Clipping:Proposed rule changes to increase offense; pitching delivery rule; flat bats
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| Date | Sunday, November 24, 1878 |
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| Text | It has been plainly evident the past two years that one cause of the decrease in interest in the sport has been the poor batting. Base ball has been brought down to such a science that but few chances are offered for a good display of batting, and nothing so arouses the enthusiasm of an audience as to see the ball flying to the out-fielders. The player, regardless of the side he represents, is always sure to win a round of applause whenever he makes one of these fortunate strikes. People have become tired of confining their pleasure at a base ball match to steady, unchangeable motion of the eyes to first the pitcher and then the catcher. To increase the facilities for good batting will, then, be an important feature of the work before the league at its next meeting, and, in order to do this, several plans have been suggested. First, to adopt the proposed new rule requiring each ball pitched to be either struck at, a “called ball,” or “called strike,” and to do away with the foul bound rule, thus requiring all batted balls to be caught on the fly to insure an out. One advantage of this proposed change is that it has won favor wherever it has been tried. Whether, in the long run, it will perform the desired result is only a matter of conjecture at present. One thing is certain, viz., that more balls will be struck at and more errors committed, for it is a well-known rule that, the freer the batting is, the more chances for errors are given and more committed. Second, to legalize the present practice of pitching. The past season has seen the rule regarding pitching most flagrantly vio9lated without protest from player or umpire. Pitcher after pitcher has swung the hand above the waist, almost, in fact, even with his shoulder, and not a word said against it. It is proposed simply to legalize what has become a practice, for of what consequence is it to have a rule remain a dead letter? It is claimed that the present practice of pitching, while it affords a pitcher greater opportunities to deceive the batsman than the legal way, is also an assistance to the batsman. Third, to omit the word “round” from the rule describing the bat to be used. This would allow a player to use any shaped bat that he pleased, provided it was not more than two and a half inches in thickness. This is a comparatively new idea, but it has many warm advocates, who certainly present strong arguments in its favor. Boston Herald November 24, 1878 [reporting on the NL convention] It was reasonable to expect that some steps would be taken to improve the batting, but beyond two or three measures, which, at the most, will assist the batsman only in a slight degree, nothing of the kind was done. Boston Herald December 8, 1878 |
| Source | Boston Herald |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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