The Washington times., 1910-02-28
THE TINES IDEAS
IN BASEBALL CODE
Compulsory Announcement
of Changes Long Agita-
ton In This Paper.
UMPIRES REQUIRED
TO TELL THE FANS
Five Dollars Fine If They Forget.
All Names on Score
Gard.
BY THOMAS S. RICE.

By THOMAS S. RICE.
With becoming modesty we give our
selves q pat on the back over the
changes In the baseball rules which
have just been promulgated.
The cause Of this delicate compliment
Is that the rules committee has gone
to great length to adopt the suggestions
which have been made In this column
for the last two years in regard TO keep
ing the fans and the press box informed
Of the changes IN the lineup Baseball
has by no means reached its zenith, nor
has It become crystallized into per
feet organization. There is much room
for growth, development, and the
smoothing of rough edges. In no de-
partnent has il had a wider scope for
development than in the protection and
comfort Of its patrons at the grounds
1t was largely as the result Of inces-
SAINT agitation in this column that the
patent scoreboards were installed in all
American League parks by order Of the
league itself, and are going TO be in
stalled in the National League parks.
T. But the boards left much 70 be desired.
Managers, captains, and umpires be-
came exceedingly careless, and the last
state Of the public was as bad some
times as the first, when there were no
boards.
lust What Times Wanted.
Now all that Is changed According TO
the latest amendments and additions 10
the rules the lineup must be on the
score cards sold spectators Next, if a
man is injected into the game at any
stage the captain must give the mans
name 70 the umpire, who must call the
game until the announcement Of the
change is made. If the captain fails
to notify tne umpire, or the umpire fails
TO make the announcement to the spec
Iators ard press beyond all possibility
of mistake, then the offender is subject
TO a fine OF s.. If an umpire should de-
velop a constitutional pTedispOsitiOn to
forget his duty in this respect, it is
very likely that he will develop along
with IL a TetrOgTessiVe tendency toward
the minor leagues or back 10 the farm,
for the fiat has gone forth that this
rule must be strictly Obeyed.
The rules committee has done It's
work we'll in providing for as many con-
tinEencieS as possible and the football
rules committee should read, mark.
learn, and inWardly digest the results
or the lshOrs of its baseball brethren. A
very grave fault with the foot ball rules
is that they have never been properly
have been pointed out there has not
been the proper promp.ness IN changing
the code 20 cover the point Baseball IS
run on a more buSineEsllke basis, ana
when you show its authorities where
the rules are weak they brace them.
Scoring on Technicalities.
There has always been some confus-
ion about the matter Of d man going
home from third on a technlcaIitv
which entitled runners to advance q
base Now, II batted mall hits the
umpire before reaching a fielder no
body moves up a base unless 10 make
room for the new runner. and the man
on third in case Of any Of the techni-
calities does not go home unless il is
necessary in order to make room for
a man entitled TO his base. In other
words. unless the bases are full
A ball thrown into the stands goes
for two bases on all grounds. and a
ball knocked down with glove, coat
or anything else detached from the
Players person goes rs a three-hagGer
When a ball hits the umpire on foul
ground the runner IS allowed 10 make
as many bases as he can. The umpire
behind the plate is the chief umpire.
Is IN charge OF the game and ma kes
the decisions at the plate and third.
He is the man 20 decide whether a run
ner on third coming home on a f. left
the bag before the ball was caught.
II a player passes another on the
base lines he is out as soon as he over
runs the other fellow, which should
clear up the situation for amateurs,
who not iDfrequently pull this trick,
which is very rare in the major leagues.
Keeping Order.
A fine of S. will be slapped on any
player who disColors or damages a ball.
refuses 10. be seated when ordered by
the umpire, or violates the. coaching
rules.
An error is no longer TO be counted
against the pitcher or catcher who al
lows q man TO reach first base by reason
of q wild pitch or passed ball The
wild pitch, or, first on passed ball.
When a player makes both an assist
and an out on the same play he IS TO
be credited with both. but. apparently.
a man is not TO be credited with more
than one assist on a play.
Let shope this is not a forerunner OF
Norfolk weather.
Speed Kelly was not fast enough for
the big leagues He does not even ap-
pear TO have been fast enough for the
American Association. but q lot of good
critics think he is coming rapidly. He
IS a very young player, who has not
been in professional bali long enough
20 instinctively DO the right thing at
the right time. This is a knack which
only experience will teach, and after
Kelly has been through the mill for a
couple Of seasons in the minors he viii
be we'll worth watching.