MLB History: New Rule Changes Help Shape Modern Game

For all of the consternation about proposed rule changes, the structure of the MLB rulebook was not always stable. On this day in 1894, two familiar rules came into being.

One of the great strengths of baseball is that the rules typically do not change often. In fact, the last major rule change, aside from decisions as to how to handle PEDs, may well have been the adoption of the designated hitter in the American League. The rules, for the most part, remain fairly constant.

That was not always the case, especially in the early days of the game. As professional baseball became more and more popular, rule changes were made in order to help balance the game, and even move the game along. On this day in 1894, the MLB made two rule changes that shaped the game for years to come.

The first rule change was that all foul bunts would be called a strike. Previously, batters could bunt pitches away with impunity until they got a pitch they could drive. Several players, particularly Arlie Latham, became incredibly adept at doing so. It would not be uncommon for six or seven pitches in a row to be wasted in such a way, leading to the play just being a dead ball.

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With this change, players were less likely to continue to bunt balls away. It also ended up where the third strike could be called on a fouled off bunt, whereas that previously been a way to avoid a strikeout. It was quite the change for batters to get used to.

The MLB also added the infield fly rule for the coming season. Now, if a batter hit a towering popup on the infield, and runners were on first and second with less than two outs, the batter was out. It was a way to keep infielders from allowing the ball to drop, getting an easy double play. Now, unless the ball rolled foul, only one out would occur, keeping the baserunners from being in a no win situation.

These days, those rules are nothing out of the ordinary. Sure, the infield fly rule has managed to be saddled with some sort of mythical difficulty, developing a reputation as being completely indecipherable to virtually everyone. Nonetheless, it was an important rule in the early days of the game, especially when the more contact and speed oriented approach reigned supreme.

The rules of the game will change from time to time, and that is no exception today. On this day in 1894, two important rules were added to the book, helping to shape baseball into the game we know today.