OT: Baseball historians -- a couple questions

[FrankWakefield]

Gloves 1955ish, maybe 54 or 56. I have something on that somewhere... gotta dig around in some boxes to find it. The When it was a Game segment on that is neat.

Balls, that was a year or so after Chapman died. And my understanding is that it happened in the majors and took a season and a half or so to work its way down in the minors, just like you surmised.

[Butch7999]

Official rule changes of 1954 included the addition, "Members of the offensive team shall carry all gloves and other equipment off the field and to the dugout while their team is at bat. No equipment shall be left lying on the field, either in fair or foul territory." So '54 made it official, although the practise may already have been fading prior to that.
Curious to hear a definitive answer about the foul ball thing...

[Chris-Counts]

I can't answer the foul ball question, but I recently discovered umpires started started tossing out scuffed or dirty balls in 1921, an event that was likely related to the foul ball question. The spitball was also banned at the same time. These changes were clearly done with the intention of taking advantage of the live ball, which was introduced the previous year ...

[ncinin]

I remember this subject coming up in a baseball game on TV a long time ago. I recall an announcer (I think it was Bob Costas) said it was after the 1953 season.

If you ever watch the original TV broadcast of games 6 & 7 of the 1952 World Series, at the end of some innings you can see players tossing their gloves on the ground and trotting to the dugout.

[Oldtix]

Originally Posted by Chris Counts

I can't answer the foul ball question, but I recently discovered umpires started started tossing out scuffed or dirty balls in 1921, an event that was likely related to the foul ball question. The spitball was also banned at the same time. These changes were clearly done with the intention of taking advantage of the live ball, which was introduced the previous year ...

I believe there was also great emphasis on player safety after Ray Chapman's death after being hit by a Carl Mays pitch in 1920...a dirty ball was harder for the batter to see.

[GrayGhost]

A wonderful thread here. Part of why baseball is the greatest is the rich history, in the players, rules, etc. Just so much to read on, and absorb. My dream job has always been something in baseball, even part time. Anyone got anything I can do? haha.

[insidethewrapper]

In 1916, Chicago Cubs owner Charles Weeghman became the first to officially allow fans to keep any and all balls hit into the stands. His decision followed an incident in which a fan fought with park attendants after catching a foul ball during the St. Louis Cardinals' series.

Also I believe a fan took a club to court and won in the 1920's (?). I'm looking for the reference to this now.