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EX-CO PUBLISHES UMPIRE’S GUIDE FOR 1875
FIRST MAJOR REFERENCE BOOK FOR UMPS CONTAINS GROUND RULES, PLAYING RULES, & MORE

NEW YORK CITY (Mar. 10-14, 1875) - The topic of Greenhorns was not the only thing discussed at the Spring Executive Committee meetings. In addition, help for the sport’s umpires was on the way.

For the first time, the Executive Committee partnered with a New York publishing house to print the first all-in-one reference volume for umpires of the sport at all levels, “De Witt’s Base Ball Umpires Guide”.

The guide offers the umpire handy reminders and references for every aspect of the sport, from ground rules…

• Size of the Batter’s Box
• Size of the Pitcher’s Box
• Distance of the bases from one another
• Diameter of the bases
• How Home Plate differs from 1st-3rd base
• Where the foul flags & poles should be

…to equipment regulations…

• Size & Weight of the game ball
• Proper game ball materials
• Provider of the ball & who makes them
• Length & circumference of the bat
• Restrictions of materials used in the bat
• Types of shoes that may be worn

…to playing rules…

• Definition of a “hittable ball” for calling strikes
• Parameters of legal & illegal pitching motions
• When to call a game on account of low visibility
• The different methods of recording an out (there are eight)
• How to determine if a player has run out of the base line

…to more administrative aspects of the sport…

• The difference between professional & semi-professional contracts
• The administrative definition of an Amateur player
• The official duties of an umpire
• How umpires should be compensated for their work

Each one the collective total of 76 teams in the three competitive leagues – the A.P.B.L., N.B.B.O., & P.C.B.L. – were given copies to hand out to players, executives, and area umpires, and more were given out to sell on upcoming game days.

Umpires who wish to order a copy to keep in their study have been told to send $1.00 to Robert De Witt and his publishing house on 33 Rose Street in New York City, and to expect delivery a few weeks later.

Time travelers from the future can access the handy reference guide here, at the Vintage Base Ball Association’s “Rules & Customs” website. (It’s too large to attach…)