The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-11-09
PLAN CHANCES IN
PLAYING RULES
Important Features Of Baseball
TO Come Up In December.
WILL ABOLISH SPITBALL

WIT Delivery Must Go In 1918 If Not
In 1st7-Not to Call First or Second
Foul Strike-5alk Rule to Be En-
forced Strictly.
Many important changes in the
rules that are now dominant in the
playing of the game of baseball and
new rules suggested to obviate the
faults of the old ones will be brought
before the National league at the an
nual meeting Of the parent baseball
body next December.
They are as follows:
Adjustment Of the spitball.
Prevention of the use by pitchers of
any foreign substance on the ball.
That either the first or second foul
made by n batsman be not called a
strike.
The rigid enforcement by National
league umpires Of the balk rule.
That all fair hit balls that bound
over the low left field fence OH the Ma
donal league park in Philadelphia mt
certain distance from the foul line
Ito be decided later be ruled as two
base hits instead OF home runs.
The same rule to be established for
baseball parks in other cities of the
National league that have short right
fields.
These changes have been talked over
by prominent officials of the National
league, club owners and managers OF
the various clubs, and it can be stated
that the majority Of those who will
have vote on the new proposition
are In favor of the changes.
OF course President Baker of the
Philadelphia club is expected to put
up an awful roar about the change
proposed on his grounds. but TO call
certain hits doubles instead of homcrs
on the Phillies park will be but a fair
and Just arrangement when It is taken
into consideration that while the Phil
lies play seventy-seven games on their
own grounds every visiting club PLAYS
but eleven.
This proposition was brought up last
season ana resulted In lots of argu-
ments, still nothing but talk was
brought forth.
Thatlthe 9pitbaH will be eliminated
either next year or I'm 1918 is a GER
tainty. The only reason why it will
not go out OF existence in 1917 is that
there Is desire to give the many
spitbnll pitchers, who rely mostly on
the damp sling for their effectiveness,
plenty of time TO adapt themselves to
Its adjustment and to study and prac-
tice other deliveries.
No foreign substances will be al
lowed TO be used on the ball by pitch
ers. That rule, IL adopted, will mean
that Demaree cannot shove his pitch
Ing hand into his rear pocket and COW
er his fingers with powdered rosin.
"Smokerti" was the first boxman to
adopt that means to secure better con-
troll and TO make his dinky curves
wobble up to the plate with their
sickness. Emery paper and slippery
elm viii also be included in the elm
ination of foreign substances.
1t will be another welcome change,
for the use of anything that could in
fuence the delivery of pitched ball
or thrown ball was not thought of by
the original rule makers.
The idea OF not calling n strike on
either the first or second foul hit by a
batsmap Is original with Secretary
John Il. Foster Of the New York club.
1t Is said. Il will have the effect of
Increasing batting. no doubt. and that
Will Impress many as being a good
plan.
The enforcement Of the balk rule to
the letter. as the American league UNI
pires have been instructed to do, should
be Insisted on by the National league.
Base stealing, one Of the most inter-
esting features OF baseball, will then
come back to its own. 1t should new
err have been squelched.