Clipping:The pitching rule
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| Date | Sunday, June 7, 1885 |
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| Text | At the special meeting of the national league held in New York on the 18th of last April, a strong effort was made by the Providence, Chicago, Detroit, buffalo and St. Louis clubs to have the new pitching rule repealed and the old one restored. This was as strongly opposed by the Boston, New York and Philadelphia clubs, and finally the matter was compromised by the league voting to try the new rule during the month of May, and if, on the 1 st of June, it was found to work to the serious disadvantage of any one club, it should be repealed by a mail vote and the old rule restored. During the discussion, Mr. Allen, the representative of the Providence club, put the question directly to each delegate: “Will you vote for the repeal of the new rule June 1 if the Providence club asks for it?” and each delegate answered in the affirmative. The rule has had a months' trial. The expected increase in batting has not been forthcoming. Fewer men have struck out than under the old rule, and the fielders have been more actively employed, but the hard, terrific work with the bat so confidently, expected as one of the results of the new rule has been a failure. Not only that, but it has been destroyed the effectiveness of some of the best pitchers in the profession, as in the case of Buffinton, Rqdbourn, Galvin, Corcoran and others. It has handicapped, more or less, every pitcher in the league, and consequently the pitchers are unanimously opposed to it, not only on the ground of interfering with their effectivelness, but as too severe a strain on their physical system. No club has suffered from the new rule so severely as the Boston. Not only has one of its pitchers—and one of the best in the country—been seriously handicapped, but the games of the past month have demonstrated that the Boston players cannot do effective batting against the pitching under the new rule, while under the old one their record with the stick was a proud one. Providence has also been badly affected by the new rule, and has never ceased in its opposition to it. Yesterday Mr. Allen came to Boston and consulted with the directors of the Boston club relative to repealing the obnoxious rule. The result was that the Boston directors voted to ask for its repeal, in accordance with the request from Providence. The votes of Boston and Providence were at once transmitted by wire to President Young, and that gentleman will at once, undoubtedly, communicate with the other league clubs, and ask them to vote on the proposition. It is sincerely to be hoped that the new rule will be repealed; it fact, it must be if the league stands by its action at the meeting of April 18. Not to do it is to work harm to a majority of the league clubs, and is to force the best pitchers of the professional out of the organization into that of its rival. The Boston club originated the rule, and now that it has signified its unwillingness and desire to have it repealed, its wishes in this respect should be recognized and favorably considered by its colleagues. That this will be the result may be confidently expected, and in the course of a few days the change be announced. |
| Source | Boston Herald |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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