The Washington herald., 1911-08-06
Some Real Baseball Rules
Sadly Needed at Present

Everybody is sick and weary of the
present code. The infield fly rule is
especially pestiferous. and there isn't one
umpire in a hundred who can be counted
on to interpret it right and to do that
interpreting on the spur Of the moment
Some day the baseball folks will get a
real rules committee and revise and re-
write the book of baseball rules.
And when they do, it will be a great
day for the joy brigade.
With the rules nicely rewritten and
made so clear that any average student,
| by taking a ten-years' course, can read
| lily understand them, it will be time to
insist that the umpires glance through
the code now and again and really learn
| it.
And think what an improvement that
will be!
The present condition of affairs seems
to be getting on the nerves of the St.
Louis sport writer's. What follows is
from the pen Of Harry Nelly, in a St.
Louis paper:
| If they keep on protesting ball games
! the inquisitive fan, instead of witnessing
| battles upon the field will scan the pub
| lie prints to ascertain the latest rulings
| from league presidents, so that he may
couple the standings and know who is
| in line for pennant honors. Pittsburg has
just kicked in with another howl, while
the Boston Americans found the habit
contagious and came across with pro-
test against the Athletics
The Pirates have had a lot of trouble
with the infield-fly rule this season. In
fact, this particular section of the baseball
code has srirred up bother all along the
line. Some of the umpires have vague
ideas concerning an infield fly. and when
1t is and isn't. \ lot of the players
also fall shy of a true understanding
thereof.
Umpire Perrine, in the American
League, let a batter take his base in vio-
lation of this rule in game here early
this season. The only instance at the
local American League park this season
when an umpire performed all the func-
tons of his office on an infeld fly oc
CURED Sunday, when Billy Evans shouted
loudly that the batter was out as soon
as he ball was hit.
The infield fly rule provides that the
batsman is out without exertion on the
part of the fielGers II he knocks an in
field fly with men on first and second
bases or on first, second, and third bases
and with one or no one out. The rule
defines this particular kind of fly as
''one that can be handled by an infielder,"
and further provides that the umpire
shall announce Immediately when the ball
is hit that 1t is an infield fly If the situa-
ton is such as will make this rule opera
tive.
Right there is where the umpire falls
down. He neglects to shout If the bats
man is out. some infielder, fails to handle
the ball, and the base runners are up a
tree. How's the runner to know If he
must run or stand still when half the
umpires in the business decide the infield
fly thing one way and the other half set
up different Interpretation.
The protest filed by Pittsburg against
Boston raises a nics. point The stage
was set for the infield fly rule when the
batter bunted fly. Possibly the fly did
not attain the height and dignity of an
''infeld fly as defined in the book. and
maybe 1t did. The umpire, of course,
neglected to inform the players immed-
ately as TO the nature OF the bunt. 1t
fell among several fielders, and the bases
were filed.
The fault is wholly With the arbitrators.
Men who collect from s2.000 to $1,000 per
six months work for laboring two hours
a day ought to have enough leisure to
acquire working knowledge of the base
ball code. Yet the announcement of BIZ
Evans Sunday that the batter was out
following fly ball that might have been
ruled infeld or outfield Is the first In.
stance we can recall in half dozen
years OF constant baseball reporting In
which the umpire did his duty as printed
plainly in the book of rules. Prompt
Judgment In this instance apprised the
players OF the situation and effectually
plugged all possibility OF there ever be-
Ing a protest II some indolent athlete
was trapped by a trick play.
The protest which comes from the hos-
ton Americans over Tuesdays victory by
the Athletics u the most novel OF tho