The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-14
WORK AHEAD
FOR RULE BUILDERS
Nc raw Only One Who Has
Come Forward With
Suggestions

Chicago. Dec. 14.-Baseball fans
will not have to spend any time next
spring getting acquainted with the
rules of the game If they were con.
changes have been suggested so far
by any Of the critics or any Of the
followers of the game and instead OF
the rules committee being conspicuous
because of some important action
they are expected to take regarding
some new rule of the game, the rules
committee this winter is conspicuous
because Of the lack of any work there
Is for 1t to perform.
Every winter for the past decade
there have been a lot of suggestions
for N consideration Of the rule MAX
ers at the annual meeting Of the big
leaguers So far this winter the only
mention that has been made for any
alteration in the rules governing the
national game Is a whisper from Man
ager McGraw Of the Giants that
coaching because of the advantage II
gives them to study the action of the
opposing pitchers and tip what Is ia
be pitched to team mates while they
are at bat.
Has Little Power.
AS far as the rules committee Of the
two big leagues is concerned at pres
SHS' IL a AO NcIS SIedl IuiluSUCe OI
the game. The honor Is an empty one
because 1t is almost an impossibility
to pass any new rule or to change any
Of the old regulations Of the game.
According to the wording of the ma
tional agreement, the rules commit
tee must be made Up Of three men,
hers from the National and American
leagues a"d a majority vote Of the
joint committee Is necessary to pass
InV rnle nr RI mako any chance ir
the existing rules.
Nearly every winter some one has
had a pet hobby regarding some rule
or idea that he wanted incorporated
into a rule. but no one has come ia
the front this year to champion any.
thing new or to rehash anything old
that pertains to the rules.
Spitball Crusade Dies.
Last year there vas an attempt tc
legislate the spitban out of business
Attempts were made by some critics
to have the rules committee declare
the spitball delivery unlawful. The
pitchers that used the moist delivery
came back in a hurry to defend theil
craft and charged that the move was
league because the spitball pitchers
We're numerous in the American
league and o so strong in the old
league. There was no chance in the
world for any such switch to be made
in the rules of the game after that
The American league members as a
unit stood out against any effort or
the part of the National league mem.
bers to pass any such legislation. and
all the talk died down in a short
time.
Very few changes have been made
in the playing code since the adoption
of the present national agreement. T,
Is a good thing for the game that 1t is
safeguarded in this manner: also, fol
the fans and the partisans Of one
league or another would be continu.
ally seeking to gain some advantage
for themselves If 1t was an easy mat.
ter to make changes.
Would Increase Batting.
There has been an effort made in
the last two years to increase batting
This was agitated last year and ali
kinds of suggestions yer made. and
some of them sounded very fair. Most
of the ideas advanced. however, were
to handicap the .itcher in some way
and give the batter a little the better
of it. The committee on rules never
got together to consider any of the
many suggestions made. but the man.
ufacturers of the ball used by the big
leagues changed the composition OF
the ball just enough s 10 that the bat
ing was increased more than twice
what 1t was before. and there was no
need for the rules committee to act.
Not since the time the foul strike
rule was adopted in the National
league and proved to be "a success
and was then taken up by the Ameri-
can league has there been any big
change in the rules. The shortening
of the game after the adoption of
the foul-strike rule was a real bene-
tit to the pastimc. and non Of the
suggestions since that time has ever
| sounded good to the noWers that be