At its annual meeting the American League passed two measures of importance to baseball, one providing that hereafter a pitched ball must pass between the hip and shoulder in order to make it a strike, instead of between the knee and shoulder, as previously, and the other reducing the playing schedule from 154 to 140 games. The somewhat radical step respecting strikes is the American League’s solution of the discussion which has been on foot for some time with regard to repealing the foul strike rule. The foul-strike rule was not intended to benefit the pitcher, because at the time of its adoption that position had already become too prominent, but was aimed at a specific evil in the game. Under the old system, a batter could knock fouls to his heart’s content, and spectators were often treated to tiresome exhibitions of this sort which he gave while waiting for a ball to suit him.

50 Years Ago, 1954

•Lines started forming yesterday at the Auburn office of the Maine Automobile Registration Bureau at 15 Turner St. as the annual year-end rush began for new licenses to operate motor vehicles on Maine highways. New licenses are mandatory at 12:01 a.m. Jan. 1.

•It will be legal to trap beaver in 21 locations in Androscoggin County after noon Jan. 1, proving the individual possesses a $10 trapping license and does not set his traps within 10 feet of a beaver dam.

25 Years ago, 1979

A two-man crew from Lewiston’s public television station, WCBB, turned the Lewiston Daily Sun news room into a television studio Wednesday night. The camera drifted from reporter to editor and back in an effort to portray the inner workings of a daily newspaper office for the public television audience. Program Manager Michael Mears produced, directed and shot the piece with production assistant Charley Rose. Mears said it will be used next month as part of a “On Location” segment about people behind the scenes.

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