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Chandler Group Interprets 50 Rules All Professional Leagues to Abide Commissioner and Officials Of Major and Minor Leagues Get Approval of Club Owners / By the United Press CINCINNATI, Ohio, May 9.— Commis- . sioner of baseball A. B. Chandler today an-nounced interpretations of the 1950 base- | ball playing rules as agreed upon by a • committee here May 4-5. At the same time, Chandler decreed the interpretations are to become an official part of the playing rules in all professional leagues on Monday, May 22. Chandler, Ford Frick, president of the National League; Will Harridge, president . of the American League, and George M. • Trautman, president of the Minor League ] Association, have approved the interpreta- : tions. The interpretations were agreed upon by : a committee consisting of James Gallagher and Charles Segar of the National League, Earl Hilligan of the American League, Frank Shaughnessy of the International League, and Richard Butler of Chandlers staff. The interpretations announced are: RULE 2.31: This rule shall be followed to the letter and shall not be interpreted to permit a smother catch to count as a catch. RULE 3.01 E : When the ball is dead, after being hit out of the playing grounds or into the spectator area, or after a call of "time," or for any other reason, play shall be resumed when the -pitcher takes his place on the rubber with a new ball, or the same ball, in his posession and .the umpire calls "play." The umpire shall call "play" as soon as the pitcher takes his place on the rubber with the ball In his possession. To Eliminate Courtesy Runners RULE 3.05: This rule is intended to eliminate the practice of using courtesy runners. No player in the game shall be permitted to act as a courtesy runner for a teammate. No player who has been in the game and has been taken out for a substitute can return as a courtesy runner. Any player not in the line-up, if used as a runner, shall be considered as a substituted player. RULES 3.09 and 3.07: The umpire may interpret the word "injury" to Include a disabling illness. RULE 4.06 C : This is meant to apply . only to situations where the offensive team is obviously trying to make the pitcher commit a balk. RULE 4.10 E. When a game is terminated after five full innings have been completed. With the visiting team at bat and the home team ahead, the score shall be the total number of runs scored by each team at the time the game is terminated. i RULE 5.09 J: "Runner advances" should be interpreted to mean that all run- . ners on base shall be permitted to advance : one base. . , RULE 6.05 K : This is interference and is covered by Rule 5.09 F. The ball is dead and any other runners who may be on base when the play starts shall return to the bases originally occupied. Acts of Improper Batter RULE 6.09 E : The language "That no runs shall be scores or bases run because of any act of the improper batter," shall be interpreted as follows: A base hit is an act of the improper batter. So is his taking first on a base on balls, etc. But if, while he is at bat, a base-runner advances on a ■ stolen base, balk, wild pitch or passed ball, none of these is "an act of the improper batter." The runners are entitled to hold any bases not acquired because of any act of the improper batter. RULE 6.09 I: When the fielder deflects a fair fly ball into the stands or over the fence in fair territory, at a point less than 250 feet from the plate, the batter is entitled only to two bases. RULE 7.06 A : This rule is contradictory when it says, first, "The ball shall remain in play," and, second, that "all runners shall be permitted to advance without liability to be put out." This rule shall be interpreted as permitting the -obstructed runner to advance, without lia-- bility to be put out, to the base which the umpire thinks he would have reached had there been no obstruction, but that all other runners shall advance at their own peril. RULE 708 C: If the impact of the ; runner breaks the base loose from its position before he is tagged or forced out, the base runner shall be called safe and time shall not be called. RULE 7.09 D: The penalty provided by this rule shall be inflicted also on any batter or base runner who has just been retired, and who obstructs or interferes with any following play being made on a bate runner. The base runner shall be declared out for the interference of his teammate or teammates. RULE 8.01 D: Some earlier editions of the rules include a typographical error. This rule obviously should end with a period after the word "otherwise," eliminating the language: "And no other runner is forced by his reaching first base." RULE 8.02 A-3 : The pitcher, of course, is allowed to rub the ball between his bare hands. RULE 8.02 D: This rule applies only when the bases are unoccupied. A quick : return pitch with men on base is a balk. When a pitcher throws a quick return ball with no one on base the umpire shall call "time" and it is not a pitch. If the pitcher repeats the offense during the same batters time at bat the umpire shall inflict the penalty stated in the rule. The ball Is alive on such repeated offense. RULE 8.03: If a sudden emergency causes a pitcher to be summoned into the • game without any opportunity to warm up, the umpire-in-chief shall allow him as many pitches as the umpire deems necessary for him to be properly prepared to pitch. Special Note: It has come to the attention of the interpretations committee that various leagues have forbidden the hidden-ball trick. The hidden-ball trick is a part of the game and is permissible under the rules.
