The following is a compilation of all the important major-league rule changes that have been made since 1845. In assembling the research for this book, we found a number of small disagreements on dates; virtually all, however, occurred in the nineteenth century, and most discrepancies were of but one year.
The bracketed reference that follows some of these rules refers to the rule number in today’s Official Baseball Rules. In some cases, the rule as it reads today is considerably different from the way it was written then.
A pitcher must win at least fifteen games to qualify as the league leader in the category of Winning Percentage. (The earlier rule stated that a pitcher must appear in
twenty-five games.) [10.23]
The shape of home plate is changed, from a twelve-inch square to a five-sided figure seventeen inches wide. [1.05]
The first two fouls are termed strikes (in the National League). [6.05B]
The catcher is no longer allowed to catch two strikes on a bounce. [4.03]
The infield fly rule is in effect when there are no outs as well as one out. [6.05E]
The American League joins the majors (the National League got started in 1876), and the rule discrepancies begin. For instance, the National League declares that any foul
ball not caught on the fly is a strike unless the batter has two strikes on him. The AL does not agree–at least not right away. [6.05]
If an offense is "flagrant" enough, the league president may suspend a player or coach who has been fined and/or ejected by an umpire. [9.05C]
The umpire organization chart is established. The plate umpire–the one who judges balls and strikes–is appointed the umpire-in-chief, and the others are field umpires. An
umpire may not interfere with or criticize his colleagues’ decisions. Only the umpire-in-chief may declare the game a forfeit. [9.04]
The captain of a team must notify the umpire-in-chief of any substitution. [3.03]
An umpire must warn players on the bench for excessive yelling before he can fine or otherwise punish them for it. [9.01D]
Before a game begins, the umpire must announce any special ground rules. [9.04]
The cork-center ball is adopted for regular use (it had been used in the previous year for occasional play). [1.09]
Earned runs are charged to a pitcher when a player scores by means of safe hits, sacrifice hits, bases on balls, hit batters, wild pitches, and balks. [10.18]
The abolition of the spitball, with a "grandfather clause": each team is allowed to appoint two spitball pitchers for the 1920 season. [8.02]
A ball that hits an umpire is in play. [5.08]
The umpire may suspend play at any time for an accident to a player or an umpire. [4.12]
After a thirty-minute rain delay an umpire may terminate a game. [4 12]
A player must appear in at least one hundred games to qualify as the league leader in Batting Average and Slugging Average. Before this there was no official rule, but it was
generally accepted that a man had to play in sixty percent of the scheduled games to qualify. [10.23]
The category of RBI is added to scoring. [10.04]
A runner may not run the bases in reverse order "for the purpose of confusing the fielders or making a travesty of the game." [7.08I]
The ball has its gloss removed before a game by the umpire. [3.01]
Enter the "lively ball." Australian yarn, said to be stronger than its American equivalent, may be wound tighter, so the ball’s bounce and hardness increase. [1.09]
No stolen base is to be credited when the defense makes no attempt to get the runner out. [10.08]
Another grandfather clause in the spitball rule: eight National League and nine American League pitchers are officially designated as spitball pitchers and allowed to use the
spitter for the rest of their careers. [8.02]
Pitchers are not credited with a strikeout if a batter reaches first base because of a wild pitch on the third strike. [10.17]
It is a ground-rule double instead of a home run if the ball is hit over the fence in fair territory if the fence is less than 250 feet from home plate. [6.09]
The cushioned cork-center baseball is introduced. [1.09]
The sacrifice fly rule is amended to exempt a batter from an at-bat when a runner advances from first to second or second to third as well as on scoring. [10.09]
Six umpires are appointed to the World Series, two of whom work as alternates.
The pitcher is allowed to have his free foot in front of or behind the rubber, with his pivot foot in front of or on the rubber (but always in contact with it). [8.01]
A batter is credited with a sacrifice fly and not charged with a time at bat if he hits a fly ball that is caught and a runner scores on the catch. This rule lasted only a year.
[10.09]
On December 21 the "new" rules are issued. There are no major changes, but many ambiguities are eliminated, and they are recodified into the ten sections we have today.
An umpire may no longer levy fines. That job is reserved for the league president.
The pitcher’s mound must be fifteen inches above the level of the base lines. [1.07]
A player must play in at least two-thirds of his team’s scheduled games to qualify as the league leader in Batting Average or Slugging Average. [10.23]
A pitcher must pitch a total of at least one inning for every scheduled game to qualify as the league leader in the categories of Earned Run Average or Fielding Average.
(Before this, he had to pitch at least ten complete games and at least one hundred innings.) [10.23]
A player must have at least four hundred at-bats to qualify as the league leader in Batting Average or Slugging Average. However, if there is any player with fewer than the
required number of times at bat whose average would be the highest if he were charged with this required at-bat total, then he shall be recognized as the league leader.
[10.23]
The 1951 rule is repealed. A player must have at least four hundred at-bats, period, to qualify as the league leader in Batting Average or Slugging Average. [10.23]
When a base is occupied, a pitcher must deliver the pitch within twenty seconds of receiving it from the catcher. If he fails to do so, the umpire may call a ball. [8.04]
A player must have a total of at least 3.1 plate appearances for every scheduled game to qualify as the league leader in Batting Average or Slugging Average. [10.23]
A player must have a total of at least 3.1 plate appearances for every scheduled game to qualify as the league leader in Batting Average or Slugging Average. However, if
there is any player with fewer than the required number of plate appearances whose average would be highest if he were charged with this required number of appearances,
then the player shall be recognized as the league leader in Batting or Slugging Average. [10.23]
The year of the DH. The American League votes to accept the designated hitter rule on a three-year experimental basis. The National League votes against it. [6.10]
A reliever is credited with a save for "protecting" a lead. [10.20]
The save rule is amended slightly; no save is to be credited to a pitcher unless the tying run was on base or at the plate or unless he pitched three effective innings. (Before
this a reliever was given a save if he maintained the lead, no matter what the score when he arrived.) [10.20]
Umpires may declare illegal pitches without any physical evidence. If they think that the motion of the ball indicates that the pitcher is throwing a spitter or a defaced ball,
they may issue a warning and, if it happens a second time, eject a pitcher from the game. [8.02]
A pitcher who pitches only a third of an inning in a season will not have his ERA rounded off. His total for innings pitched will be carried as one third. [10.22]
The "game-winning RBI" (previously credited to a batter who gave his club "the lead it never relinquished") is eliminated as an official statistic. [10.04(e)]
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