The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-04-01

Rules Appear to Limit the
Clubs to but Two
| Brands.

The American association row over
the official ball appears to be grow
ing instead Of decreasing. Watkins de-
clares that the use Of the Victor ball,
advocated by the g frightened three, .
will mean the disrupting of the league.
Havernor says that Watkins can go
ahead and disrupt if he wishes to, but
that the Victor bali will be used.
On the face of it it, looks as tho
Watkins had the best Of the argument.
He is evidently basing his kick upon
the baseball playing rules. Rule ID
section |, of the official regulations,
says: Ii "a.
The ball must weigh not less thar
five nor more than five and fourth
ounces avoirdupois, and measure moi
less than nine nor more than nine anc
one-fourh inches in circumference. The
Spalding National league ball. or thu
Reach American league ball must BIZ
used in all games played under these
rules. al. III st L +
This regulation is contained in the
official code as adopted at the meeting
OF the joint playing rules committee
OF the National and American leagues,
held at New York, March 2, 1904, 2and
amended Feb. IA, 1906, and also adopt.
ed by the National Association of Pro
fessional Baseball leagues. tsl
A Teapot Tempest. @
The fans carry care very little
whether the players use Spalding,
Reach, Victor, croquet or hfghballs, but
when it comes down to technicaiities
such as the frightened three have been
using in their fight all winter it looks
as tho the Indianapolis fox had them
in hole from which it will take a lot
of wriggling to squirm out. The Victor
ball has been used for several years
in the American association, last year
and year before as result of four
or fve-year contract with year. or
two Of life remaining. s@z.l1% n Z
The contract expired at the end of
last season and the present row grew
out of an attempt to renew it, -Four
Of the clubowners stood for the Reach
and the frightened three pinned their
faith to the Victor. By the book it
would appear that the Victor is out
Of it altho it's use would not affect the
winning Of the championship! either
way. The pennant does not go to the
ball, but to the men who handle it
best-and knock it furthest. All of
the balls mentioned are Of standard
variety. # - J.. Id.
Is o'Brien's Box Legal?
President Joe .O'Brien's new CON
,trivance to hold a. dozen new balls to
be used at the umpire $ will looks to be
an illegal contrivance under strict
Interpretation Of section 2, of rule II.
The rule is as follows:
Two regulation balls of the make
adopted by the league of which the
contesting clubs are members, shall be
delivered by the home club to- the UNI
pire at or before the hour for the com
mencement of a championship game
If the ball first placed in play be bat
ted or thrown out of the grounds So1
into one. of the stands for spectators
or in the Judgment Of the umpire be
comes unfit for play from any cause
the umpire shall at once deliver thu
alternate ball to the pitcher and an
other legal ball be supplied to him, 81
that he shall at all times, have in his
control one or. more alternate balls t.
substitute for the ball in play in any
of the contingencies above set forth
Provided, however, that all balls, bat
l. .