The Washington times., 1920-02-10

continuation of their ancient feud.
Griff blamed the umpires for
came back with the remark that IL
il the jumps enforced the rules, me
sitting in the grandstand, not on tn
Nevertheless, after the two-round
bout between Griff and Hank had
ended. II became known that several
changes In the rules had been
adopted.
The splitter is doomed after 1920.
This season no club may have more
than two spitban pitchers and their
NAMES must be on file at the league
headquarters. This Is the only typo
of freak pitching that will be allowed
thi4 year. Next year all kinds VIII
be gone with old John Barleycorn
Here's the New Rule.
A rule was passed which bars .
pitcher from using any foreign SUB
stance on the ball, such as resin, sal.
iva, talcum powder. paraffine, ana
like aids to the shineball. Also the
pitcher is barred from expectorating
on the ball or his glove. Also he
must not rub the ball in his glove,
on his person, or on his clothing. II
the umpire rules that the pitcher Is
trying to use any of these tricks the
Finger will be exiled from the game
and suspended for ten days.
Jockeying by home managers on
rainy days is done Hereafter the
umpire will be the sole judge as TO
whether or not the game Is to con-
tfnue, once II has started and been
halted by a shower. Home managers
afF uhan
sprinkle Is falling.
The Intentional pass will practically
be eliminated from the game this
year by the new rule which permits
all base runners to advance one base
whenever the catcher steps from his
usual position to take pitchout. No
more free tickets for Babe Ruth. The
pitchers will have to pitch and Babe
will have to hit.
They'll Have to Steal.
Base runners will have to steal
their bases in earnest this year to get
any credit for them from the gentle
men of the press. If a runner Is al
lowed to go up to second, for in
stance, in the last of the ninth with
out any effort being made to stop
him, no stolen base will appear in the
totals for him.
II Babe Ruth comes up in the nlnth,
with the bases jammed and two gone
and the score / to /, he'll get full
credit for his home run wallop and
all runs. on the bases will score ahead
of him, provided he does the expect
ed. Under the old rule, the best he
could get was a single, the game end
ing the moment the man on third
base scored.
All protested games will have their
totals appear in the pitching. fielding
and batting records hereafter.
When a catcher DROPS the third
strike and the batsman reaches nrst,
the catcher will be credited with An
error, not a passed ball.
They're All the Same.
All sacrifices are the same now,
whether in the air or on the ground.
The official box score will show the
number of times baserunners are
thrown out stealing.
If frst baseman, after receiving
throw, fails to touch first base,
though he has plenty of time, he'll be
charged with an error.
II a home run goes into the stand
fair and then goes foul, as bounding
of a post, the batsman will get his
home run. This means a lot to New
York fans, for many homers have
thus been lost at the Polo Grounds.
The balk rule will be strictly en-
forced. No pitcher will be allowed to
step from the rubber, except to inter-
Cept a throw or batted ball. He may
not step upon the rubber without the
ball in his possession, whether or not
he makes q motion to pitch. It'll be
balk, too, if feints to pitch when
not on the rubber.
Today Comes the Fight.
Today comes the bitter fight in the
American League. The Big Three,
Chicago, New York and Boston, will
make an effort to have newspaper
men admitted to the meeting, some
thing unheard Of in baseball. The
effort will fail and then the battle
will begin. Whore it will end, none
can tell.
Charlie Murphy, former president of
he Cubs and now part owner, Is
suing the Chicago club for $4,000,
rental ON the old Cubs park on the
West Side. He has sought an In
junction restraining all National
League clubs from playing the Cubs
at the North Side park.
Matt Hinkel, the Cleveland sports
man, has offered to buy the Red Sox
TO do so when Frazee told him that
he would have to promise to support
the attack against Ban Johnson.
Meanwhile, Joe Lannin Is preparing
to oust Frazee and his Red Sox from
Fenway Park, alleging certain debts
due him, etc. etc.
so you see, even with some real
baseball offered the fans, the lawyers
and the judges have to butt in. Oh
we'll, the magnates will soon scatter
and the players gather. so let's wait
in patience.