The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-04-07
UBy ia Bang.)

the coacaer II the most important
rhange made in the baseball rules,
cording TO an official bulletin just
sued. containing a complete set OF
D. revisions made IN the code.
An entire now section has been
lded to rule So, which relates to.
hen base runners are out Il Is
nown as section AZ, the former Sec
Nons ~ and IS In the new rule will
} sections Is and is. The new sec
ION, which governs the actions OF the
foacher, reads ~ follows:
III "a coacher at third base touch
II hold "a base runncr at third base,
pr a base runner who Is rounding
bird base for the home plate. the
Empire shall declare such runner
but"
when il a home run not q home
Mfun? That question In past years
has been the subject Of much COM
ment- In past years section 2 Of rule
) which governs balls batted outside
Che ground read as follows.
"a fair batted ball that goes over
lhe fence or into the stand shall en-
iitie the batsman TO "A home run, un-
less II hould pass out Of the ground
r into d stand az q less distance Than
"Z.Nh AffA IINn the nUtHN WAhta III
Which case the batsman shall be- en-
Htied Go only two bases.
There has been several cases
y here a batter after making a home
bun by hitting the BAH over the
ence, has carclcssly neglected to
ouch % certain base. In such "a case,
q a member of the team In the field
railed the attention OF the umpire to
The play IL has beer customary for
The umpire to put q new bail In play.
nnd upon a visiting player touching
The base missed, TO declare out the
batter who hit the ball over the fence.
The umpires In such plays have al
ways quoted rule 80 To aubstantiate
such a ruling, That rule relates to
TIE scoring Of runs. aud specifically
says:
"Onc run shall be scored every time
n base runner, after having legally
touched the FIRST three bases. shall lc-
gaiy touch home plate before three
men are put out
At a glance IL can be seen that these
two rules conflict One gtatcs that
the batter Is entitled to a home ran
when he hits a hall over a fence
which is the required distance from
the home plate. Yet the other rule
says a run cannot be scored unless
the runner touches an the bases.
Many managers have contended that
since "a home run entitled the batter
To score. u was impossible Ia put him
out. regardless of his failure To touch
the bases. The rules committee by
the addition Of short sentence has
made definite the duties OF the batter
after he hits a ball over The fence.
The sentence which follows The rule
quoted above rcads as follows;
In either event the batsmnn must
touch the bases In the regular order. ="
Plays In which the batter inter-
feres at the plate ave long puzzled
many people who profess 10 know the
game pretty well. Just who should
be declared out on such PLAYS has
often created much argument and
discussion. Reading rule 81. which
follows, would lead one To- believe tina,
the batter VA always out. II is as
follows:
The batsman l. out II he attempt
TO hinder the catcher from ilcldins
or throwing the bali by stepping out
side the lines OF the b~atsinan's posi-
ton or In any way ~obstructing or IN
terfcring with hat PLAYER.
A perusal of h above would make
u seem that on all Interference plays
at the plate the batter was always
n such, however, Is not the case
Farther down In the paying code. "a
be exact section 10 OF rule sc, We
ind another Interpretation. THAI
section reads as follows.
'"The base runner Il cut IL. with
one or no one nj and a base runner
ON third base. the batsman interfcre'
with IA MAY Nl the nlatR."
Thus again We nave a sharp con
fiict. one rule says the batter n al
ways out When interfering with th'
catcher. then an exception appears
Briefly the Interpretation OF the I've
rules Is az follows. with unners OF
any base other than third. the bats.
man is always out when interfering
with the catcher; with a runner OF
third and one or no one out the run
ner is out u the batsman interiors
whit tho play az The nla.c; with tw,
out and "A runner on third, the bats
man Is out II he Interfere with n pia,
al the plate. The rules COMMITTEES
has gOt away with the. conflict thi
year by adding the following ciausI
az the bottom Of section Q OF rule 81.
Except that the batsman shall no
be out under this section II the basI
runner be declared out according u
section IS Of rule bg.'
Several years ago the rules com
mittee decided that any time a neideI
stopped a batted bail hy throwing hh
glove or cap at the ball the bate
was entitled TO three bases. No ac
ton was taken on a thrown ball. Uni
plres in the blR leagues IN h FEY
instances hat such a play has com
up. have always granted he runner
two bases. just al n the ball wen
into the stand or players bench
which IL the rule covering that point
This year the committee has ineor
pofated u clause IN the code whicI
governs the throwing OF a cap o
glove al a thrown hall section 8 o
rule 50 now reads,
III a fielder stop or catch a bate
bail with his cap, glove or any par
OF his uniform. while detached frof
the proper place on his person, IN