Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-17
BASE BALL RULES
TO Be S|MPl|F|ED
Joint Committee Will Be
Ready for Suggestions at
Meeting Next Week.

NEW YORK January 17-When the
Joint rules committee of the National and
American leagues meets at Pttsburg next
Monday il is expected that most of the
session will be taken up in simplifying
the playing rules in the matter of brew
ity and directness. Some of the rules
as they now read are puzzing. mas
much as the rules are made not only
lor the National and American leagues
and the minor leagues. but for the anna
teur players as well. they should be so
framed as to be plain for all to under
stand. The case of professional ball
players under instructions from com
potent umpire is altogether different from
that of a schoolboy or corner-lot game.
The umpires of the big leagues. as
well as the rules committee of the Base
Ball Writer'S Association. have been in
vited to meet the rules committee and
offer any ideas they may have tending
TO help along the cause of clearness. The
committee will also consider suggestions
from followers of the game
The composition of the committee that
will go over the rules is as follows:
American League-Charles COmlskey,
Chicago: Charles Somers, Cleveland; Tom
{. Moves. Washington. 1t is likely that
Manager Hugh Duffy of thefWhite SoX
will act for President Comiskey.
National League--PreSident Thomas j.
Lynch, Secretary John A. Heydler and
Clark Griffith Cincinnati
Base Ball Writer'S Association-H- r.
Edwards. Cleveland; l. F. Sanborn, Chi
cago; Jack Ryder. Cincinnati.
J-mpires-"Silk' O'Ioughlin, Tom Con-
molly and Jack Sheridan. American
League: Hank O'Day, Jimmy tombstone
and Billy Klein. National League.
Nothing Radical Expected.
hot
committee will make any radical
changes in the playing rules. number
of suggestions will be offered for their
consideration. The question of Increased
batting is constantly being asitated
George Tebeau. owner of the Kansas
City club and an old ball player, sug-
gests that the leagues should rule In
favor of larger ball and a larger bat,
and that the pitcher be taken out when
it is his time to bat. allowing some other
player to do the twirler's batting and
running. Edward Hanlon suggests that
the home plate be made smaller. and
where the front of the rubber is now
seventeen inches that 1t should be re-
duced to ten or twelve. Manager Fred
Lake of the Boston Nationals suggests
the number of balls allowed a pitcher
he reduced from four to three: Lake In
also in favor of a rule compelling all
catchers to wear shin guards of some
kind.
There are those who do not think the
fans are at all times in favor of a heavy
batting game. AS we'll known ball
player puts 1t: Does a base ball crowd
like batting? Does 1t prefer game full
OF smuggling to one in which effective
pitching and brilliant fielding combine TO
make the batsman's job one of little re-
ward? The answer to the last question
is surely yes, provided the home team Is
doing the smuggling. great many fans
go to base ball games and if the home
team wins by ten runs to two will leave
the grounds in high spirits. But If the
visitors win by fifteen runs to three. say.
the fans can't see much in the heavy
smuggling.
Ban Would Shorten Games.
From President Ban johnson Of the
American League comes the suggestion
that a rule be passed preventing the
pitcher from taking the regulation five
ball war1n-up at the beginning of each
inning. johnson figures that eighteen
minutes are taken up during a game
for the warm-up, and he is in favor
of shortening the games wherever pos
sible.
During the winter the proposed change
most talked Of has been in regard to
the spikes on the players shoes. Up
to date no satisfactory substitute for
the spike has been brought forward, and
II looks as though the base runners. In
felders and catchers will continue TO
take chances OF injury on the base lines.
The players themselves, almost with
out exception. demand spikes and In