Spalding's Baseball Guide And Official League Book For 1889 Part 18

RULE 56. The Umpire is only allowed, by the Rules, to call "Time" in case of an accident to himself or a player, a "Block," as referred to in Rule 35, Sec. 3, or in case of rain, as defined by the Rules. The practice of players suspending the game to discuss or contest a discussion with the Umpire, is a gross violation of the Rules, and the Umpire must promptly fine any player who interrupts the game in this manner.

INFLICTING FINES.

RULE 57. The Umpire is empowered to inflict fines of not less than $5.00 nor more than $25.00 for the first offence on players during the progress of a game, as follows:

SEC 1. For indecent or improper language addressed to the audience, the Umpire or any player.

SEC. 2. For the Captain or Coacher willfully failing to remain within the legal bounds of his position, except upon an appeal by the Captain from the Umpire's decision upon a misinterpretation of the rules.

SEC. 3. For the disobedience by a player of any other of his orders, or for any other violation of these Rules.

SEC. 4. In case the Umpire imposes a fine on a player, he shall at once notify the Captain of the offending player's side, and shall transmit a written notice thereof to the President of the a.s.sociation or League within twenty-four hours thereafter, under the penalty of having said fine taken from his own salary.

SEC. 5. A repet.i.tion of any of the above offences shall, at the discretion of the Umpire, subject the offender either to a repet.i.tion of the fine or to removal from the field and the immediate subst.i.tution of another player then in uniform.

FIELD RULES.

RULE 58. No Club shall allow open betting or pool selling upon its grounds, nor in any building owned or occupied by it.

RULE 59. No person shall be allowed upon any part of the field during the progress of the game, in addition to the players in uniform, the Manager on each side and the Umpire; except such officers of the law as may be present in uniform, and such officials of the Home Club as may be necessary to preserve the peace.

RULE 60. No Umpire, Manager, Captain or Player shall address the audience during the progress of a game, except in case of necessary explanation.

RULE 61. Every Club shall furnish sufficient police force upon its own grounds to preserve order, and in the event of a crowd entering the field during the progress of a game, and interfering with the play in any manner, the Visiting Club may refuse to play further until the field be cleared. If the ground be not cleared within fifteen minutes thereafter, the Visiting Club may claim, and shall be ent.i.tled to, the game by a score of nine runs to none (no matter what number of innings have been played).

GENERAL DEFINITIONS.

RULE 62. "Play" is the order of the Umpire to begin the game or to resume play after its suspension.

RULE 63. "Time" is the order of the Umpire to suspend play. Such suspension must not extend beyond the day of the game.

RULE 64. "Game" is the announcement by the Umpire that the game is terminated.

RULE 65. "An Inning" is the term at bat of the nine players representing a Club in a game, and is completed when three of such players have been put out as provided in these Rules.

RULE 66. "A Time at Bat" is the term at bat of a Batsman. It begins when he takes his position, and continues until he is put out or becomes a Base Runner; except when, because of being hit by a pitched ball, or in case of an illegal delivery by the Pitcher, as in Rule 44.

RULE 67. "Legal" or "Legally" signifies as required by these Rules.

SCORING.

RULE 68. In order to promote Uniformity in Scoring Champions.h.i.+p Games, the following instructions, suggestions and definitions are made for the benefit of scorers, and they are required to make all scores in accordance therewith.

BATTING.

SEC. 1. The first item in the tabulated score, after the player's name and position, shall be the number of times he has been at bat during the game. The time or times where the player has been sent to base by being hit by a pitched ball, by the pitcher's illegal delivery, or by a base on b.a.l.l.s shall not be included in this column.

SEC. 2. In the second column should be set down the runs made by each player.

SEC. 3. In the third column should be placed the first base hits made by each player. A base hit should be scored in the following cases:

When the ball from the bat strikes the ground within the foul lines, and out of reach of the fielders.

When a hit ball is partially or wholly stopped by a fielder in motion, but such player cannot recover himself in time to handle the ball before the striker reaches First Base.

When a hit ball is. .h.i.t so sharply to an infielder that he cannot handle it in time to put out the batsman. In case of doubt over this cla.s.s of hits, score a base hit, and exempt the fielder from the charge of an error.

When a ball is. .h.i.t so slowly towards a fielder that he cannot handle it in time to put out the batsman.

That in all cases where a base runner is retired by being hit by a batted ball, the batsman should be credited with a base hit.

When a batted ball hits the person or clothing of the Umpire, as defined in Rule 37.

SEC. 4. In the fourth column shall be placed Sacrifice Hits, which shall be credited to the batsman, who when but one man is out advances a runner a base on a fly to the outfield or a ground hit, which results in putting out the batsman, or would so result if handled without error.

FIELDING.

SEC. 5. The number of opponents put out by each player shall be set down in the fifth column. Where a striker is given out by the Umpire for a foul strike, or because he struck out of his turn, the put-out shall be scored to the Catcher.

SEC. 6. The number of times the player a.s.sists shall be set down in the sixth column. An a.s.sist should be given to each player who handles the ball in a.s.sisting a run out or other play of the kind.

An a.s.sist should be given to a player who makes a play in time to put a runner out, even if the player who should complete the play fails, through no fault of the player a.s.sisting.

And generally an a.s.sist should be given to each player who handles the ball from the time it leaves the bat until it reaches the player who makes the put out, or in case of a thrown ball, to each player who throws or handles it cleanly and in such a way that a put-out results, or would result if no error were made by the receiver.

ERRORS.

SEC. 7. An error shall be given in the seventh column for each misplay which allows the striker or base runner to make one or more bases when perfect play would have insured his being put out, except that "wild pitches," "bases on b.a.l.l.s," "bases on the batsman being struck by a pitched ball," or case of illegal pitched ball, balks and pa.s.sed b.a.l.l.s, shall not be included in said column. In scoring errors of batted b.a.l.l.s see Section 3 of this Rule.

STOLEN BASES.

SEC. 8. Stolen bases shall be scored as follows:

Any attempt to steal a base must go to the credit of the base runner, whether the ball is thrown wild or m.u.f.fed by the fielder, but any manifest error is to be charged to the fielder making the same. If the base runner advances another base he shall not be credited with a stolen base, and the fielder allowing the advancement is also to be charged with an error. If a base runner makes a start and a battery error is made, the runner secures the credit of a stolen base, and the battery error is scored against the player making it. Should a base runner overrun a base and then be put out, he should receive the credit for the stolen base.

EARNED RUNS.

SEC. 9. An earned run shall be scored every time the player reaches the home base unaided by errors before chances have been offered to retire the side.

THE SUMMARY.

RULE 69. The Summary shall contain:

SEC. 1. The number of earned runs made by each side.

SEC. 2. The number of two-base hits made by each player.

SEC. 3. The number of three-base hits made by each player.