By Taking Action Which VitalIy Af- fleets the Foul Strike
 Rule.

The big baseball moguls yesterday made changes in rule fl in a manner that is going to result in much trouble and dissatisfaction during the season of 1906. and which will make life miserable for many poor unprotected umpire.
 Rule 1T is not the fould strike rule ex- aetly but it is practically the same thing. The moguls yesterday changed the wording of the rule considerably, emitting some of the old words and putting in some new phrases. The rm was done principally by substituting the word may for the word shall" in the close of the rule, thus leaving it to the discretion of the umpire as to whether or not the batted ball which goes foul was an attempted bunt.
 The old rule was as follows, showing by means of capital letters the wording omitted in the amendment:
 A bunt hit is a legally batted ball, not swung at, but met with the bat and tapped slowly within the infield by the batsman WITH THE EXPECTATION OF REACHING FIRST BASE BEFORE THE BALL CAN BE FIELDED TO THAT BASE. If tue attempt to bunt results in foul strike shall be called by the umpire"
 The new rule reads as follows, showing the substituted words by means of capi- tai letters:
 "A bunt hit is a legally batted ball, not swung at, but met with the bat and tapped slowly within the infield by the batsman. If the attempt to bunt result in a foul NOT LEGALLY CAUGHT. a strike MAY be called by the umpire"
 Just what the result of this amend ment will be cannot be foretold with any great degree of accuracy, but it certainly leaves 1t to the umpire to say whether or not the third attempt to bunt, which goes foul, is a strike or not, giving the umpire undisputed sway over play CT in whose favor he might be prejudiced or against whom he may have a real or fancied grievance.
 The other changes in the rules are almost insignificant. One of them is with out any interest whatever and the other merely adds to the power of the umpire III htNidliiS WhCli1tl Ol ilOl lllt bIOulldo are fit to play on after time has been called because of rain. The umpire now has the right to call upon the ground keeper and his assistants to make the ground fit, which right he did not have heretofore.
 More About EIsey.
 Firts Baseman Elsey has sent another letter to Manager Vaughan relative to his understanding of the agreement with Managers Finn and Fisher in the matter of his release from the Nashville team. He stated that both men agreed to give him his release, and so informed him. They said nothing to him, he declares, about release money until after he signed with Birmingham.
 Elsey further stated in the letter that when he heard of them demanding re- lease money, he informed Fisher that he was going before notary to make an affidavit to the effect that they had given him his release, and that Fisher told him not to do so, as everything would be all right as soon as he could see Finn. Elsey stated fiatly that he did not intend to play in Nashville again under any circumstances, and would quit the game rather than return to that team.
 Manager Vaughan stated last night clearly and unequivocally that if he had to pay for Elsey's release he did not want the man. He was taking Elsey as much for the players sake as for that of the club, because he believed Elsey would try to make good, but he did not intend to pay a cent for his release by Nashville or anybody else.
 The whole thing looks like another case of making mountain out of mole hill on the part of some Nashvillians and it is confidently expected the matter will be satisfactorily settled in the very near future, at the league meeting, Il not before.