The Washington herald., 1912-01-30
Clark Griffith Lends Aid to
Sandlot Baseball
Regulators.
PASS DRASTIC MEASURES
Only Fifteen Men for Each Team.
Waiver Rule Goes Through.
Near Pros Can Play.
by c. w. SWAN.

Clark GTifhth, manager or the Ma
tionals. was a prime mover at the meet
ing of the rules committee of the anna
teur baseball commission last night In
the Offices of the Washington baseball
club, Southern Building.
Minus two members, Howard $. Rec
side, of the Bankers League, who was
confined 10 his home by illness, and $.
Edward Beach. Of the District League,
who was unable to attend owing to
business engagements, the committee
| changed the rules that will govern ANA
teur ball in Washington this summer TO
no small degree.
Several important rules were drafted.
and will be put TO a vote by the amateur
commission at its first meeting, TO be
held in the near future.
The most important rule suggested last
night was the section OF the playing sea-
son rules regarding the signing and re-
leasing of players. The rule proposed
last night states that when a man is re-
leased. he cannot sign with the club let
ting him out for one year. This will do
away entirely with the overnight signing
and releasing as carried on last season.
Another change in the code suggested
last night was in regard TO the leagues
not under the amateur commission. Any
person playing on a team not under the
commission, excepting a "closed league"
will be barred from playing in league
under the commission for one year. BY
CLOSED league is meant those organ
izations composed OF bureaus and depart
ments where the men are employed-the
Southern Railroad, Interbureau. and r.
r. Y. N. c. a. leagues. for example.
Death Blow TO Independents.
Should the commission adopt this rule,
which it more than likely will, Il will
L.
around town, as It is understood that
several circuits are planning to withdraw
from the commission. With this rule In
effect, there will be no outlaw amateur
INball, for all but a few OF the star ball
| tosseTs are members OF teams sure tc
come under the organization, and with
| out the best In the District the outlaw
leagues will die a natural death.
The waiver rule was brought up, as
announced exclusively In The Washing
ton Herald last Thursday, and was put
in the playing season rules. When
manager releases a player every other
manager IN that league will have to
waive on the player before he can sign
with another league club, the same as
the mai jOrs
Another addition TO the rules will be
| a clause stating that a man must be
released five days before he is eligible TO
play with another team, unless he has
| the permission of the board of directors,
| a new committee likely to be appointed
to look after the affairs OF the commits
| sion during the week, and one that will
| have full authority to hand out fines, sus-
pensions, and the like. When waivers
are asked on a player, his release dates
| from the day waivers are called for. The
| board of directors will have the power
and will be the body that will handle all
cases like the Wilkinson, the Sunday
| School. and other squabbles well remem-
| bered last summer.
Fifteen men will be. allowed TO each
team this season, Is the order Of the new
rules which the commission will soon
pass. Last year IL was twenty, but then
we had the two-team rule, and with
man being confined TO one club, fifteen
players are enough for any manager
Near Pros Can Pay.
The rule which excludes all players who
attempt to make good in a professional
| league and who failed to return to the
District prior to June l. 1910, was changed,
| to allow any person who returns before
June / eligible to play amateur baseball.
The question Of when a league is not
league" is no more. as the rules COM
mittee, headed by Joe s jackson, who
had to wrestle with the Suburban League
controversy last year, completely put that
phrase out of the running.
Chairman Jackson's ruling VIII read
something like this: "a league must be
composed Of not less than four clubs, and
when a league, after playing several
games, falls below that number OF clubs
on or before August l. its season is auto
matically closed. Should team or teams
withdraw for any cause after this date,
the board of arbitration shall declare
winner, said team to play in the post-sea-
son series
Another section OF the playing sea-
son rules. one that caused a great deal
of trouble last year. was overhauled
by Chairman jackson. and the new
version will set all things right. The
rule in question is the one in regards
! to the playing of a pitcher to make
him eligible to participate In the post
season series. Last year several men
were worked in the box one inning,
then sent to the outfeld and, were
made eligible to play as a pitcher, ac-
cording to the oficial score. During
the post-season series these men were
not used in the box, as they We're not
pitchers, and the act was but frame
up to evade the rule.
An independent Ruling.
The new rule will stop this, as it will
state that any one playing in three
games will be eligible to participate
in the post-season series as pitcher
only.
In regards to the signing OF more
than one contract, as quite a Few OF
of our leading amateurs are In the
habit of doing, a rule was proposed
that will do away with the trou-
BILE as arose over the Epgel case last
season. No matter how many con-
tracts a player signs, the one which
reaches Secretary Shurtlef. OF the
amateur commission. first is the one
that will be held by the commission.
and the ball tosser will play with the
club holding the duplicate of the con-
tract or he will not play at all.
The same provisions for the playing OF
the intercity series as last year will be
put in the bylaws. and the board OF d.
rectors win have complete control OF
the games.
letter has been received from Atlanta,
asking Tor complete information as TO
the formation of the commission, and
asking regarding the playing OF several
games with the Atlanta champions this
summer. As the expense OF this under
taking would be great nothing VIII be
done in the matter until later In the year.