This rule has never been properly observed. Every club should appoint a regular scorer for the season, and he should be competent to record the fielding as well as batting score of the game. Until this is done a full analysis of the season’s play of a club can not be obtained.
Sec. 37. Whenever a match shall have been determined upon between two clubs, play shall be called at the exact hour appointed; and should either party fail to produce their players within fifteen minutes thereafter, the party so failing shall admit a defeat.
[This rule has always been a dead letter. When clubs appoint a time for calling the game, it should be promptly proceeded with after the time allowed by the rule has expired.]
Sec. 38. Any match game played by any club in contravention of the rules adopted by this Association, shall be considered null and void, and shall not be counted in the list of match games won or lost, except a game be delayed by rain beyond the time appointed to commence the same. Any match game can be put off by mutual consent of the parties about engaging in the game. No match game shall be commenced in the rain.
[This is a new rule and was designed to obviate the difficulty attending upon the repudiation of any rule of the game any two clubs may mutually agree to ignore. Thus, for instance, any two clubs agreeing to allow a member of either club to play in a match who has not been a member for thirty days previous to a match, by this rule cannot claim the ball won, or count the match played as a regular game. The exception made in case of rain refers to that rule which requires a game to be commenced within fifteen minutes of the time appointed.]
Sec. 39. No person who shall be in arrears to any other club, or who shall at any time receive compensation for his services as player, shall be competent to play in any match.
Sec. 40. Should a striker stand at the bat without striking at good balls repeatedly pitched to him, for the apparent purpose of delaying the game, or of giving advantage to a player, the umpire, after warning him, shall call one strike, and if he persists in such action, two and three strikes. When three strikes are called he shall be subject to the same rules as if he had struck at three fair balls.
[Section 40 is a rule that should be strictly enforced, as it refers to a part of the game that is oft-times a very tedious and annoying feature. How often do we see the striker, the moment his predecessor has made his first base, stand still at the home base and await the moment when the player on the first base can avail himself of the failure of either the pitcher or catcher to hold the ball while tossing it backward and forward to each other. Some catchers—chiefly among boys, however—actually stand to the right of the home base purposely for this style of game; and even when the pitcher and catcher are inclined to do their duty, the batsman is not, and the latter is frequently allowed to stop the progress of the game by his refusal to strike at good balls, under the plea that they do not suit him, when it is apparent to all that he simply wants to allow his partner to get to his second base. In every respect it is preferable to play the game manfully, and without resorting to any such trickery as this, which not only tires the spectator, but detracts from the merit of the game itself. Even under the new rule of pitching this unfair play was practiced last season. It is to be hoped that umpires will do their duty this year, and put an entire stop to it, which they have the power to do.]
Sec. 41. Every match hereafter made shall be decided by the best two games out of three, unless a single game shall be mutually agreed upon by the contesting clubs.