Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 November 1886 — BASE-BALL RULES. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BASE-BALL RULES.

Managers Introduce Many and Sweeping Changes in the Laws of the Diamond. Good Players Are Handicapped and the Poorer Men Given an Unfair —-v Advantage. Radical changes in the playing . rules wore made by tne Joint-Rules C unuutiee of the League and American base-ball organizations, nt their meeting in Chicago last week. Heretofore a hatter could cull for eiiher a high or a low ball. The new rale deprives the batsman of that privilege. The pitcher must, in the future, deliver the ball over the plate and between the shoulder and knee of the batsman. If five balls ore sent wide of the plate the batter will take his base on callod balls. In such an event the batter will be credited with a base hit. Four strikes will be allowed the batter, instead of three, while, if the batter is hit by a ball when nt bat, he will be allowed to take first hasc. Any, motion of the head. feet, or arm made by the pitcher while in the act of tl.livering the hall shall, in the future, he considered a balk. The choice of innings will next season be lelt with the home captain. A batter is out on the fourth strike under .the new rule whether the Ball is dropped or passed by the catcher. " The question of having two umpires and a referee was brought up, but a majority of the committee voted against the Fcheme. and it was dropped. A modification of the umpires’ rules of both oYgmmatioim was adopted. The pitcher’s box was shortened to five anil a half feet, and the pitcher will be required to keep his forward foot firmly on the ground when about tp deliver the ball. His rear foot must be on the back line of the box, and he will be allowed to take but one step when delivering the ball. The ball must be held in plain view of the umpire. The pitcher cannot, as heretofore, deliver the ball to the bat’er after making a feint to throw to first base, but must resume his position iu his box. Only two coachers will be permitted, and they shall have the right to talk to base-runners only. For talking to a batsman the coacher Will be reprimanded for the first offense and be forced to give up his coaching and another man put in his place on a repetition of the fault. In scoring, when a batter is given his base on called bulls, a hit is credited to the batter, and an error given to the pitcher in the summary only. All batting errors •are charged in the summary, as are earned runs,, two and three base hits, home runs, double plays, base on balls, hit by pitcher, passed balls, wild pitches, time of game, and the name of the umpire. A pitcher will be given no credit for a strike-out. In the place of total bases the record of stolen bases will be kept. Any attempt made by a player to steal a base must be credited, whether an error is made or not, if the runner is successful in reaching a base. Manager of the St. l.ouis Browns. Chris Von der Ahe, the manager of the St. Louis Browns, is one of the best known and most popular base-ball men in the country. Under his management the Browns have been brought to a state of efficiency and skill rarely attained by a hall club. They have received more champion-

3hip titles than have ever been held by any other club, for they have won the championship of the world, the championship of the American Association, and also that of St. Louis; and the State of Missouri Yon der Ahe has been shrewd and discriminating in the choice of his players, and secured his prize man in many instances where opposition was running high.