Spalding's Baseball Guide and Official League Book for 1895

by Unknown

THE GAME.

Time of Championship Game, (1) 21
Number of Innings, (2) 21
Termination of Game, (a) 21
The Winning Run, (b) 21
A Tie Game, 22
A Drawn Game, 23
A Called Game, 24
A Forfeited Game, 25
Failure of the Nine to Appear, (1) 25
Refusal of One Side to Play, (2) 25
Failure to Resume Playing, (3) 25
If a Team Resorts to Dilatory Practice, (4) 25
Wilful Violation, (5) 25
Disobeying Order to Remove Player, (6) 25
Written Notice to President, (7) 25
No Game, 26
Substitutes, 27

RULE.
One or more substitute players, (1) 27
Extra Player, (2) 27
Base Runner, (3) 27
Choice of Innings—Condition of Grounds, 28
The Pitcher's Position, 29
Delivery of the Ball—Fair Ball, 30
Unfair Ball, 31
Balking, 32
Motion to Deceive, (1) 32
Delay by Holding, (2) 32
Pitcher Outside of Lines, (3) 32
A Dead Ball, 33
A Foul Strike, 34
Block Balls, 35
Stopped by Person not in Game, (1) 35
Ball Returned, (2) 35
Base Runner must Stop, (3) 35
The Batsman's Position—Order of Batting, 36
Where Players must Remain, (1) 37
Space Reserved for Umpire, (2) 37
Space Allotted Players "at Bat," (3) 37
Batting Rules—Fair Hit, 38
Foul Hit, 39
Bunt Hit, 40
Batted Ball Outside Grounds, 41
A Fair Batted Ball, 42
Strikes, 43
Ball Struck at by Batsman, (1) 43
Fair Ball Delivered by Pitcher, (2) 43
Attempt to Make Foul Hit, (3) 43
Foul Hit while Attempting a Bunt Hit, (4) 43
Ball Struck at after Touching Batsman's Person, (5) 43
Ball Tipped by Batsman, (6) 43
A Foul Strike, 44
The Batsman is Out, 45
Failing to Take Position at Bat in Order, (1) 45
Failure to Take Position within One Minute after
being called, (2) 45
If He Makes a Foul Hit, (3) 45
If He Makes a Foul Strike, (4) 45
Attempt to Hinder Catcher, (5) 45
Three Strikes Called by Umpire, (6) 45
Attempt to Make a Foul Hit After Two Strikes
have been Called, (7) 45
If Ball Hits Him While Making Third Strike, (8) 45
If He Hits a Fly Ball that can be Handled by
Infielder while First Base Occupied with Only
One Out, (9) 45
If Third Strike is Called, (10) 45

BASE RUNNING RULES.
RULE.
The Batsman Becomes a Base Runner, 46
After a Fair Hit, (1) 46
After Four Balls are Called, (2) 46
After Three Strikes are Declared, (3) 46
If Hit by Ball While at Bat, (4) 46
After Illegal Delivery of Ball, (5) 46
Bases to be Touched, 47
Entitled to Bases, 48
If Umpire Call Four Balls, (1) 48
If Umpire Award Succeeding Batsman Base, (2) 48
If Umpire Calls Balk, (3) 48
If Pitcher's Ball Passes Catcher, (4) 48
Ball Strikes Umpire, (5) 48
Prevented from Making Base, (6) 48
Fielder Stops Ball, (7) 48
Returning to Bases, 49
If Foul Tip, (1) 49
If Foul Strike, (2) 49
If Dead Ball, (3) 49

If Person of Umpire Interferes with Catcher, (4) 49
If the Ball Touches the Batsman's Person, (5) 49
Base Runner Out, 50
Attempt to Hinder Catcher from Fielding Ball, (1) 50
If Fielder Hold Fair Hit Ball, (2) 50
Third Strike Ball Held by Fielder, (3) 50
Touched with Ball After Three Strikes, (4) 50
Touching First Base, (5) 50
Running from Home Base to First Base, (6) 50
Running from First to Second Base, (7) 50
Failure to Avoid Fielder, (8) 50
Touched by Ball While in Play, (9) 50
Fair or Foul Hit Caught by Fielder, (10) 50
Batsman Becomes a Base Runner, (11) 50
Touched by Hit Ball Before Touching Fielder, (12) 50
Running to Base, (13) 50
Umpire Calls Play, (14) 50
When Batsman or Base Runner is Out, 51
Coaching Rules, 52
Scoring of Runs, 53

THE UMPIRE.

The Umpire 54
When Master of the Field, (1) 55
Must Compel Observance of Playing Rules, (2) 55
Special Duties, 56
Is Sole Judge of Play, (1) 56
Shall See Rules Observed before Commencing
Game, (2) 56

RULE.
Must Keep Contesting Nines Playing, (3) 56
Must Count and Call Balls, (4) 56
Umpire Must Call Play, 57
Umpire Allowed to Call Time, 58
Umpire is Empowered to Inflict Fines, 59
For Indecent Language, (1) 59
Wilful Failure of Captain to Remain within
Bounds, (2) 59
Disobedience of a Player, (3) 59
Shall Notify Captain, (4) 59
Repetition of Offences, (5) 59

FIELD RULES.

No Club Shall Allow Open Betting, 60
Who Shall be Allowed in the Field, 61
Audience Shall Not be Addressed, 62
Every Club shall Furnish Police Force, 63

GENERAL DEFINITIONS.

Play, 64
Time, 65
Game, 66
An Inning, 67
A Time at Bat, 68
Legal, 69
Scoring, 70
Batting, (1) 70
Runs Made, (2) 70
Base Hits, (3) 70
Sacrifice Hits, (4) 70
Fielding, (5) 70
Assists, (6) 70
Errors, (7) 70
Stolen Bases, (8) 70
Earned Runs, (9) 70
The Summary, 71
Number of Earned Runs, (1) 71
Number of Two Base Hits, (2) 71
Number of Three Base Hits, (3) 71
Number of Home Runs, (4) 71
Number of Stolen Bases, (5) 71
Number of Double and Triple Plays, (6) 71
Bases on Called Balls, (7) 71
Bases From being Hit, (8) 71
Men Struck Out, (9) 71
Passed Balls, (10) 71
Wild Pitches, (11) 71
Time of Game, (12) 71
Name of Umpire, (13) 71

[Illustration: The Famous Red Stockings of 1869.]
[Illustration: Rock Island-Moline. Champions of the Western Assn, '94.]
[Illustration: Sioux City Base Ball Club. Champs of Western League, '94.]
[Illustration: Petersburg Base Ball Club. Champs of Virginia League, '94.]

#Rules Appendix.#

We have very little to comment upon this year in regard to the amendments made to the playing rules of the game, alike by the special committee appointed to revise them, or by the committee of the whole who do the final work of revision. No improvement in this branch of League legislative work, too, may be looked for until a regular and permanent committee of rules be appointed, with President Young as its continuous chairman, aided by the chief of the umpire staff, Harry Wright, and one member of the League, a member like Mr. Byrne, who has done more since he has been in the League to really improve the game than any other of the several members of the rules committee since 1891. Moreover, the report sent in by this proposed permanent committee of rules should not be changed by the committee of the whole at the spring meetings except by a two-thirds vote. As it is now, the whole business would likely be spoiled by the final revision made by a simple majority vote.

The changes made by the committee of 1894, in several instances did not improve the game at all. The amendment made to the bat rule, which removed the restrictions as to size, was absurd. The League did well to throw it out. The gain in the diameter of the bat, though small, will have its effect on the batting. A quarter of an inch is not much, but it will tell. The abolition of the "mitt," except for catchers and first basemen, was a good move, as was the introduction of a penalty for the failure of umpires to prevent "kicking." One change introduces a new experiment, and that is the call of a strike on every foul tip caught on the fly. The calls of strikes will be more numerous than ever, viz., the regular strikes, the strikes on foul bunts and on foul tips.

As to the change made in the pitcher's plate, nothing was gained by it. The pitcher will still violate the rule requiring him to have his foot in contact with the rubber plate, as he did last year. He cannot get a firm foothold by placing his foot on the rubber. What was wanted was a hollow, oblong square, 12x36 inches, in which the pitcher could have obtained a good, firm foothold within the box, and not as now, outside of it, as he now has to, to secure a good standpoint for his pivot foot outside of the box.

Not a single change was made in the badly-worded scoring rules, and in consequence the same old premium for record batting is offered to every "fungo" hitter in the ranks. Each member of the committee still walks in the same old rut in this respect.

One of the best changes was the following: Rule 59 reads now so that players using "vulgar, indecent, or other improper language" shall be fined $25 and $100, instead of $5 and $25. In Rule 59, Section 4 was stricken out and the following substituted: "Upon notification from an umpire that a fine has been imposed upon any manager, captain or player, the secretary shall forthwith notify the person so fined, and also the club of which he is a member, and in the event of the failure of the person so fined to pay the amount within five days, he shall be debarred from participating in any championship game until such fine is paid."

The committee still retained that problem in mathematics contained in the first rule, a description of how to lay out a field which would puzzle a Yale quarterback.

The change made in Rule 45, Section 1, is a good one. Only the batsman who has failed to bat in his proper turn can be declared out, not those who have batted out of turn in consequence of the former's error.

It will now cost a kicker $25 at least, for indulging in his "hustling" tactics.

That was a much-needed resolution adopted by the League forbidding any club from paying a single fine inflicted on a player.