Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-20
Changes Made in
Baseball Rules

The following amendments TO the play,
ing code Of basehall were officially adopted
bv the Joint rules committee of the Ma
tionsl and American Leagues IN session
in Chicago February and ratified by the
two major leagues at their meetines req
ruary 10. !, m
Amend rule %, bv adding the follow
ing to section 2: Provided: that II
batsman. in the last half of the final IN
ming of any game hit home run over the
fence or into a stand. all runners on the
bases at the time, AS we'll as the pa'sman,
shall be entitled to score, ana, IN such
event. the final score Of the game, shall
be the total number of runs made.
Amend rule %, by addition ofsnew sec
tiou 4. rs follows: Whenever necessity
demands that two games be played IN one
afternoon, the first game shall be the
regularly scheduled game for that day"
Amend rule n, by addition of the fol-
lowing sentence: Provided, that if the
side last at bat shall, before the completion
ol its fifth inning. equal the score made by
the opposing side IN five complete innings,
then the gsmc shall bc declared AS legally
averages shall he Incorporated in the Of
ficlal playing records"
Amend rule %, by insert nc, after the
words Its fourth inning. in the last para
rraph thereof, the following: 'or, before
the complction Of its fifth inning so that
this rule will read as follows (thc new part
being undcrscorcdl:
NO GAME.
''No game shall he declared by the
umnirc # nc terminates play in accordance
with rule %, section 3. before FIVE innings
are comnIeted hv each team. Provided,
however, that If the club second at bat
shall have made more runs ut the end of
its fourth inning or before the completion
of it's fifth inning. than the club first at
bat has made in five completed innings of
a game so terminated. the umpire shall
award the game to the club having made
the greater number oi runs, and it shall
count rs a legal game in the champion
shin record.
Amend rule 2S. section 4, by increasing
the fine from s. TO S25, and by altering
the last sentence thereof TO read as fol-
lows: PLAY shall be suspended while
announcement is being made; provid ed
however, that, II through oversight, such
announcement is not made the substitute
PLAYER will be considered as in the game as
follows: II pitcher. when he takes his
place on the rubber; if a batter, when he
takes his place In the batsman's box; If a
fielder. when he takes the place of the
fielder substituted for; i a runner, when
the substitute replaces him on the base he
is holding, and any play made by such
unannounced substitute shall be legal un-
der these rules.
Amend rule 81. ss follows: Section
TO read: Making any motion to pitch
while standing in his position without hav-
ing the ball in his possession; or regardless
of whether he makes any motion 10 pitch
or not, if the pitcher takes q legal position
on the rubber without the ball in his pos
session, or if he takes position off the
rubber and feints TO deliver the ball to
the bat"
And add the following explanatory
paragraphs to end of present rule 81
After the pitcher has taken position,
with both hands holding the ball in front
Of him, he cannot take either hand of
the ball except in the act of delivering the
hall to the batsman or IN throwing TO
bases
If the pitcher steps off the rubber, after
being in position for the purpose either
of driving his hands or rubbing his eyes,
or for other reasons, and it is Legitimate
action not understood or interpreted by
the umpire TO deceive the base runner,
then the umpire shall call 'time
In case 'Thalk" is called, the bah
shall be considered dead when snnounce-
ment is made, and no play can be made
until the runner or runners reach the base
or bases to which they are entitled.
IT, with one or more runners on base,
the pitcher, in the act Of delivering the
ball TO the batsman or IN throwing to
first base, drops the ball, either intention
ally or accidentally, the umpire shall call
1t . "bslk" and advance runner or runners.
No penalty shall be imposed If, with no
,&-l u fkzzf hal
while delivering 1t 10 the batsn1an-
If. with no one on base, the pitcher
delivers the ball while off the rubber, the
umpire shall call ball" whether il goes
over the plate fair or not. IF, however,
the batsmsn strike at such illegally de-
livcred ball IT counts either Tor strike
or whatever play may follow.
Amend rule 35, by adding new portion
in quotes:
DEAD BALL.
ID A dead bah is ball delivered to
the bat by the pitcher, not struck at by
the batsman, that touches any part of
the batsman's person or clothing while he
is standing IN his position, cor % a
wildly pitched ball which the batsman
plainly makes an attempt to dodge to
avoid being hit. but which ball acci-
dcntally hits his bst.
Amend Rule "A by adding the follow
ing sentence: a falr fly must be Judged
according to the relative position of the
ball and the foul line, and not as towhether
the fielder is on fair or foul ground at the
time he touches the ball"
Amend Rule IS, by adding the follow
ing sentence: "A foul fly must be judged
according TO the relative position of the
bali and the foul line, and not as to whether
the fielder is on foul or fair ground at
the time he touches the bal" P"
Amend Rule As, section ], TO read as
follows: Section /. When a batted ball
passes outside the groud or into the stand,
the umpire shall decide II fair or foul, ac-
cordlng to where IL passes over the bOunda-
" line of the actual playing field.
Amend Rule 81, Sec s (the infeld fly),
by inserting the word fair in second
line, so that clause will read He hit
lair fly ball. etc"
Also add the following sentence TO
section s: Provided that, with first and
second bases occupied, or first, second and
tuird base occupied, with less than two
out, any attempt to bunt which results
IN q fair fly ball shall not be regarded as an
nfeld fv."
Amend Rule 50. by adding the follow
ing sections: Section 2 Bases cannot be
run IN reverse order, and the runner at
tempting to do 50 must be declared out If
: pIched with the bail, or the ball held on