Base-Ball: How to Become a Player

With the Origin, History and Explanation of the Game

By John Montgomery Ward of the New York Base-Ball Club

PREFACE. 

The author ventures to present this book to the public, because hebelieves there are many points in the game of base-ball which can betold only by a player. He has given some space to a consideration of theorigin and early history of the game, because they are subjectsdeserving of more attention than is generally accorded them. 

His principal aim, however, has been to produce a hand-book of the game, a picture of the play as seen by a player. In many of its branches, base-ball is still in its infancy; even in the actual play there are yetmany unsettled points, and the opinions of experts differ upon importantquestions. The author has been as accurate as the nature of the subjectwould permit, and, though claiming no especial consideration for his ownopinions, he thinks they will coincide in substance with those of themore experienced and intelligent players. 

To Messrs. A. H. Wright, Henry Chadwick, Harry Wright, and James WhyteDavis, for materials of reference, and to Goodwin & Co. , the ScientificAmerican, and A. J. Reach, for engravings and cuts, acknowledgments aregratefully made. 

JOHN M. WARD. 

CONTENTS. 

INTRODUCTION. AN INQUIRY INTO THE ORIGIN OF BASE-BALL, WITH A BRIEFSKETCH OF ITS HISTORY

CHAPTER I. THEORY OF THE GAME--A CHAPTER FOR THE LADIES. 

CHAPTER II. TRAINING

CHAPTER III. THE PITCHER

CHAPTER IV. THE CATCHER

CHAPTER V. THE FIRST BASEMAN

CHAPTER VI. THE SECOND BASEMAN

CHAPTER VII. THE THIRD BASEMAN

CHAPTER VIII. THE SHORT-STOP

CHAPTER IX. THE LEFT-FIELDER

CHAPTER X. THE CENTRE-FIELDER

CHAPTER XI. THE RIGHT-FIELDER

CHAPTER XII. THE BATTER

CHAPTER XIII. THE BASE-RUNNER

CHAPTER XIV. CURVE PITCHING

INTRODUCTION. AN INQUIRY INTO THE ORIGIN OF BASE-BALL, WITH A BRIEFSKETCH OF ITS HISTORY. 

It may or it may not be a serious reflection upon the accuracy ofhistory that the circumstances of the invention of the first ball areenveloped in some doubt. Herodotus attributes it to the Lydians, butseveral other writers unite in conceding to a certain beautiful lady ofCorcyra, Anagalla by name, the credit of first having made a ball forthe purpose of pastime. Several passages in Homer rather sustain thislatter view, and, therefore, with the weight of evidence, and to theglory of woman, we, too, shall adopt this theory. Anagalla did not applyfor letters patent, but, whether from goodness of heart or inability tokeep a secret, she lost no time in making known her invention andexplaining its uses. Homer, then, relates how:

"O'er the green mead the sporting virgins play, Their shining veilsunbound; along the skies, Tost and retost, the ball incessant flies. "

And this is the first ball game on record, though it is perhapsunnecessary to say that it was not yet base-ball. 

No other single accident has ever been so productive of games as thatinvention. From the day when the Phaeacian maidens started the ballrolling down to the present time, it has been continuously in motion, and as long as children love play and adults feel the need of exerciseand recreation, it will continue to roll. It has been known in alllands, and at one time or another been popular with all peoples. TheGreeks and the Romans were great devotees of ball-play; China was notedfor her players; in the courts of Italy and France, we are told, it wasin especial favor, and Fitz-Stephen, writing in the 13th century, speaksof the London schoolboys playing at "the celebrated game of ball. "

For many centuries no bat was known, but in those games requiring theball to be struck, the hand alone was used. In France there was earlyplayed a species of hand-ball. To protect the hands thongs weresometimes bound about them, and this eventually furnished the idea ofthe racquet. Strutt thinks a bat was first used in golf, cambuc, orbandy ball. This was similar to the boys' game of "shinny, " or, as it isnow more elegantly known, "polo, " and the bat used was bent at the end, just as now. The first straight bats were used in the old English gamecalled club ball. This was simply "fungo hitting, " in which one playertossed the ball in the air and hit it, as it fell, to others who caughtit, or sometimes it was pitched to him by another player. 

Concerning the origin of the American game of base-ball there existsconsiderable uncertainty. A correspondent of Porter's Spirit of theTimes, as far back as 1856, begins a series of letters on the game byacknowledging his utter inability to arrive at any satisfactoryconclusion upon this point; and a writer of recent date introduces aresearch into the history of the game with the frank avowal that he hasonly succeeded in finding "a remarkable lack of literature on thesubject. "

In view of its extraordinary growth and popularity as "Our NationalGame, " the author deems it important that its true origin should, ifpossible, be ascertained, and he has, therefore, devoted to this inquirymore space than might at first seem necessary. 

In 1856, within a dozen years from the time of the systematization ofthe game, the number of clubs in the metropolitan district and theenthusiasm attending their matches began to attract particularattention. The fact became apparent that it was surely superseding theEnglish game of cricket, and the adherents of the latter game lookedwith ill-concealed jealousy on the rising upstart. There were then, asnow, persons who believed that everything good and beautiful in theworld must be of English origin, and these at once felt the need of apedigree for the new game. Some one of them discovered that in certainfeatures it resembled an English game called "rounders, " and immediatelyit was announced to the American public that base-ball was only theEnglish game transposed. This theory was not admitted by the followersof the new game, hut, unfortunately, they were not in a position toemphasize the denial. One of the strongest advocates of the roundertheory, an Englishman-born himself, was the writer for out-door sportson the principal metropolitan publications. In this capacity and as theauthor of a number of independent works of his own, and the writer ofthe "base-ball" articles in several encyclopedias and books of sport, hehas lost no opportunity to advance his pet theory. Subsequent writershave, blindly, it would seem, followed this lead, until now we find itasserted on every hand as a fact established by some indisputableevidence; and yet there has never been adduced a particle of proof tosupport this conclusion. 

While the author of this work entertains the greatest respect for thatgentleman, both as a journalist and man, and believes that base-ballowes to him a monument of gratitude for the brave fight he has alwaysmade against the enemies and abuses of the game, he yet considers thispoint as to the game's origin worthy of further investigation, and hestill regards it as an open question. 

When was base-ball first played in America?

The first contribution which in any way refers to the antiquity of thegame is the first official report of the "National Association" in 1858. This declares "The game of base-ball has long been a favorite andpopular recreation in this country, but it is only within the lastfifteen years that any attempt has been made to systematize and regulatethe game. " The italics are inserted to call attention to the fact thatin the memory of the men of that day base-ball had been played a longtime prior to 1845, so long that the fifteen years of systematized playwas referred to by an "only. "

Colonel Jas. Lee, elected an honorary member of the Knickerbocker Clubin 1846, said that he had often played the same game when a boy, and atthat time he was a man of sixty or more years. Mr. Wm. F. Ladd, myinformant, one of the original members of the Knickerbockers, says thathe never in any way doubted Colonel Lee's declaration, because he was agentleman eminently worthy of belief. 

Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, several years since, said to the reporter ofa Boston paper that base-ball was one of the sports of his college daysat Harvard, and Dr. Holmes graduated in 1829. 

Mr. Charles De Bost, the catcher and captain of the old Knickerbockers, played base-ball on Long Island fifty years ago, and it was the samegame which the Knickerbockers afterward played. 

In the absence of any recorded proof as to the antiquity of the game, testimony such as the foregoing becomes important, and it might bemultiplied to an unlimited extent. 

Another noticeable point is the belief in the minds of the game's firstorganizers that they were dealing with a purely American production, andthe firmness of this conviction is evidenced by everything they said anddid. An examination of the speeches and proceedings of the conventions, of articles in the daily and other periodical publications, of thepoetry which the game at that early day inspired, taken in connectionwith the declarations of members of the first clubs still living, willshow this vein of belief running all the way through. The idea thatbase-ball owed its origin to any foreign game was not only notentertained, but indignantly repudiated by the men of that time; and inpursuing his investigations the writer has discovered that this feelingstill exists in a most emphatic form. 

In view of the foregoing we may safely say that base-ball was played inAmerica as early, at least, as the beginning of this century. 

It may be instructive now to inquire as to the antiquity of the "oldEnglish game" from which baseball is said to have sprung. Deferring forthe present the consideration of its resemblance to base-ball, whatproof have we of its venerable existence? Looking, primarily, to thefirst editions of old English authorities on out-door sports, I havebeen unable to find any record that such a game as "rounders" was known. I may have been unfortunate in my searches, for, though I have exhaustedevery available source of information, I have not discovered any mentionof it. 

The first standard English writer to speak of rounders is "Stonehenge"in his Manual of Sports, London, 1856. Since then almost every Englishwork on out-door sports describes the "old [with an emphasis] Englishgame of rounders, " and in the same connection declares it to be the germof the American base-ball; and yet, curiously enough, not one of themgives us any authority even for dubbing it "old, " much less for callingit the origin of our game. But in 1856 base-ball had been played herefor many years; it had already attracted attention as the popular sport, and by 1860 was known in slightly differing forms all over the country. To all these later English writers, therefore, its existence and generalprinciples must have been familiar, and it is consequently remarkablethat, in view of their claim, they have given us no more particulars ofthe game of rounders. Are we to accept this assertion without reserve, when an investigation would seem to indicate that baseball is really theolder game? If this English game was then a common school-boy sport, asnow claimed, it seems almost incredible that it should have escaped thenotice of all the writers of the first half of the century; and yet nosooner does base-ball become famous as the American game than Englishwriters discover that there is an old and popular English game fromwhich it is descended. Many of the games which the earlier writersdescribe are extremely simple as compared with rounders, and yet thelatter game is entirely overlooked!

But upon what ground have these later writers based their assumption?Many, doubtless, have simply followed the writings from this side of theAtlantic; others have been misled by their ignorance of the actual ageof our game, for there are even many Americans who think base-ball wasintroduced by the Knickerbocker and following clubs; a few, with theproverbial insular idea, have concluded that base-ball must be ofEnglish origin, if for no other reason, because it ought to be. 

It is not my intention to declare the old game of rounders a myth. Thereis ample living testimony to its existence as early perhaps as 1830, butthat it was a popular English game before base-ball was played here I amnot yet ready to believe. Before we accept the statement that base-hallis "only a species of glorified rounders, " we should demand some proofthat the latter is really the older game. In this connection it will beimportant to remember that there were two English games called"rounders, " but entirely distinct the one from the other. Johnson'sDictionary, edition of 1876, describes the first, and presumably theolder, as similar to "fives" or hand-ball, while the second is the gamesupposed to be allied to base-ball. "Fives" is one of the oldest ofgames, and if it or a similar game was called "rounders, " it willrequire something more than the mere occurrence of the name in some oldwriting to prove that the game referred to is the "rounders" as nowplayed. And if this cannot be shown, why might we not claim, with asmuch reason as the other theory has been maintained, that the "oldEnglish game of rounders" is only a poor imitation of the older Americangame of base-ball?

Up to this point we have waived the question of resemblance between thetwo games, but let us now inquire what are the points of similarity. 

Are these, after all, so striking as to warrant the assumption that onegame was derived from the other, no matter which may be shown to be theolder? In each there are "sides;" the ball is tossed to the striker, whohits it with a bat; he is out if the ball so hit is caught; he runs todifferent bases in succession and may be put out if hit by the ball whenbetween the bases. But with this the resemblance ceases. In base-ballnine men constitute a side, while in rounders there may be any numberover three. In base-ball there are four bases (including the home), andthe field is a diamond. In rounders the bases are five in number and thefield a pentagon in shape. There is a fair and foul hit in base-ball, while in rounders no such thing is known. In rounders if a ball isstruck at and missed, or if hit so that it falls back of the striker, heis out, while in base-ball the ball must be missed three times and thethird one caught in order to retire the striker; and a foul, unlesscaught like any other ball, has no effect and is simply declared "dead. "In rounders the score is reckoned by counting one for each base made, and some of the authorities say the run is completed when the runner hasreached the base next on the left of the one started from. In base-ballone point is scored only when the runner has made every base insuccession and returned to the one from which he started. In roundersevery player on the side must be put out before the other side can comein, while in base-ball from time immemorial the rule has been "threeout, all out. " The distinctive feature of rounders, and the one whichgives it its name, is that when all of a side except two have beenretired, one of the two remaining may call for "the rounder;" that is, he is allowed three hits at the ball, and if in any one of these he canmake the entire round of the bases, all the players of his side arereinstated as batters. No such feature as this was ever heard of inbase-ball, yet, as said, it is the characteristic which gives torounders its name, and any derivation of that game must certainly havepreserved it. 

If the points of resemblance were confined solely to these two games itwould prove nothing except that boys' ideas as well as men's often runin the same channels. The very ancient game of bandy ball has its doublein an older Persian sport, and the records of literary and mechanicalinvention present some curious coincidences. But, as a matter of fact, every point common to these two, games was known and used long before inother popular sports. That the ball was tossed to the bat to be hit wastrue of a number of other games, among which were club ball, tip cat, and cricket; in both of the latter and also in stool ball bases wererun, and in tip cat, a game of much greater antiquity than either base-ball or rounders, the runner was out if hit by the ball when betweenbases. In all of these games the striker was out if the ball when hitwas caught. Indeed, a comparison will show that there are as manyfeatures of base-ball common to cricket or tip cat as there are torounders. 

In view, then, of these facts, that the points of similarity are notdistinctive, and that the points of difference are decidedly so, I cansee no reason in analogy to say that one game is descended from theother, no matter which may be shown to be the older. 

There was a game known in some parts of this country fifty or more yearsago called town-ball. In 1831 a club was regularly organized inPhiladelphia to play the game, and it is recorded that the first day forpractice enough members were not present to make up town-ball, and so agame of "two-old-cat" was played. This town-ball was so nearly likerounders that one must have been the prototype of the other, but town-ball and base-ball were two very different games. When this same town-ball club decided in 1860 to adopt base-ball instead, many of itsprincipal members resigned, so great was the enmity to the latter game. Never, until recently, was the assertion made that base-ball was adevelopment of town-ball, and it could not have been done had thewriters looked up at all the historical facts. 

The latest attempt to fasten an English tab on the American game isnoteworthy. Not content to stand by the theory that our game is sprungfrom the English rounders, it is now intimated that baseball itself, thesame game and under the same name, is of English origin. To complete thechain, it is now only necessary for some English writer to tell us that"in 1845 a number of English gentlemen sojourning in New York organizeda club called the Knickbockers, and introduced to Americans the oldEnglish game of base-ball. " This new departure has not yet gained muchheadway, but it must be noticed on account of the circumstances of itsappearance. 

The edition of Chambers' Encyclopedia just out, in its article on "base-ball" says that the game was mentioned in Miss Austen's NorthangerAbbey, written about 1798, and leaves us to infer that it was the samegame that we now know by that name. It was not necessary to go into therealm of fiction to find this ancient use of the name. A writer to theLondon Times in 1874 pointed out that in 1748 the family of Frederick, Prince of Wales, were represented as engaged in a game of base-ball. Miss Austen refers to base-ball as played by the daughters of "Mrs. Morland, " the eldest of whom was fourteen. In Elaine's Rural Sports, London, 1852, in an introduction to ball games in general, occurs thispassage: "There are few of us of either sex but have engaged in base-ball since our majority. " Whether in all these cases the same game wasmeant matters not, and it is not established by the mere identity ofnames. "Base, " as meaning a place of safety, dates its origin from thegame of "prisoners' base" long before anything in the shape of base-ballor rounders; so that any game of ball in which bases were a featurewould likely be known by that name. The fact that in the three instancesin which we find the name mentioned it is always a game for girls orwomen, would justify the suspicion that it was not always the same game, and that it in any way resembled our game is not to be imagined. Base-ball in its mildest form is essentially a robust game, and it wouldrequire an elastic imagination to conceive of little girls possessed ofphysical powers such as its play demands. 

Besides, if the English base-ball of 1748, 1798, and 1852 were the sameas our base-ball we would have been informed of that fact long ago, andit would never have been necessary to attribute the origin of our gameto rounders. And when, in 1874, the American players were introducingbase-ball to Englishmen, the patriotic Britain would not have said, ashe then did, that our game was "only rounders with the rounder leftout, " but he would at once have told us that base-ball itself was an oldEnglish game. 

But this latest theory is altogether untenable and only entitled toconsideration on account of the authority under which it is put forth. 

In a little book called Jolly Games for Happy Homes, London, 1875, dedicated to "wee little babies and grown-up ladies, " there is describeda game called "base-ball. " It is very similar in its essence to our gameand is probably a reflection of it. It is played by a number of girls ina garden or field. Having chosen sides, the "leader" of the "out" sidetosses the ball to one of the "ins, " who strikes it with her hand andthen scampers for the trees, posts, or other objects previouslydesignated as bases. Having recovered the ball, the "scouts, " or thoseon the "outs, " give chase and try to hit the fleeing one at a time whenshe is between bases. There must be some other means, not stated, forputting out the side; the ability to throw a ball with accuracy isvouchsafed to few girls, and if the change of innings depended uponthis, the game, like a Chinese play, would probably never end. It isdescribed, however, as a charming pastime, and, notwithstanding itssimplicity, is doubtless a modern English conception of our NationalGame. 

To recapitulate briefly, the assertion that base-ball is descended fromrounders is a pure assumption, unsupported even by proof that the lattergame antedates the former and unjustified by any line of reasoning basedupon the likeness of the games. The other attempt to declare base-ballitself an out-and-out English game is scarcely worthy of seriousconsideration. 

But if base-ball is neither sprung from rounders nor taken bodily fromanother English game, what is its origin? I believe it to be a fruit ofthe inventive genius of the American boy. Like our system of government, it is an American evolution, and while, like that, it has doubtless beenaffected by foreign associations, it is none the less distinctively ourown. Place in the hands of youth a ball and bat, and they will inventgames of ball, and that these will be affected by other familiar gamesand in many respects resemble them, goes without saving. 

The tradition among the earliest players of the game now living, is thatthe root from which came our present base-ball was the old-time Americangame of "cat-ball. " This was the original American ball game, and thetime when it was not played here is beyond the memory of living man. There were two varieties of the game, the first called "one-old-cat, " orone-cornered-cat, and the other "two-old-cat. "

In one-old-cat there were a batter, pitcher, catcher, and fielders. There were no "sides, " and generally no bases to run, but in every otherrespect the game was like base-ball. The batter was out if he missedthree times and the third strike was caught, or if the ball when hit wascaught on the fly or first bound. When the striker was "put out" thecatcher went in to bat, the pitcher to catch, and the first fielder topitch, and so on again when the next striker was retired. The order ofsuccession had been established when the players went on the field byeach calling out a number, as "one, " "two, " "three, " etc. , one being thebatter, two the catcher, three the pitcher, four the first fielder, etc. Thus, each in order secured his turn "at bat, " the coveted position. Sometimes, when the party was larger, more than one striker was allowed, and in that case, not only to give the idle striker something to do, butto offer extra chances for putting him out, one or more bases were laidout, and having hit the ball he was forced to run to these. If he couldbe hit with the ball at any time when he was between bases he was out, and he was forced to be back to the striker's position in time to takehis turn at bat. This made him take chances in running. No count waskept of runs. Two-old-cat differed from one-old-cat in having twobatters at opposite stations, as in the old English stool-ball and themore modern cricket, while the fielders divided so that half faced onebatter and half the other. 

From one-old-cat to base-ball is a short step. It was only necessary tochoose sides, and then the count of runs made by each would form thenatural test of superiority. That base-ball actually did develop in thisway was the generally accepted theory for many years. 

In 1869 an article in The Nation, from A. H. Sedgwick, commenting uponthe features of baseball arid cricket as exemplifying nationalcharacteristics, said: "To those other objectors who would contend thatour explanation supposes a gradual modification of the English into theAmerican game, while it is a matter of common learning that the latteris of no foreign origin but the lineal descendant of that favorite ofboyhood, 'two-old-cat, ' we would say that, fully agreeing with them asto the historical fact, we have always believed it to be so clear as notto need further evidence, and that for the purposes of this article thehistory of the matter is out of place. "

Without going further into a consideration that might be greatlyprolonged, I reassert my belief that our national game is a homeproduction. In the field of out-door sports the American boy is easilycapable of devising his own amusements, and until some proof is adducedthat base-ball is not his invention I protest against this systematiceffort to rob him of his dues. 

The recorded history of the game may be briefly sketched; it is not theobject here to give a succinct history:

In 1845 a number of gentlemen who had been in the habit, for severalyears, of playing base-ball for recreation, determined to formthemselves into a permanent organization under the name of "TheKnickerbocker Club. " They drew up a Constitution and By-laws, andscattered through the latter are to be found the first written rules ofthe game. They little thought that that beginning would develop into thepresent vast system of organized base-ball. They were guilty of nocrafty changes of any foreign game; there was no incentive for that. They recorded the rules of the game as they remembered them from boyhoodand as they found them in vogue at that time. For six years the clubplayed regularly at the Elysian Field, the two nines being made up fromall the members present. From 1851 other clubs began to be organized, and we find the Washington, Gotham (into which the Washington wasmerged), Eagle, Empire, Putnam, Baltic, Union, Mutual, Excelsior, Atlantic, Eckford, and many other clubs following in the space of a fewyears. 

In Philadelphia town-ball was the favorite pastime and kept out base-ball for some time, while in Boston the local "New England game, " asplayed by the Olympic, Elm Tree, and Green Mountain Clubs, deferred theintroduction of base-ball, or, as it was called, "the New York game, "until 1857. 

Base-ball grew rapidly in favor; the field was ripe. America needed alive out-door sport, and this game exactly suited the nationaltemperament. It required all the manly qualities of activity, endurance, pluck, and skill peculiar to cricket, and was immeasurably superior tothat game in exciting features. There were dash, spirit, and variety, and it required only a couple of hours to play a game. Developed byAmerican brains, it was flaw to us, and we took to it with all theenthusiasm peculiar to our nature. 

In 1857 a convention of delegates from sixteen clubs located in andaround New York and Brooklyn was held, and a uniform set of rules drawnup to govern the play of all the clubs. 

In 1858 a second general convention was held, at which twenty-five clubswere represented. A committee was appointed to formulate a Constitutionand By-laws for a permanent organization, and in accordance with this"The National Association of Baseball Players" was duly organized. Thegame now made rapid strides. It was no boys' sport, for no one undertwenty-one years of age could be a delegate. Each year a committee ofmen having a practical knowledge of the game revised the playing rules, so that these were always kept abreast of the time. 

During 1858 a series of three games between picked nines from New Yorkand Brooklyn was played on the Fashion Course, Long Island. The publicinterest in these games was very great and the local feeling ran high. The series, which terminated in favor of New York, two to one, attracted general attention to the game. 

In 1861 a similar game was played called "the silver ball match, " onaccount of the trophy, a silver ball, offered by the New York Clipper. This time Brooklyn won easily, and it is said some 15, 000 people werepresent. 

At the second annual meeting of the "National Association" in 1860, seventy clubs had delegates present, representing New York, Brooklyn, Boston, Detroit, New Haven, Newark, Troy, Albany, Buffalo, and othercities. During this year the first extended trip was taken by theExcelsior Club, of Brooklyn, going to Albany, Troy, Buffalo, Rochester, and Newburgh. All the expenses of the trip were paid from the treasuryof the traveling club, for there were no inclosed grounds in those daysand no questions as to percentage or guarantee were yet agitating theclubs and public. The Excelsiors won every game, and their skillfuldisplay and gentlemanly appearance did much to popularize the game inthe cities visited. 

Already in 1860 the game was coming to be recognized as our nationalpastime, and there were clubs in all the principal cities. Philadelphiahad forsaken her town-ball, and Boston's "New England" game, after ahard fight, gave way to the "New York" game. Washington, Baltimore, Troy, Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, all had their championteams. From Detroit to New Orleans, and from Portland, Maine, to far-offSan Francisco, the grand game was the reigning out-door sport. 

With the outbreak of the Civil War came a very general suspension ofplay in the different cities, though the records of occasional games incamp show that "the boys" did not entirely forget the old love. In 1865the friendly contests were resumed, though the call of the rolls showedmany "absent" who had never been known to miss a game. More than one ofthose who went out in '61 had proven his courage on the crimson field. 

During the seasons of '65, '66, and '67 amateur base-ball, so-called, was in the height of its glory. At the annual Convention of the NationalAssociation in '66 a total of two hundred and two clubs from seventeenStates and the District of Columbia were represented; besides, therewere present delegates from the Northwestern and PennsylvaniaAssociations, representing in addition over two hundred clubs. 

In 1867 the trip of the "Nationals" of Washington was the first visit ofan Eastern club to the West, and helped greatly to spread the reputationof the game. 

For a number of years, however, certain baneful influences had creptinto the game and now began to work out their legitimate effect. 

The greatest of these evils was in the amount of gambling on the resultsof games. With so much money at stake, the public knew that playerswould be tampered with, and when finally its suspicions were confirmed, it refused further to patronize the game. 

The construction of inclosed grounds and the charge of admission provedanother danger. No regular salaries were paid, so that the players whowere depending on a share of the "gate" arranged to win and lose a gamein order that the deciding contest might draw well. 

Doubtless there were more of these things existing in the publicimagination than in actual fact, but distrust once aroused, there was nofaith left for anything or anybody. 

Very early in the history of the Association the practice prevailedamong certain clubs of offering inducements to crack players in order tosecure them as members. The clubs which could afford this grewdisproportionately strong, and in the face of continual defeat theweaker clubs were losing interest. In 1859 a rule was made forbiddingthe participation in any matches of paid players, but it was so easilyevaded that it was a dead letter. In 1866 the rule was reworded, butwith no improved effect, and in 1868 the National Association decided, as the only way out of the dilemma, to recognize the professional classof players. By making this distinction it would no longer be considereda disgrace for an amateur to be beaten by a professional nine. 

For the professionals the change was most beneficial. It legitimizedtheir occupation and left them at liberty to pursue openly and honorablywhat they had before been forced to follow under false colors. The proudrecord of the Cincinnati "Reds" in '69 proved that professional base-ball could be honestly and profitably conducted, and from that timeforth it was an established institution. 

But with the introduction of professionalism there began a greatcompetition for players, and this brought in a new evil in the form of"revolvers, " or, as they were sometimes called, "shooting stars. "Players under contract with one club yielded to the temptations oflarger offers and repudiated the first agreements. It became evidentthat a closer organization was necessary to deal with these affairs. 

In 1871 the professional and amateur organizations concluded to dissolvepartnership. Two distinct associations were formed, and the firstregular championship contests were engaged in by the ProfessionalAssociation. After a few years the Amateur National Association passedout of existence. 

In 1876 eight clubs of the "Professional National Association" formed anindependent body, calling themselves "The National League, " and this isthe present senior base-ball organization. 

In 1881 a new body of professional clubs, The American Association, entered the field, and is now, with the National League, one of thecontrolling factors of the game. 

There have been a number of other base-ball associations formed fromtime to time, but, unable to compete with the larger Leagues, anddespoiled of their best players, they have been forced to withdraw. Under a new regime there are at present quite a number of these minororganizations, and some of them are in a most flourishing condition. 

In 1882 the National League, American Association, and NorthwesternLeague entered into what was called the "Triparti Agreement, " which thefollowing year was developed into the "National Agreement. " The partiesto this document, which is become the lex suprema in base-ball affairs, are now, primarily, the National League and the American Association. Itregulates the term of players' contracts and the period fornegotiations; it provides a fine of five hundred dollars upon the clubviolating, and disqualifies the player for the ensuing season; itprescribes the formula necessary to make a "legal" contract; the clubsof each Association are to respect the reservations, expulsions, blacklistments, and suspensions of the clubs of the other; it declaresthat no club shall pay any salary in excess of two thousand dollars;finally, it provides for a Board of Arbitration, consisting of threeduly accredited representatives from each Association, to conveneannually, and, "in addition to all matters that may be speciallyreferred to them, " to have "sole, exclusive, and final jurisdiction ofall disputes and complaints arising under, and all interpretations of, this Agreement. " It shall also decide all disputes between theAssociations or between club members of one Association and club membersof the other. 

To this main agreement are tacked "Articles of Qualified Admission, " bywhich the minor base-ball associations, for a consideration and uponcertain conditions, are conceded certain privileges and protection. These articles are an agreement between the League and AmericanAssociation, party of the first part, and the minor leagues as party ofthe second part. 

The most important feature of the National Agreement unquestionably isthe provision according to the club members the privilege of reserving astated number of players. No other club of any Association under theAgreement dares engage any player so reserved. To this rule, more thanany other thing, does base-ball as a business owe its presentsubstantial standing. By preserving intact the strength of a team fromyear to year; it places the business of baseball on a permanent basisand thus offers security to the investment of capital. The greatest evilwith which the business has of recent years had to contend is theunscrupulous methods of some of its "managers. " Knowing no such thing asprofessional honor, these men are ever ready to benefit themselves, regardless of the cost to an associate club. The reserve rule itself isa usurpation of the players' rights, but it is, perhaps, made necessaryby the peculiar nature of the base-ball business, and the player isindirectly compensated by the improved standing of the game. I quote inthis connection Mr. A. G. Mills, ex-President of the League, and theoriginator of the National Agreement: "It has been popular in days goneby to ascribe the decay and disrepute into which the game had fallen todegeneracy on the part of the players, and to blame them primarily forrevolving and other misconduct. Nothing could be more unjust. I havebeen identified with the game more than twenty-five years--for severalseasons as a player--and I know that, with rare exceptions, those faultswere directly traceable to those who controlled the clubs. Professionalplayers have never sought the club manager; the club manager hasinvariably sought--and often tempted--the player. The reserve rule takesthe club manager by the throat and compels him to keep his hands off hisneighbor's enterprise. "

It was not to be expected that club managers of the stamp above referredto would exhibit much consideration for the rights of players. As longas a player continued valuable he had little difficulty, but when, forany reason, his period of usefulness to a club had passed, he was likelyto find, by sad experience, that base-ball laws were not construed forhis protection; he discovered that in base-ball, as in other affairs, might often makes right, and it is not to be wondered at that he turnedto combination as a means of protection. 

In the fall of 1885 the members of the New York team met and appointed acommittee to draft a Constitution and By-laws for an organization ofplayers, and during the season of 1886 the different "Chapters" of the"National Brotherhood of Ball-Players" were instituted by the mother NewYork Chapter. The objects of this Brotherhood as set forth by theConstitution are:

"To protect and benefit its members collectively and individually;

"To promote a high standard of professional conduct;

"To foster and encourage the interests of 'The National Game. '"

There was no spirit of antagonism to the capitalists of the game, exceptin so far as the latter might at ally time attempt to disregard therights of any member. 

In November, 1887, a committee of the Brotherhood met a committee of theLeague, and a new form of players' contract was agreed upon. Concessionswere made on both sides, and the result is a more equitable form ofagreement between the club and players. 

The time has not yet come to write of the effect of this new factor inbase-ball affairs. It is organized on a conservative plan, and thespirit it has already shown has given nothing to fear to those who havethe broad interests of the game at heart. That it has within it thecapacity for great good, the writer has no manner of doubt. 

And thus the erstwhile schoolboy game and the amateur pastime of lateryears is being rounded out into a full-grown business. The professionalclubs of the country begin to rival in number those of the halcyonamateur days; and yet the latter class has lost none of its love for thesport. The only thing now lacking to forever establish base-ball as ournational sport is a more liberal encouragement of the amateur element. Professional base-ball may have its ups and downs according as itsdirectors may be wise or the contrary, but the foundation upon which itall is built, its hold upon the future, is in the amateur enthusiasm forthe game. The professional game must always be confined to the largertowns, but every hamlet may have its amateur team, and let us see to itthat their games are encouraged. 

CHAPTER I. THEORY OP THE GAME. A CHAPTER FOR THE LADIES. 

On account of the associations by which a professional game of base-ballwas supposed to be surrounded, it was for a long time thought not aproper sport for the patronage of ladies. Gradually, however, thisillusion has been dispelled, until now at every principal contest theyare found present in large numbers. One game is generally enough tointerest the novice; she had expected to find it so difficult tounderstand and she soon discovers that she knows all about it; she isable to criticize plays and even find fault with the umpire; she issurprised and flattered by the wonderful grasp of her own understanding, and she begins to like the game. As with everything else that she likesat all, she likes it with all her might, and it is only a question of afew more games till she becomes an enthusiast. It is a fact that thesport has no more ardent admirers than are to be found among its ladyattendants throughout the country. 

Whoever has not experienced the pleasure of taking a young lady to herfirst game of ball should seize the first opportunity to do so. Herremarks about plays, her opinions of different players and the umpire, and the questions she will ask concerning the game, are all too funny tobe missed. She is a violent partisan and at once takes strong sides, andif her favorite team fails to bat well she characterizes the opposingpitcher as a "horrid creature;" or when the teams have finishedpracticing she wants to know, with charming ingenuousness, "which won. "But as she gets deeper into the principles of the game her remarksbecome less frequent and her questions more to the point, until herwell-timed attempts to applaud good plays and the anxious look atcritical points of the game indicate that she has at last caught theidea. 

Unfortunately, some men are not able to intelligibly explain the theoryof base-ball, while others are so engrossed with the game that they donot care to be disturbed. For the benefit of those ladies whose escortseither cannot, or will not, answer their questions, I will attempt toset forth as clearly as possible the fundamental principles of the game. 

There are always two opposing teams of nine players each, and they playon a field laid out in the shape of a diamond, as seen in time diagramon the following page. 

At each corner of the diamond is a base, and these are knownrespectively as home base, first base, second base, and third base. Oneof the teams takes "the field, " that is, each of its nine playersoccupies one of the nine fielding positions shown in the diagram, andknown as pitcher, catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, left field, centre field, and right field; the other team goes to"the bat" and tries to make "runs. " A run is scored in this way: One ofthe nine batting players takes his position at the home base andendeavors to hit the ball, thrown to him by the opposing pitcher, tosome part of the field where it can neither be caught before touchingthe ground, nor thrown to first base before the batter himself can runthere; if he can hit it far enough to allow him to reach not only firstbase, but second or third or even home, so much the better, for when hehas made the complete circuit of the bases his side is credited with onerun. If he cannot make home on his own hit he may be helped around bythe good hits of succeeding batsmen, for each one of the nine takes hisregular turn at the bat. This batting and running goes on until three ofthe batting side have been "put out, " whereupon the batting side takethe field and the other team comes in to take its turn at bat and makeas many runs as possible. When three of a batting side have been "putout, " that side is said to have had its "inning, " and each side isentitled to nine innings. 

A player is "put out" in various ways, principal among which are thefollowing: If he strikes three times at the ball and misses it and onthe third strike the ball is caught by the catcher; a ball which passesover the plate between the height of the knee and shoulder and notstruck at, is called a strike just as though it had been struck at andmissed. The batsman is also "out" if the ball which he hits is caught bysome fielder before touching the ground; or if, having touched theground, it is thrown to time first-baseman before the batter himself canreach that base. He is out if, at any time after having hit the ball, heis touched with it in the hands of a fielder, when no part of his personis touching a base. 

There are lines drawn from the home base through the first and third-base corners and continued indefinitely into the field. These are called"foul lines, " and any hit ball falling outside of them counts as nothingat all, unless, of course, it be caught before touching the ground; inwhich case it puts the striker "out. "

Outside of the nine players on each side there is another importantpersonage, known as "The Umpire. " He is not placed there as a target forthe maledictions of disappointed spectators. He is of flesh and blood, and has feelings just the same as any other human being. He is notchosen because of his dishonesty or ignorance of the rules of the game, neither is he an ex-horse thief nor an escaped felon; on the contrary, he has been carefully selected by the President of the League from amonga great number of applicants on account of his supposed integrity ofcharacter and peculiar fitness for the position; indeed, in private lifehe may even pass as a gentleman. 

His duties are arduous; he must decide all points of play, though takingplace on widely separated portions of the field; he determines whether aball has been fairly pitched over the home-base, whether a hit is "fair"or "foul, " or whether a player has been put out in accordance with therules. In brief, he is expected to see all parts of the field at onceand enforce all the principal and incidental rules of the game. It wouldnot be strange, therefore, if he made an occasional mistake or failed todecide in a way to suit all. 

I have given thus concisely, and with the use of as few technical termsas possible, the first principles of the game. Many things are purposelyleft for the novice to learn, because any attempt to go into detailwould prove confusing. For the instruction of those who wish to masterthe technical terms generally used, I subjoin some definitions. They areintended for beginners, and though not in all cases covering the entireground, will yet convey the idea. 

DEFINITIONS. 

A batsman, batter, or striker is the player who is taking his turn atbat. 

A base-runner is what the batter becomes instantly after having hit afair ball, though for convenience of distinction he is often stillcalled a batter until he has reached first base. 

A fielder is any one of the nine fielding players. 

A coacher is one of the batting players who takes his position withincertain prescribed limits near first or third base to direct base-runners and to urge them along. 

A fair hit is, generally speaking, a ball hit by a batsman which fallswithin the foul lines. 

A foul hit is one which falls without the foul lines. A base hit is afair hit by a batsman which can neither be caught before touching theground nor fielded to first base in time to put out the striker. It maybe either a two-base hit, a three-base hit, or a home run, according astwo or three or four bases have been made on the hit without anintervening error. 

An error is made when a fielder fails to make a play that he shouldfairly have been expected to make. 

A fly is a hit caught before touching the ground. 

A muff is made when a "fly" or thrown ball, striking fairly in the handsof a fielder, is not caught. 

A grounder is a hit along the ground. 

A steal is made when a base-runner gets from one base to another withoutthe assistance of a base hit or an error. 

A wild pitch is a ball thrown by the pitcher out of the fair reach ofthe catcher, and on which a base-runner gains a base. 

A passed ball is a throw by the pitcher which the catcher should stopbut fails, and by his failure a base-runner gains a base. 

For the purpose of distinction, the nine fielders are subdivided intoThe Battery, The In-field, and The Out-field. The Battery means thePitcher and Catcher, the In-field includes the First, Second, and ThirdBasemen, and the Short-stop; and the Outfield is composed of the Left, Centre, and Right Fielders. 

As for the theory of the game, remember that there are opposing sides, each of which has nine turns at the bat, i. E. , nine innings, and theobject each inning is to score as many runs as possible. A run is scoredevery time a player gets entirely around the bases, either by his ownhit alone or by the help of succeeding batters, or by the errors of theopposing fielders, and the team making the most runs in nine innings isdeclared the winner. An inning is ended when three of the batting sidehave been "put out, " and a player may be put out in various ways, asbefore enumerated. The umpire is not trying to be unfair, he is doingthe best he can, and instead of abuse he is often deserving of sympathy. 

CHAPTER II. TRAINING. 

Some one has truthfully said, that ball players, like poets and cooks, are born, not made, though once born, their development, like that oftheir fellow-artists, may be greatly aided by judicious coaching. Ofwhat this training shall consist becomes then a question of muchimportance. 

The only way to learn base-ball is to play it, and it is a trite sayingthat the best practice for a ball player is base-ball itself. Still, there are points outside of the game, such as the preliminary training, diet, and exercise, an observance of which will be of great advantagewhen the regular work is begun. The method and style of play and thepoints of each position are given in the subsequent chapters, so that Ishall here speak only of those points which come up off the field andare not included in the game proper. 

But first of all, let me say, that no one will ever become an expertball player who is not passionately fond of the sport. Base-ball cannotbe learned as a trade. It begins with the sport of the schoolboy, andthough it may end in the professional, I am sure there is not a singleone of these who learned the game with the expectation of making it abusiness. There have been years in the life of each during which he musthave ate and drank and dreamed baseball. It is not a calculation but aninspiration. 

There are many excellent books devoted exclusively to the generalsubject of training, and a careful reading of one such may be of muchservice in teaching the beginner the ordinary principles of self-care. It will show him how to keep the system in good working order, what areproper articles of diet, how to reduce weight, or what exercises arebest calculated to develop certain muscles; but for the specificpurposes of a ball player such a book is entirely wanting, for thereason that the "condition" in which he should keep himself, andtherefore the training needful, differ from those for any other athlete. To perform some particular feat which is to occupy but a comparativelybrief space of time, as to run, row, wrestle, or the like, a man will dobetter to be thoroughly "fit. " But if the period of exertion is toextend over some length of time, as is the case with the ball player, working for six months at a stretch, his system will not stand thestrain of too much training. Working solely on bone and muscle day afterday, his nervous system will give way. He will grow weak, or as it istechnically known, "go stale. " This over-training is a mistake oftenestmade by the young and highly ambitious player, though doubtless many ofthe instances of "loss of speed" by pitchers and "off streaks" by olderplayers are really attributable to this cause. 

The "condition" in which a ball player should keep himself is such thathis stomach and liver are in good order, his daily habits regular, hismuscles free and firm, and his "wind" strong enough to allow him to runthe circuit of the bases without inconvenience. He must not attempt tokeep in what is known as "fine" condition. He should observe good hours, and take at least eight hours sleep nightly; and he may eat generouslyof wholesome food, except at noon, when he should take only a lightlunch. There are many players who eat so heartily just before the gamethat they are sleepy and dull the entire afternoon. The travelingprofessional player needs to pay particular attention to the kind andquality of his food. The sudden changes of climate, water, and cookingare very trying, and unless he takes great care he will not get througha season without some trouble. Especially should he avoid under or overripe fruit, for it is likely that many of the prevalent cases of choleramorbus are due to indiscretions in this particular. 

If he finds it necessary to take some light stimulant, let it be donewith the evening meal. Never take any liquor at any other time: I do notfavor the indiscriminate use of any drink, but, on the contrary, opposeit as a most harmful practice; I do believe, however, that a glass ofale, beer, or claret with one's meal is in some cases beneficial. Athin, nervous person, worn out with the excitement and fatigue of theday, will find it a genuine tonic; it will soothe and quiet his nervesand send him earlier to bed and asleep. The "beefy" individual, withplenty of reserve force, needs no stimulant, and should never touchliquor at any time. If taken at all, it should be solely as a tonic andnever as a social beverage. 

The force of the above applies with special emphasis to the youngprofessional player. Knowing so well the numberless temptations by whichhe is surrounded, I caution him particularly against indiscriminatedrinking. In no profession in life are good habits more essential tosuccess than in baseball. It is the first thing concerning which thewise manager inquires, and if the player's record in this respect isfound good it is the most hopeful indication of his future success. Keepaway from saloons. 

The amount of work necessary to keep a player in the proper form must bedetermined in each particular case by the individual himself. If he isinclined to be thin a very little will be enough, and he should notbegin too early in the spring; while if prone to stoutness he mayrequire a great deal, and should begin earlier. It is scarcely necessaryto say that all exercise should be begun by easy stages. Commencing withwalks in the open air and the use of light pulley weights or clubs orbells, the quantity of exercise may be gradually increased. Never, however, indulge in heavy work or feats of strength. Such exercise isnot good for any one, but especially is it dangerous for ball players. They do not want strength, but agility and suppleness; besides, thestraining of some small muscle or tendon may incapacitate one for theentire season, or even permanently. Right here is the objection toturning loose a party of ball players in a gymnasium, for springpractice. The temptation to try feats of strength is always present, andmore than likely some one will be injured. 

The best preliminary practice for a ball player, outside of actualpractice at the game, is to be had in a hand-ball court. The game itselfis interesting, and one will work up a perspiration without noticing theexertion; it loosens the muscles, quickens the eye, hardens the hands, and teaches the body to act quickly with the mind; it affords everymovement of the ball field except batting, there is little danger fromaccident, and the amount of exercise can be easily regulated. Two weeksin a hand-ball court will put a team in better condition to begin aseason than any Southern trip, and in the end be less expensive to theclub. 

But whatever preliminary work is found advisable or necessary to adopt, the player should be particular in the following: Having determined theamount of exercise best suited to his temperament, he should observeregular habits, keep the stomach, liver, and skin healthy, attendcarefully to the quality of food taken, and if he takes any stimulant atall let it be with the evening meal. 

CHAPTER III. THE PITCHER. 

Of all the players on a base-ball nine, the pitcher is the one to whomattaches the greatest importance. He is the attacking force of the nine, the positive pole of the battery, the central figure, around which theothers are grouped. From the formation of the first written code ofrules in 1845 down to the present time, this pre-eminence has beenmaintained, and though the amendments of succeeding years have caused itto vary from time to time, its relative importance is more marked to-daythan at any preceding period. In a normal development of the game theimprovement in batting would unquestionably have outstripped thepitching, and finally overcome this superiority; but the removal ofcertain restrictions upon the pitcher's motions, the legalization of theunderhand throw instead of the old straight-arm pitch, the introductionof "curve" pitching, and, finally, the unrestricted overhand delivery, have kept the pitching always in the lead. At several different times, notably in the rules of 1887, an effort has been made to secure a moreeven adjustment, but recent changes have undone the work, and the seasonof 1888 will see the inequality greater, if anything, than ever. 

The qualities of mind and body necessary to constitute a good modernpitcher are rarely combined in a single individual. First-class pitchersare almost as rare as prima donnas, and out of the many thousandprofessional and amateur ball players of the country not more than adozen in all are capable of doing the position entire justice. 

Speaking first of the physical requirements, I will not discuss thequestion of size. There are good pitchers of all sizes, from Madden andKilroy to Whitney and McCormick, though naturally a man of averageproportions would have some advantages. 

The first thing necessary before one can become a star pitcher is theability to throw a ball with speed. The rules, which at present governthe pitching, place a premium on brute strength, and unless one has afair share of this he will never become a leading pitcher. There are afew so-called good professional players whose sole conception of theposition is to drive the ball through with all possible speed, whileothers whose skill and strategy have been proven by long service, areforced out of the position because they have not sufficient speed forthe modern game. 

Next, one must be possessed of more than an ordinary amount ofendurance. It is by no means a simple task to pitch an entire gamethrough and still be as effective in the ninth inning as in the first;and when, as sometimes happens, the contest is prolonged by an extranumber of innings, the test is severe. This being true of a single game, how much more tiresome it becomes when continued regularly for an entireseason, during the chilly days of the spring and fall, and under abroiling July sun, can be appreciated only by one who has gone throughit. And what with all day and all night rides from city to city, brokenrest and hasty meals, bad cooking and changes of water and climate, theman is extremely fortunate who finds himself in condition to play everyday when wanted. Only a good constitution, a vigorous digestion, themost careful habits, and lots of grit, will ever do it. 

Besides force and stamina, there are certain mental characteristicsnecessary. A pitcher must be possessed of courage and of self-control. He must face the strongest batter with the same confidence that he wouldfeel against the weakest, for it is only so that he can do himselfentire justice; and he must be able to pitch in the most criticalsituations with the same coolness as at any other stage. He must controlhis own feelings so as not to be disconcerted by anything that mayhappen, whether through his own fault, that of a fellow-player, orthrough no fault at all. He should remember that all are working for acommon end, and that the chances of victory will be only injured if heallows his attention to be diverted by unavoidable accidents. And then, too, it is more manly to play one's own game as best one can, no matterwhat occurs, than to continually display an ugly temper at the littlemishaps sure to occur in every game. 

The next point is to acquire a correct position in the "box, " and aneasy, yet deceptive, style of delivery. The position is, to a greatextent, prescribed by the rules, and so much of it as is not can belearned by observing the different pitchers. The position which seemsmost natural should be chosen. The ball should be held in exactly thesame way, no matter what kind of curve is to be pitched. Being obligedby rule to keep the ball before the body, in sight of the umpire, anydifference in the manlier of holding it will be quickly noticed by aclever batter, and if for a particular curve it is always held in acertain way, he will be forewarned of the kind of ball to expect. 

Some batters pay no attention to these little indications; but themajority are looking for them all the time, and once they detect anypeculiarities, they will be able to face the pitcher with much greaterconfidence. The correct manner of holding the ball for every kind ofdelivery is between the thumb and the first and middle fingers, as shownin the accompanying cut of Clarkson. 

It is true there are some curves which may be better acquired by holdingthe ball differently in the hand, but this fact is outweighed by theother considerations of which I have just spoken. Pitcher Shaw mightstill be a "wizard" had he not neglected this precaution; by noticinghis manner of holding the ball the batter always knew just what wascoming; and there are other pitchers yet in the field who would findtheir effectiveness greatly increased by a closer observance of thispoint. 

As for the style of delivery, it should be remembered that the easiestmovement is the best. A long, free sweep of the arm, aided by a swing ofthe body, will give more speed, be more deceiving to the batter, andallow of more work than any possible snap or jerky motion. Facing thestriker before pitching, the arm should be swung well back and the bodyaround so as almost to face second base in the act of delivery; this hasan intimidating effect on weak-nerved batters; besides, not knowing fromwhat point the ball will start, it seems somehow to get mixed up withthe pitcher's arm and body so that it is not possible to get a fair viewof it. It will be understood what motion is meant if there is anopportunity to observe Whitney, Clarkson or Keefe at work. 

Next comes the knowledge of how to throw the different curves. I haveyet to see an article written on this subject which is of the leastvalue in instructing a complete novice. In the chapter on "CurvePitching" will be found the theory of the curve, but as for describingintelligibly the snap of the wrist and arm by which the various twistsare imparted to the ball, I am convinced it cannot be done, and willwaste no effort in the attempt. To curve a ball is not a difficult feat, and a few practical lessons, which any schoolboy can give, will teachthe movement. But, while not attempting myself to tell how this is done, to one already possessed of the knowledge, I may offer some valuablesuggestions. 

Not only must the ball always be held in the same way before pitching, but in the act of delivery the swing of the arm must be identical or sonearly so that the eye of the batter can detect no difference. All thismeans that the pitcher must not give the striker the slightest inklingof the kind of ball to expect, so that he will have the shortestpossible time in which to prepare to hit. I advise against the use oftoo many different curves. The accomplished twirler can pitch any kindof curve, but there are some which he seldom employs. It is impossibleto be accurate when too many deliveries are attempted, and accuracy isof far greater importance than eccentric curves. Almost all professionalpitchers now use the overhand delivery and pitch only a fast, straightball and a curve. The fast ball, on account of its being thrown overhandand the twist thereby given, "jumps" in the air, that is, it risesslightly, while the curve, pitched with the same motion, goes outwardand downward. The curve will necessarily be slower than the straightball, and this will give all the variation in speed needed to unsettlethe batter's "eye" and confuse him in "timing" the ball. Some pitchersare able, keeping the same motions, to vary the speed even of the curveand straight balls, but, as before said, this is apt to be at theexpense of accuracy, and should not be attempted by the young player. Occasionally, say once an inning, a pitcher may make a round arm orunderhand motion simply to mislead the batsman, and if the game issafely won he may use an underhand delivery if he finds it rests hisarm, but these are exceptional instances. 

I have already spoken of the importance of accuracy, but it cannot betoo strongly emphasized. The more marked the control of the ball thegreater will be the success, for no matter how many wonderful curves hemay be able to get, unless he has perfect command he will never be awinning pitcher; seasoned batsmen will only laugh at his curves and goto first on balls. To acquire thorough control requires long and patientpractice. A pitcher should always pitch over something laid down torepresent a plate, and if possible get a batter to stand and hit againsthim. Let him practice with some method, pitching nothing but a straightball, and trying to put it directly over the plate every time. He shouldnot be annoyed if the batter hits him, as he is only practicing. When apitcher is able to cut the centre of the plate eight times out of ten hemay begin with his curve and work it in the same way. Finally, when hecan also control the curve, he should try to alternate it with astraight ball. He will find that he cannot do this at first and retaincommand of each, but he should keep at it, an hour or more regularlyevery day, till he can. 

Up to this point he has been learning only the mechanical part ofpitching, and if he has learned it well he is now ready to try his skilland mettle on the field of actual contest. And here comes in an elementnot before mentioned, which is called strategy, or "head-work. " It meansthe attempt to deceive the batter, to outwit him so that he cannot hitsafely. This may be accomplished in many ways, though the particular waybest suited to each case can only be determined at the time by thepitcher himself. It depends, therefore, upon his own cleverness andwits, and it is not possible for any one else to supply these for him. An intelligent catcher may help him greatly, but there will still remainmany points which he himself must decide. I may be able, however, tofurnish some hints which will indicate the process of reasoning by whichthe pitcher may arrive at certain conclusions; I can point out somethings he should notice, and describe what these generally mean. 

SIGNALING. 

But first as to the question of "signs. " Every battery, by which ismeant a pitcher and catcher, must have a perfectly understood privatecode of signals, so that they may make known their intentions and wishesto one another without at the same time apprising the opposing players. The first and, of course, most important of these is the signal by whichthe catcher is to know what kind of ball to expect. 

There is no necessity of more than one "sign" for this, because all thatany experienced catcher asks is to know when to expect a fast, straightball; not having received the signal for this, he will understand that acurve is to be pitched, and the difference in curve or speed will notbother him after a few moments' practice. Until within a few years thissign was always given by the pitcher, but now it is almost the universalpractice for the catcher to give it to the pitcher, and if the latterdoesn't want to pitch the ball asked for he changes the sign by a shakeof the head. I think the old method was the better, because it iscertainly the business of the pitcher not only to do the pitching, butto use his own judgment in deceiving the batsman. He should not act as amere automaton to throw the ball; moreover, the catcher has enough ofhis own to attend to without assuming any of the duties of the pitcher. Of course, if the pitcher is young and inexperienced, while the catcheris seasoned and better acquainted with the weak points of batters, thelatter will be the better one to signal. It may be thought that theright of the pitcher to reverse the sign by a shake of the headpractically gives him the same control as though he himself gave thesigns, but this is not strictly true; it is impossible for the pitchernot to be more or less influenced by the catcher's sign, and he willoften pitch against his own judgment. At least I found this to be truein my own experience, and therefore always preferred myself to do the"signing. " If the pitcher gives this sign he must be careful to chooseone that will not be discovered by the other side, for there are certainplayers always watching for such points. Some years ago the Chicago Clubgave me the roughest kind of handling in several games, and Kelly toldme this winter that they knew every ball I intended to pitch, and heeven still remembered the sign and told me what it was. Chicago finishedfirst that year and we were a close second. That point which they gainedupon me may have cost Providence the championship, for they beat usbadly in the individual series. When I suspected a club of knowing mysign I used a "combination, " that is, I gave two signs; either one ofthem given separately was not to be understood as a signal at all, butboth had to be given together. I found this to work admirably, and itwas never discovered by any club, so far as I know. If it be agreed thatthe catcher is to give this sign, it is still not necessary that thepitcher be entirely influenced by him. The pitcher should rely upon hisown discretion, and not hesitate to change the sign whenever hisjudgment differs from that of the catcher. 

There are certain signs which the catcher gives to basemen when thereare runners on the bases, and with these, too, the pitcher must beperfectly familiar, so that he may be able to pitch the ball inaccordance with what is about to be done. For instance, if the catcherhas signaled to the first baseman that he will throw there, he willprobably ask the pitcher for an out curve. In order, then, to help himout with the play and give him plenty of room, the pitcher will not onlypitch the out curve asked, but he will keep it well out and wide of theplate, so that it can't possibly be hit, and he will pitch it at theheight where it may be best handled by the catcher. So, too, if there isa runner on first who is likely to attempt to steal second, he will"pitch for the catcher, " and he should shorten his pitching motion so asto give the catcher as much time as possible to throw. When runners"steal" on a catcher it is oftener not so much his fault as thepitcher's. It is almost impossible to make a clean steal of second, evenwith a very ordinary thrower behind the bat, if the pitcher will notgive the runner too much "start. "

The pitcher should also receive a signal from the catcher notifying himwhen to throw to second base to catch a runner leading off too far. Thispoint will, however, be noticed more appropriately under the duties of"The Catcher. "

As for the other bases, first and third, the pitcher should look afterthem himself without any signal from the catcher. I could always standin the pitcher's position facing the batter and still see out of "thecorner of my eye" how much ground the runner on first base was taking. As the baseman is already on the base, there is no necessity ofnotifying him of an intention to throw, so, watching the opportunity, Iwould throw across my body without first having changed the position ofmy feet or body at all. The throw is, of course, not so swift as byfirst wheeling toward the base and then throwing, but it will catch arunner oftener. "Smiling Mickey" Welch plays the point to perfection, and last season caught many men "napping" in this way. Its advantage isthat it is entirely legitimate. Some pitchers, in order to catch arunner at first, make a slight forward movement, visible to the runnerbut not to the umpire, as if about to pitch. This, of course, starts therunner, and before he can recover, the pitcher has turned and thrown tofirst. Notwithstanding the strictest prohibition last season of anymotion even "calculated" to deceive the runner, there were umpires weak-kneed enough to allow these balks. 

The easiest men to catch are the best base-runners, because they arealways anxious to "get away, " and they take the most chances. Anambitious runner will keep moving up and down the line trying to get hisstart. The pitcher should not appear to notice him, pretending to beinterested only in the batter, but watching the runner closely all thetime. Suddenly, and without the least warning, he should snap the ballto the baseman. If the pitcher will choose a time when the runner is onthe move away from the base the batter will be off his balance and maybe caught before he can recover. 

For the third base it may be advisable to have a signal with the basemanto notify him of a throw. It is very seldom possible to catch a runneroff third by a throw from the pitcher, though it may sometimes be done. Clarkson and Galvin both accomplish it at times, though they always doit by the aid of a "balk. " Clarkson's method is this: With a runner onfirst and one on third, the man on first will usually try to stealsecond, and if the ball is thrown there to catch him, the runner onthird tries to score. In this situation Clarkson makes a slight forwardmovement of the body as though about to pitch, and the runner on third, being anxious to get all possible ground, moves forward. With the samemotion, and before the runner can recover, Clarkson, by a priorunderstanding with the third baseman, throws to the base, the basemanmeets the ball there, and before the runner has quite realized what hashappened, he is "out. " I have reason to know the working of this littlescheme, because I was caught by it in Chicago last season in a veryclose game. The "balk" was palpable, and I made a strenuous "kick, " butthe umpire refused to see it that way. 

A pitcher should not be misled by what I have said into too muchthrowing to bases. He should throw only when there is a fair chance ofmaking the put-out; for all other purposes, as to hold the runner closeto the base, a feint will answer just as well and does not entail thepossibility of an error. 

STRATEGY. 

A strategic pitcher is one who depends for success not simply on speedand curves, but who outwits the batsman by skill, who deceives his eye, and plays upon his weaknesses. What will be the best method for aparticular case must be decided in each instance by the pitcher himself, and his success will depend upon his judgment and cleverness. But whileno general rule can be laid down, I may still be able to offer someuseful suggestions. 

Assuming that a pitcher has never seen the batters whom he is about toface, there are certain points to be noted as each of them takes hisplace at the bat. First, his position and manner of holding his batshould be observed. If he carries it over his shoulder and in an almostperpendicular position, the chances are that he is naturally a high ballhitter and is looking for that kind of a pitch, because that is theposition of the bat from which a high ball is most easily hit. If, onthe contrary, he carries his bat in a more nearly horizontal position, he is ready either to "chop" over at a high ball, or "cut" under at alow one, the chances being that he prefers the latter. Of still moreimportance is his movement in hitting, and this the pitcher must try todiscover before the batter has hit the ball at all. An out-curve shouldbe pitched just out of his reach; being so near where he wants it, itwill draw him out and he will make every movement, except the swing ofthe bat, as in hitting. This movement should be carefully noted. If, instepping forward to hit, he also steps away from the plate toward thethird base, it is at once a point in the pitcher's favor. The batsman istimid and afraid of being hit. If, however, he steps confidentlyforward, almost directly toward the pitcher, he is a dangerous man andall the pitcher's skill will be needed to outwit him. Again, if instepping forward he makes a very long stride, it is another point forthe pitcher, because it shows that he is not only anxious to hit butmeans to hit hard, and such a man is easily deceived. But if he makes ashort stride, keeping easily his balance and standing well upright, heis more than likely a good hitter, even though he steps away from theplate, and if in addition to stepping short he also steps toward thepitcher, the pitcher should look out for him. 

Without going into too much detail I will try to illustrate: If mybatter is one who steps away from the plate I will pitch a fast, straight ball in over his shoulder too high and too far in to be hit. The next time he will step still further away, but this time I shouldput a fast, straight one over the outside corner of the plate. From hisposition he will probably not be able to reach it at all, or if he doeshe will hit with no force. I might pitch the next ball in the sameplace, and then I should consider it time to drive him away from theplate again and I would send the next one in over his shoulder asbefore. He may hit at one of these high "in" balls, but if he does hewill probably not touch it; at any rate, another fast, straight one overthe outside corner ought to dispose of him. It will be observed I havenot thrown a single curve, nor would I to such a batter exceptoccasionally, say two or three during the game, and then only to keephim "guessing. "

Taking another kind of hitter, suppose that he steps up in the bestform, making a short stride toward the pitcher, keeping his balance welland his form erect. As already said, he is a dangerous batter and likelyto hit in spite of my best efforts, but I must do the best I can withhim. I therefore observe his manner of holding the bat and note whetherhe prefers a high or low ball, and we will say that it is a low one. Isend a couple of low drop curves just out of his reach. It is just whathe wants if he could only get at them, and the next time he steps wellin toward the plate. This time, however, I send a fast, straight, highball over the plate, and if he hits it at all, it will be in the air. Another fast, straight, high one might not escape so easily, but I havetwo balls called and can't take the chances of giving him his base. Itherefore try it again. If he has missed that I now have two strikes, and only two balls, and can afford to throw away a ball or two, which Ido as before by pitching a couple of low drop curves out of his reach, until his mind is again fixed upon that point. Then I would probablyagain try a fast, high ball on the inside corner of the plate. These twocases, are given merely to illustrate the line of reasoning, and inpractice each would be governed by its own particular circumstances. Toavoid confusing details, I will add only a few observations: A batterwho steps away from the plate, should be worked on the outside corner;one who steps in, on the inside corner; one who makes a long, viciousswing at the ball, will be easily deceived by a slow ball, much morereadily than one who "snaps" or hits with a short, quick stroke; one whostrides long must necessarily stoop or crouch, and is in bad form to hita high ball; if he swings his bat always in a horizontal plane, he willnot be able to hit a shoulder or knee ball as well as one who swings ina perpendicular plane, i. E. , who "cuts" under at a low ball and "chops"over-hand at a high ball; there are some batters who prefer to hit onlyat a fast, straight ball, while others wait for a curve, and in such acase the pitcher may get a strike or two by pitching what he will notcare to hit at; some are never ready to hit at the first ball pitched, so that by sending this in over the plate a strike may be secured; someare known as great "waiters, " who will only hit when forced, and theseshould be forced to hit at once; others are anxious and cannot wait, andmay be safely "worked" wide of the plate. Then occasionally there willbe found a batter who betrays by his manner when he has made up his mindto hit, and in that case he will let go at anything within reach;therefore a ball should be pitched where he will be least likely to hitit. If the pitcher finds a batter facing for a hit to right field, heshould not give him the ball out from him, but crowd him with it, keeping it on the inside corner, and it will be almost impossible forhim to succeed. 

It does not do to work the same batter always in the same way, or hewill discover a pitcher's method. Sometimes the pitcher must "cross" himand at times it is even advisable to give him a ball just where he wouldlike to have it, but where, for that very reason, he least expects it. 

Finally, a pitcher should not be in a hurry to deliver the ball. As soonas the catcher returns the ball the pitcher should assume a position asthough about to pitch and stand there; he should take all the time theumpire will give him. This will allow him to give and receive anynecessary signal from the catcher, it will rest him and thus enable himto hold his speed, and, finally, it will work upon the nerves andeyesight of the batter. The batter will grow impatient and anxious, andunless his eyes are very strong the long strain in a bright light willblear his sight. 

FIELDING THE POSITION. 

Some pitchers seem to harbor the impression that nothing else isexpected of them but to pitch the ball, and the effect of this opinionis to diminish their worth to a very great extent: A pitcher is just asmuch a fielder as any of the other players, and may render his sideefficient service by his ability to properly care for this part of hiswork. 

I have already spoken of throwing to bases to catch runners, and it isunnecessary to say anything further except to again caution against toomuch of it. A pitcher should throw only when there is a chance of makingthe put-out. 

In fielding ground-hits he must exert considerable activity on accountof the very short time allowed him. He should have the courage to face ahard hit, because on account of the position of the second baseman andshort-stop such a hit will generally be safe if he does not stop it, orat least turn its course. It is his place to get all "bunted" hits. Itis a mistake to break up the in-field by bringing a third baseman inclose to get hits which a live pitcher should be able to field. When abatter who is likely to bunt the ball comes to the bat, the pitcher mustbe ready at every ball pitched to move in the direction of the thirdbase line, where such hits are always made. There are some pitchers, such as Galvin and Van Haltren, against whom it is not safe to try abunt, but, as I have said, many others seem to think they are expectedonly to pitch. 

On a hit to the first baseman the pitcher should cover the base, and ifthe hit is slow or if the baseman fumbles it he may still have time totoss the ball to the pitcher. The pitcher should not wait until he seesthe fumble before starting, but the instant the hit is made go for thebase; he will then be there and ready to receive the ball and not beforced to take it on the run. So, too, the occasion may arise when heshould cover second or third, where some combination of play has takenthe baseman away and left the base uncovered. In all cases where arunner is caught between bases the pitcher must take part in the play. If the runner is between first and second, the pitcher will back up thefirst baseman, leaving the short-stop to back the second baseman; ifbetween second and third, he will back up the third baseman; and ifbetween third and home, he will back the catcher. 

The pitcher must back up the catcher, the first and third basemen, onall throws from the out field. He must not wait until the throw is madebefore getting in line, but the moment the probability of such a throwarises, he should get there, and then he can see the entire play, andwill be sure to get in a line with the throw. In backing up he must notget too close to the fielder he is backing, otherwise what is a wildthrow to him will be likewise to the pitcher. He should keep from fiftyto seventy-five feet away. 

With runners on bases he should be sure that he understands thesituation perfectly before pitching, and he must keep it in mind; then, if the ball is hit to him, he need lose no time in deciding upon theproper place to throw it. If his play is to try for a double by way ofsecond base, he should not wait until the baseman gets there and thendrive the ball at him with all his might; but he should toss it to thebaseman as he runs for the base, timing the speed of the throw so thatthe baseman and the ball will reach the base together. Thus no time willbe lost, and the throw being easy, may be much more quickly and safelyhandled. 

In short, a pitcher should make himself useful wherever he can, and usehis wits in fielding as well as in pitching. He should not bedisheartened by poor support or unavoidable accidents, but should keepup his courage, and the entire team will be infused with his spirit. There are some pitchers who are not hit hard and yet seldom win becausethey display such a lazy disposition in the box that they put all theother players to sleep; and, again, there are others not so successfulin the matter of base hits, who yet win more games, on account of theaggressive spirit they impart to their fellow-players. Let the pitcherbe alive, then, and if he has any "heart" let him show it; let him keepup his spirits, have a reason for every ball pitched, and use his brainas well as his muscle, for it is only in this way that he, can ever takea place in the front rank. 

CHAPTER IV. THE CATCHER. 

Next after the pitcher, in regular order, comes the catcher. Though thenegative pole of "the battery, " his support of the pitcher will largelyinfluence the latter's efficiency, and he therefore becomes an importantfactor in the attacking force. Were it not for the extreme liability toinjury, the position of catcher would be the most desirable on thefield; he has plenty of work of the prettiest kind to do, is given manyopportunities for the employment of judgment and skill, and, what isclearer than all to the heart of every true ball player, he is always inthe thickest of the fight. Moreover, his work, unlike that of thepitcher, always shows for itself, and is therefore always appreciated. Apitcher's success depends upon many circumstances, some of which arebeyond his own control, so that, no matter how faithfully orintelligently he may work, he must still suffer the annoyance andmortification of defeat. But the catcher has almost complete control ofhis own play, he is dependent upon no one but himself, and, in spite ofeverything and everybody, the nature of his work remains the same. 

There are some cases in which a steady, intelligent catcher is of moreworth to a team than even the pitcher, because such a man will makepitchers out of almost any kind of material. Bennett, the grandest ofevery-day catchers, has demonstrated this fact in many instances, and Ihave no doubt that much of the success of the St. Louis pitchers hasbeen due to the steady support and judicious coaching of Bushong. 

There are certain qualifications necessary to produce a good catcher, and if a person has any ambition to play the position, he should firstexamine himself to see whether he is the possessor of these. Here againthe size of the candidate seems not to be of vital importance, for thereare good catchers, from the little, sawed-off bantam, Hofford, of JerseyCity, to the tall, angular Mack, of Washington, and Ganzell, of Detroit. Still, other things being equal, a tall, active man should have anadvantage because of his longer "reach" for widely pitched balls, and onaccount of the confidence a big mark to pitch at inspires in thepitcher. Besides, a heavier man is better able to stand against theshocks of reckless runners to the home plate. 

More important than size are pluck and stamina, especially if onecontemplates becoming a professional catcher. In every well-regulatedteam nowadays the pitchers and catchers are paired, and the same pairalways work together. Perfect team work involves a perfect understandingby each man of all the points of play of the others, and it is believedthat a battery will do better team-work where its two ends are alwaysthe same. But to be able to work regularly with one pitcher through anentire season, catching every day when he pitches, a catcher will morethan once find his powers of endurance strongly taxed; and if, for realor fancied injuries, he is often obliged to lay off, then, no matter howbrilliant his work when he does catch, he will lose much of his value tothe team. Certain injuries are inevitable and necessitate a rest, butthere are others of minor importance to which some men will not giveway. I do not laud this as pure bravado, but because it sets an exampleand infuses a spirit into a team that is worth many games in a longrace. I have the greatest respect and admiration for the Bennetts andthe Bushongs of base-ball. 

But there are other features necessary before a person can hope tobecome a first-class catcher. As before said, he has many chancesoffered for the employment of judgment and skill; and to make the bestuse of these he must be possessed of some brains. The ideal catcher notonly stops the ball and throws it well, but he is a man of quick wit, heloses no time in deciding upon a play, he is never "rattled" in anyemergency, he gives and receives signals, and, in short, plays all thepoints of his position, and accomplishes much that a player of lessready perception would lose entirely. Two of the best catchers in thecountry are neither of them remarkable back-stops nor particularlystrong and accurate throwers, and yet both, by their great generalshipand cleverness, are "winning" catchers. I refer to Kelly, of Boston, andSnyder, of Cleveland. Ewing, of New York, combines with wonderful skilland judgment the ability to stop a ball well and throw it quicker, harder, and truer than any one else, and I therefore consider him the"King" of all catchers--when he catches. 

In learning to catch, the first thing, of course, is to acquire acorrect style, that is, an approved position of body, hands, and feet, the best manner of catching a ball, the proper place to stand, how tothrow quickly, and the best motion for throwing. After this comes thestudy of the different points of play. There are as many differentstyles in detail as there are individual catchers, and yet, through all, there run certain resemblances which may be generalized. 

As to the position of the body, all assume a stooping posture, bendingforward from the hips, in order better to get a low as well as a highpitch. Some, like Daily, of Indianapolis, crouch almost to the ground, but such a position must be not only more fatiguing, but destroysomewhat the gauging of a high pitch. A catcher should not stand withhis feet too widely apart. It is a mistake some players make, but alittle reflection will convince a catcher that a man in such an attitudecannot change his position and handle himself as readily as if he stoodwith the feet nearer together. Besides, on a low pitched ball strikingthe ground in front of him, it is necessary to get the feet entirelytogether to assist the hands in stopping it, and this he cannot do if heis too much spread out. These things may appear to be of minorimportance, but it is their observance which often makes the differencebetween a first-class and an ordinary catcher. 

A catcher should not stand directly back of the plate, but rather inline with its outside corner; and when he gets (or gives) his sign forthe kind of ball to be pitched, he should not, by any movement out orin, indicate to the batter what is coming; there are some batters whoglance down at the plate to see, from the corner of the eye, where thecatcher is standing. He will have ample time to move after the pitcherhas begun his delivery and when the batter's attention is whollyoccupied with that. If an out-curve is coming, he should be ready tomove out, or if an in-curve, or fast, straight ball, he should be readyto step in. He should not anchor himself and try to do all his catchingwith his hands, but in every instance, if possible, receive the ballsquarely in front of him. Then if it breaks through his hands it willstill be stopped by his body. 

In catching a high ball the hands should be held in the position shownin the following cut of Bushong, the fingers all pointing upward. 

Some players catch with the fingers pointing toward the ball, but suchmen are continually being hurt. A slight foul-tip diverts the course ofthe ball just enough to carry it against the ends of the fingers, and onaccount of their position the necessary result is a break ordislocation. But with the hands held as in this cut there is a "give" tothe fingers and the chances of injury are much reduced. For a low ballthe hands should be held so that the fingers point downward, and for awaist ball, by crouching slightly it may be taken in the same manner asa high ball. 

Some catchers throw more quickly than others because, having seen therunner start, they get into position while the ball is coming. Insteadof standing square with the plate, they advance the left foot a halfstep, and then, managing to get the ball a little on the right side, they have only to step the left foot forward the other half step and letthe ball go. To throw without stepping at all is not advisable, because, on account of the long distance, there would not be sufficient speed; totake more than one step occupies too much time, more than is gained bythe extra speed obtained; so that the best plan and the one used by themost successful catchers is the one just described. It is not howeverthe speed of the throw alone that catches a base-runner, but the losingof no time in getting the ball on the way. Some very ordinary throwersare hard men to steal on, while others, who give much greater speed tothe ball, are not so dangerous. 

A ball may be thrown under-hand, round-arm, or over-hand. Experience hasproven to me that a ball may be thrown a short distance, as from home tosecond, most accurately by a swing of the arm, half way between a round-arm and over-hand delivery. My natural style was over-hand, but I havecultivated the other until it now comes without difficulty. I wasinfluenced to make the change by noting the styles of other players, particularly of Ewing and O'Rourke. I found that they both got greatspeed and accuracy, and I also noticed that they seldom complained of"lame arm. " By being a more continuous swing, it is a more naturalmotion, less trying on the muscles, and gives greater accuracy onaccount of the twist such a swing imparts to the ball, much on the sameprinciple as does the twist to a bullet from a rifled gun. I thereforerecommend it for trial at least. When practicing with the pitcher thecatcher should be just as careful about his style as he would be in agame, for it is while practicing that his habits are being formed. Inreturning the ball to the pitcher each time, he should learn to catch itand bring the arm back, with one continuous motion of the hands, withoutmaking any stops or angles. 

A word about high foul flies, since many of the catcher's put-outs arefrom these hits. A ball thrown directly up into the air by the hand willdescend in a direct line, and may be easily "judged, " but a pitched ballhit directly up is given a tremendous twist by its contact with the bat, and, in descending, this twist carries the ball forward sometimes asmuch as ten, or even twenty feet. Consequently we see catchersmisjudging these hits time after time because they either do not knowthis, or fail to take it into consideration. It is also necessary toknow the direction and force of the wind, and this should be noted fromtime to time during the game by a glance at the flags, or in someequally sure way. 

There is one more point in fielding the catcher's position upon which afew words will not be amiss, that is, as to touching a runner cominghome. There is a difference of opinion as to the best place for thecatcher to stand when waiting for the throw to cut off such a runner. The general practice is to stand a couple of feet from the plate towardthird base and in front of the line. But this necessitates the catcher'sturning half-way round after catching the ball before he can touch therunner, and many an artful dodger scores his run by making a slide inwhich he takes, at least, the full three feet allowed him out of theline. Many a run is scored when the catcher seemed to have had the ballin waiting. 

I believe the best place to stand is a couple of feet toward third andjust back of the line. The pitcher saves the time of turning around andhas the additional advantage of having the play in front of him, wherehe can better see every movement of the runner. When the game isdepending upon that one put-out the best place of all to stand is a fewfeet toward third and directly on the line. From there the catcher canreach the runner whether he runs in front of or behind him, and if heslides he will come against the catcher and may therefore not be ableto reach the plate, or, at least, the catcher may delay him long enoughto make the put-out. It is an extremely dangerous play for the catcher, however, and one that he will feel justified in attempting only when thegame depends upon the put-out. Brown saved the New Yorks a game in NewOrleans last winter by this play, though Powell, the base-runner, cameagainst him with such force as to throw him head-over-heels ten feetaway. The object in standing a few feet toward third is to avoid closeplays, for then if the put-out is made at all there can be no possiblechance for the umpire to decide otherwise. 

SIGNALING. 

Under the heading of "The Pitcher" I have spoken of the necessity of aprivate code of signals between pitcher and catcher, and I also said itwas the general practice now for the catcher to signify the kind of ballto be pitched, though it is my own opinion that the pitcher should dothis, unless there are special reasons why it should be otherwise. Ingiving this sign the catcher, standing with his hands resting on hisknees, makes some movement with the right hand, or a finger of thathand, or with the right foot, to indicate an "out" ball, and somesimilar movement with his left hand or foot for an "in" ball. Of course, this may generally be plainly seen by every one on the field except thebatter, whose back is turned, and this fact has been taken advantage ofby some teams. The coacher, standing at first or third, makes someremark with no apparent reference to the batter, but really previouslyagreed upon, to notify him what kind of ball is going to be pitched. This known, the batter has nothing to do but pick out his ball and layon to it with all his weight. Some of the New York players had greatsport the past winter in this way at the expense of the Californiapitchers. It is therefore advisable that some sign be used that is noteasily detected. 

There are other signals which a catcher must give to basemen to apprisethem of his intention to throw. When there are runners on any of thebases, he should not give the sign to the pitcher to pitch until he hasglanced quietly around and seen whether any of the runners are leadingtoo far off the bases, and if so, by a prearranged signal notify thebaseman that he will throw. This signal should be known also to thepitcher and by every other fielder who may be interested in the play. The pitcher will now send the catcher the ball wide of the plate and ata height where the catcher can handle it easily. The moment he moves topitch the baseman starts for his base and the proper fielders get inline to back up the throw, if by accident it should be wild. It is verynecessary that the pitcher keep the ball out of the batter's reach, otherwise it may be hit to a part of the field left unguarded by thefielders who have gone to back up the throw; and the fielders mustunderstand the signal or they will not be able to get in line to backup. The complete success of all these plays lies, therefore, in everyone knowing and doing his part, and in all working together. A mistakeby one, as if the pitcher allows the ball to be hit and it goes safelyto a field that would have otherwise been guarded, demoralizes theentire team, and several such mistakes destroy the confidence of the menin team work. In some cases the basemen themselves signal to the catcherfor a throw, but in order that every one interested may see the signaland be prepared for the play, it is manifestly better that the catcheralone should give it. 

A tricky runner on second will sometimes lead well off for the expresspurpose of having the catcher throw down, whereupon, instead ofreturning to second he goes on to third. Whenever a catcher has reasonto suspect a runner of this intention he should make a feint to throw tosecond, and if the runner starts for third the catcher then has himbetween the bases. The feint must be well made and no time lostafterward in getting the ball either to second or third, according tocircumstances. The importance of a play such as this rests not only inthe single put-out made, but in the respect for the catcher with whichit inspires subsequent runners. They will be exceedingly careful whatliberties they attempt to take. A very quick-witted runner, seeinghimself caught in this way between the bases, will, of course, try byevery means to extricate himself. He may, in turn, make a feint as if toreturn to second, and when the catcher throws there he will still go onto third; or, he may feint to go to third and manage to return tosecond. To catch such a man it is necessary to make a second feint tothrow to the base nearest him, and this will almost invariably force himto go in the opposite direction. Besides, with each feint the catcherhas stepped quickly forward and by the time he has finished the secondfeint he is almost down to the pitcher's position. The runner is thencompletely at the catcher's mercy and only an error of some kind willallow him to escape. There are not more than a half dozen catchers inthe profession who know how to make this play properly, but there aresome, as I have learned by sad experience. 

When there are runners on first and third with second unoccupied, andthe runner on first tries to steal second, there are several possibleplays. The catcher may throw to second to catch the runner going down;or he may feint to throw there and throw to third to catch that runnerleading off; or he may actually throw toward second, but short of thebase, so that the baseman will have a less distance to return the ballhome, in case the runner on third starts in. Which one of these plays isto be made the catcher must decide beforehand and notify the basemen bysignal, and he will be governed in his decision by the circumstances ofthe case. If the situation of the game is such that it will make littledifference whether the runner on third scores or not, the catcher will, of course, throw to second to make that put-out. But if one run is vitalthere are other things to be considered. If the runner at third is veryslow or one not likely to attempt to run home, he may still throw tosecond to catch the man from first. But if the runner at third is onewho will attempt to score, the catcher must either throw short to secondor else feint and throw to third. Whatever he is going to do must beunderstood thoroughly by all the fielders interested, and to this end hewill give the proper signal. As the second baseman and shortstop mayalso take an important part in this play, it will be spoken of later. 

In conclusion let me say, that in order to accomplish anything by theseprivate signals the catcher must have them in such thorough workingorder that no mistake can possibly occur. This may come only after longand patient practice; some fielders find it almost impossible to workwith signs, but they must be kept at it every day until the code becomesperfectly familiar to them. 

CHAPTER V. THE FIRST BASEMAN. 

From the fact that the first baseman has more "chances" to his creditthan any other player, it might seem to the casual observer that his isthe most difficult position to play; but as a matter of fact most of hischances are of a very simple nature, involving merely the catching of athrown ball, and an examination of the official averages will show himleading in the percentages year after year. The possibilities of theposition, however, have been developing. For many years, and, indeed, until he retired from the diamond, "Old Reliable" Joe Start was the kingof first basemen; but, unquestionably, the play of such basemen asConnor, Commisky, and Morrill is a steady improvement, along with therest of the game. Especially has there been an advance in the directionof fielding ground hits, and it is now not an unusual sight to see afirst baseman getting a hit in short right field, and assisting in theput-out at first or second base. 

The position demands a tall man. Such a one, by his longer reach, willnot only save many wide throws, but, because he is a good mark to throwat, will inspire confidence in the throwers. He must be able to catch athrown ball, whether high, low, or on either side. As to the surest wayof catching, opinions differ; but as to the best way, everythingconsidered, I hold the same conditions to be true here as in the case ofthe catcher; that is, for a high thrown ball the fingers should pointnot toward the ball, but upward, and for a low thrown ball, just thereverse. If the throw is off to either side, the baseman must shift hisposition so as to be able to reach it, and if it is so far wide that hemust leave the base, he should not hesitate to do so; he should notimagine that he is tied to the bag. Start was the first man I ever sawwho knew how to leave the base for a wide throw. He never took thechance of a long reach for the ball, unless, of course, the gamedepended on that one put-out and there was no time to leave the base andreturn. He believed, and with reason, that it was better to first makesure of the ball and then touch the base, than, by trying to do both atonce, see the ball sailing over into the side seats. 

It is a difficult play when the throw is to the baseman's left, intoward the runner, because of the danger of a collision with the latter. To the average spectator who may never have had much experience on thefield, these collisions between players may seem trifling affairs, butthey are not so regarded by the players themselves. In the history ofthe sport many men have been seriously injured in this way, and a fewkilled outright. For two weeks once I was obliged to sleep nights in asitting posture as the result of a shock of this kind, and it was monthsbefore I recovered entirely from its effects. To avoid a collision whenthe ball is thrown in this way many good basemen stand back of the linewith the right foot touching the base, and allow the runner to pass infront of them. There was one first baseman who used simply to reach inhis left hand and pick the ball from in front of the runner with as muchease and safety as though it were thrown directly to him. I meanMcKinnon, poor Al McKinnon! What a flood of affectionate recollectionshis name brings back. Kind-hearted, full of fun, manly, honest, andstraightforward to the last degree, he was one whose memory will alwaysbe green in the hearts of those who knew him well. 

In picking up low thrown balls which strike the ground in front of thebaseman, some become much more expert than others. One of the best, Ithink, is Phillips, who played last season with Brooklyn, and is nowwith the Kansas City Club. When the bound is what is called a "shortbound, " that is, where it strikes but a few inches in front of thehands, the play is really not a difficult one if the ground is at alleven; but where it strikes from one to three feet beyond the hands, itrequires considerable skill to get it, especially if the ground cannotbe depended upon for a regular bound. In this latter case the bound istoo long for a "pick-up" and too short for a long bound catch; so thatthe only thing to do is to calculate as nearly as possible where theball should bound and then try to get the hands in front of it. It willbe found easier to reach the hands as far forward as possible and then"give" with the ball, that is, draw the hands back toward the body inthe direction the ball should take on its rebound. A player should neverturn his face away, even at the risk of being hit, for by watching theball all the time, he may be able to change the position of the handsenough to meet some slight miscalculation as to the direction of thebound. 

In fielding ground-hits, the same rule applies to the first baseman asto every other fielder; that he should get every hit he possibly can, with the single qualification that he shall avoid interference withother fielders. But as between a possible interference and a failure togo after a ball that should have been stopped, the interference is muchto be preferred. There are some basemen who seem to think there is aline beyond which it is forbidden them to go; they act as though theywere tied to the base-post by a twenty-foot lariat. Having fielded aground-hit, the baseman will usually himself run to the base; butsometimes the hit is so slow or so far toward second or he fumbles it solong that there is no time left for him to do this. In such case he willtoss the ball to the pitcher, who has covered the base. In making thisplay a baseman should not wait until the pitcher reaches the base beforethrowing, as it loses too much time, and he should not throw the ball atall, because it makes a difficult catch; but he should pitch the balleasily in front of the pitcher so that he and the ball will both meet atthe base. A little practice will make this play plain and simple, andthe advantage of doing it in this way will easily be seen. 

There are times when, with runners on the bases, the play will not be tofirst, but to second, third, or home. With a runner on first, manybatters try to hit into right field, because with the second basemanforced to cover second for a throw from the catcher, the space betweenfirst and second is left almost unguarded. But if the first baseman willbe on the alert for such a hit, and throw the runner out at second, henot only balks the play but frightens following batters from attemptingthe same hit. With a runner on third and not more than one man out, allthe in-fielders will play closer to the bat, so as to throw the runnerout at home on an in-field hit; in such case if the batter should strikeout, and the third strike be dropped, the first baseman should not go tohis base to receive the throw from the catcher, but meet it on the lineas near as possible to the plate. He is then able to touch the runner onhis way to first and to throw home if the man on third attempts to scoreon the throw to first. It may be possible to make a double play by firsttouching the runner to first and then throwing home; but if the runnerto first holds back and there is danger of the man from third scoring, it is obviously best to throw home and cut him off, ignoring entirelythe runner to first. 

Another point in which many basemen are remiss is in backing up. On allthrows from left or left-centre field to second base he should get inline with the throw, and on all throws from the same fields to the platehe should also assist in backing up, unless there is some specialnecessity for guarding his own base. 

There is a prevalent belief that it matters little whether a firstbaseman can throw well or not, but a moment's consideration will showthe fallacy of this. There are some plays in which he needs to be a hardand accurate thrower; with a runner on second and a ball hit to the in-field the runner will sometimes wait until it is thrown to first, andthen start for third. In such case only the best kind of a return by thefirst baseman will head him off. So also in long hits to extreme rightfield he may have to assist the fielder by a throw to third or home. 

It will thus be seen that there are points of play at first base which, in the hands of an ambitious fielder, may be developed into veryconsiderable importance. 

CHAPTER VI. THE SECOND BASEMAN. 

Second base is the prettiest position to play of the entire in-field. Inthe number of chances offered it is next to first base, and in thecharacter of the work to be done and the opportunities for brilliantplay and the exercise of judgment, it is unsurpassed. It is true thesecond baseman has more territory to look after than any other in-fielder, but on account of the long distance he plays from the batter hehas more time in which to cover it. The last moment allowed a fielder toget in the way of a ball is worth the first two, because one will beconsumed in getting under headway. Then, too, the distance of his throwto first is generally short, and this allows him to fumble a hit andstill get the ball there in time. So that while much of his work is of adifficult kind, he is more than compensated by certain other advantages, and, so far as the percentage of chances accepted is concerned, hegenerally leads every one except the first baseman. 

The position should have a man of at least average physical proportions. There are in every game a number of throws to second from all points ofthe field, and with a small man there many of them would be "wild, " onaccount of his lack of height and reach; moreover, a larger man offers abetter mark to throw at, and the liability to throw wildly is decreasedbecause of the increased confidence on the part of the throwers. Then, too, a small man is not able to stand the continual collisions withbase-runners, and as a number of his plays are attempts to retirerunners from first, he grows timid after awhile and allows many cleversliders to get away from him. 

On the other hand, the position requires a very active player, and forthis reason, too large a man would not be desirable on account of thelarge field he has to cover, he must possess the ability to run fast andto start and stop quickly; he must be able to stoop and recover himselfwhile still running, and be able to throw a ball from any position. Notall his throws are of the short order; sometimes he is expected to cutoff a runner at third or return the ball to the catcher for the samepurpose, and in these cases speed and accuracy are of the utmostimportance. 

Because of the number and variety of plays that fall to his lot, he mustbe a man of some intelligence. With runners on the bases, the situationsof a game change like the pictures in a kaleidoscope, so that there isnot always time to consider what is the best play to make; there aretimes when he must decide with a wit so quick that it amounts almost toinstinct, for the loss of a fraction of a second may be the loss of theopportunity, and that one play mean ultimate defeat. 

The exact spot to play, in order best to cover the position, will bedetermined by the direction in which the batter is likely to hit, by hisfleetness, and by the situation of the game. If there are no runners onthe bases the consideration of the batter will alone determine; if he isa right-field hitter the second baseman will play more toward the firstbaseman, the entire in-field moving around correspondingly; and if he isa left-field hitter he will play toward second and back of the base, ineither case playing back of the base line from fifteen to fifty feet, depending upon whether the batter is a very fleet or slow runner. Ifthere are runners on the bases this fact will have to be taken intoconsideration; for example, with a runner on second the baseman mustplay near enough to "hold" the runner on the base and not give him somuch ground that he can steal third; or if there is a runner on firstand the baseman is himself going to cover the base in case of a steal, he must be near enough to get there in time to receive the catcher'sthrow. On the other hand, he must not play too close or he leaves toomuch open space between himself and the first baseman; and, thoughplaying far enough away, he should not start for the base until he seesthat the batter has not hit. It is not necessary that he be at the basewaiting for the throw, but only that he make sure to meet it there. Pfeffer, of Chicago, plays this point better than any one, I think, andin all respects in handling a thrown ball, he is unexcelled. 

To catch a runner attempting to steal from first, most second basemenprefer to receive the ball a few feet to the side of the base nearestfirst and in front of the line. The first is all right because it allowsthe runner to be touched before getting too close to the base and avoidsclose decisions; but I question the policy of the baseman being in frontof the line in every instance. From this position it is extremelydifficult to touch a runner who throws himself entirely out and back ofthe line, reaching for the base only with his hand. With a runner who isknown to slide that way, I believe the baseman should stand back of theline; it demoralizes the runner when he looks up and finds the basemanin the path where he had expected to slide, and it forces him to go intothe base in a way different from what he had intended and from that towhich he is accustomed. The veteran Bob Ferguson always stood back ofthe line, and more than once made shipwreck of my hopes when I mighthave evaded him if he had given me a chance to slide. The time taken inturning around and reaching for the runner is often just enough to losethe play, whereas, standing back of the line, this time is saved, and, in addition, the baseman has the play and the runner's movements infront of him. 

With a runner on third and not more than one out, the batter may try tohit a ground ball to the in-field, sacrificing himself but allowing therunner from third to score. To prevent this the in-fielders willgenerally play nearer the bat, so as to return the ball to the catcherin time to cut off the runner, and how close they must play will depend, of course, upon the fleetness of the runner. Even then the ball may behit so slowly or fielded in such a way as to make the play at the plateimpossible, in which case the fielder will try to retire the batter atfirst. 

With runners on first and third the one on first will often try to stealsecond, and if the catcher throws down to catch him, the one on thirdgoes for home. To meet this play on the part of the runners is by nomeans easy, but it can nevertheless be done. If the one run will notaffect the general result of the game, it may be well to pay noattention to the runner from third and try only to put out the one fromfirst, thus clearing the bases. But if it is necessary to prevent therun scoring, the second baseman must be prepared to return the ball tothe catcher in case the runner starts for home. In order to gain as muchtime as possible, he should take as position to receive the catcher'sthrow ten feet inside of the base-line; keeping one eye on the ball andthe other on the runner at third, if he sees the runner start for home, he must meet the throw as quickly as possible and return the ball to thecatcher; if the runner does not start, the baseman should step quicklybackward so that by the time the ball reaches him he will be near enoughto the base-line to touch the runner from first. The play is a difficultone and requires more than the ordinary amount of skill and practice. There is another and, I think, better way of making this play, whichwill be spoken of under "The Short-stop, " because that player isprincipally interested. 

Before the enactment of the rule confining the coachers to a limitedspace the coacher at third base sometimes played a sharp trick on thesecond baseman. When the catcher threw the ball, the coacher starteddown the base-line toward home, and the sec-mid baseman, seeing onlyimperfectly, mistook him for the runner and returned the ball quickly tothe catcher. The result was that the runner from first trotted safely tosecond, the runner at third remained there, and everybody laughed exceptthe second baseman. 

In fielding ground-hits the second baseman, because of his being so farremoved from the bat, has a better chance to "judge" a hit. He is ableeither to advance or recede a step or more to meet the ball on a highbound; and on account of the short throw to first he may take moreliberties with such a hit; it is not absolutely necessary that he fieldevery ball cleanly, because he may fumble a hit and still make his play. In general, however, he should meet a hit as quickly as possible, sothat if fumbled he may have the greatest amount of time to recover andthrow. He should also, if possible, get squarely in front of every hit, thus making his feet, legs, and body assist in stopping the ball in caseit eludes his hands. When not possible to get directly in front of theball he must still try to stop it with both hands or with one, for hemay then recover it in time to make the play. 

Having secured the ball, he should wait only long enough to steadyhimself before throwing. He should not hold the ball a moment longerthan is necessary. In some cases he has not time to straighten up beforethrowing, but must snap the ball underhand; and where he gets the hitnear enough to the base he should not throw at all, but pitch the ballto the baseman; this makes the play much safer. When there is a runneron first and the ball is hit to the second baseman, he tries for adouble play, and there are four ways in which it may be made. First, ifhe gets the ball before the runner from first reaches him he may touchthe runner and then throw to first base before the batter gets there. Second, if the runner from first stops so that he can't be touched, thebaseman drives him back toward first as far as possible and throws therein time to put out the batter; the other runner, being then caughtbetween the bases, is run down, completing the double. Third, if the hitis near enough to the base he may touch second and then throw to firstto head off the batter. And, fourth, he may first pass the ball to theshort-stop, who has covered second, and the latter throws to first intime to put out the batter. In nine cases out of ten the last is thesafest play; it makes sure of the runner to second and is more likely tocatch the batter, because the short-stop is in better shape to throw tofirst than the baseman would be if he attempted to make the playunassisted. 

The second baseman should take not only all fly hits in his ownterritory, but also all falling back of the first baseman, and back ofthe short-stop toward centre field. In all these cases he gets a betterview of the ball than either of the other players named, because, instead of running backward, as they would be obliged to do, he runs tothe side, and the catch is thus easier for him. If the hit is one whichcan be reached by an out-fielder, and the latter calls that he will takeit, the second baseman will, of course, give way, because the fielderhas the ball in front of him, in a better position even than thebaseman. 

With a runner on second he must be on the lookout for the catcher'ssignal to the pitcher to throw to second, and on seeing this he muststart at once for the base to receive the pitcher's throw. He must alsowatch for the catcher's sign to the second baseman notifying him of anintention to throw, and while the ball is passing from the pitcher tothe catcher, get to the base to receive the throw. 

He should "back up" throws to the first baseman whenever possible, leaving his own base to be covered by the short-stop. He should assistthe right and centre fielders in the return of long hits, running wellout into the field to receive the out-fielder's throw. When plays ariseother than those here mentioned his judgment must tell him what to do, and, without neglecting his own position, he must not hesitate to takeany part to advance his team's interests. 

CHAPTER VII. THE THIRD BASEMAN. 

In the early days of the game, when the pitching was slower and "fair-foul" hits were allowed, the third base position was the busiest andmost difficult to play of the in-field. But the changes in the rules, which did away with "fair-foul" hitting, and those which introduced thepresent pace in pitching, have taken away much of the third baseman'simportance. Most of the in-field hitting now is toward short-stop andsecond base, and the best of third basemen are not able to average overthree or four chances to a game. But, though the amount of his work hasbeen diminished, it still retains its difficult nature. The length ofthe throw to first, and the short time given him in which to make it, occasion many wild throws, and if he fumbles the ball at all, theopportunity is lost. Fleet runners who hit left-handed, and others whomerely "bunt" the ball, can be caught only by the quickest and cleanestwork; so that, everything considered, it is not surprising to find thethird baseman generally at the foot of the in-field averages. 

A third baseman, like a second baseman, should be a man of at leastaverage size, and Denny, who is by long odds the best in the profession, is a large man. He will have a longer reach for both thrown and battedballs, he will be a better mark to throw at, and, by reason of hissuperior weight, he will have more confidence in the face of recklessbase-running. But not every player of proper size who can stop a balland throw it accurately to first is capable of becoming a good thirdbaseman. The New York team of 1887 demonstrated the odd fact that a manwho seemed entirely unable to play second base, could yet play third ingood style, while another who was but an average third baseman couldtake care of second equal to any one. The explanation probably lies inthe fact that the positions require men of different temperaments. Atsecond base a player of nervous tendency grows anxious waiting for theball to come, and by the time it reaches him is unable to get it in hishands, while at third base, where the action is much quicker, such a manis perfectly at home, because he is not given time to become nervous. The same curious fact is seen when an infielder is changed to an out-field position; he finds it impossible, at first, to stop ground-hits, because they seem never to be going to reach him, and he is completely"rattled" by the long wait. For the same reason the most difficult hitswhich an infielder has to handle are the slow, easy, bounding balls thatunder ordinary circumstances a child could stop. 

The proper place for a third baseman to play must be governed by thenature of the case. For an ordinary right-hand batter, likely to hit inany direction, and no one on the bases, he should play from fifteen totwenty feet toward second and several feet back of the base line. For avery fast runner he should move nearer the batter, and, if there isdanger of a "bunt, " he may even have to play well inside the diamond, though, as before said, all such hits should be attended to by thepitcher. For a batter who hits along the foul-line, he will play nearerhis base, and for one who invariably hits toward right-field, he willmove around toward second base, going, in some instances, even as far asthe short-stop's regular position. For left-hand hitters he willgenerally have to play nearer the bat, because these players always getto first quicker than right-hand batters. They are five or six feetnearer first base, and by the swing of the bat they get a much quickerstart. If there is a runner on third and not more than one out, he willhave to play near the base before the ball is pitched, the object beingto give the runner as little start as possible, so that he cannot scoreon a sacrifice hit. When the ball is pitched the baseman runs off to hisproper position, unless, of course, he has received a signal from thecatcher to expect a throw. 

The third baseman should go after not only all hits coming within hisposition proper, but also all slow hits toward short-stop, for thelatter is sometimes unable to field such hits in time to make theputout, on account of the longer distance he plays from the home base. The baseman should, however, avoid useless interference with the short-stop, and he should not put down one hand or otherwise balk that playeron a hit plainly within the latter's reach. 

Having stopped a batted ball, he should throw it as quickly as possibleafter having regained his balance, so that if the aim be slightlyinaccurate the first baseman may have time to leave the base and return. If there is a runner on first, the baseman's throw will be to second;this will, at least, cut off the runner from first, and possibly adouble play may be made, if the ball can be sent to first ahead of thestriker. If there are runners on both first and second at the time ofthe hit, he may either throw to second for the double play as before, taking the chance of catching two men, or he may make sure of one man bysimply touching the third base, forcing out the runner from second. Finally, there may be a runner on third and not more than one out, inwhich case, if the runner on third starts home, he will usually try tocut him off by a throw to the catcher, though possibly he may still deemit best to throw to some other base. In any case, what is the best playhe must determine for himself, and he will expedite his decision byhaving a thorough understanding of the situation before the play arises. 

The third baseman should receive a signal from the catcher when thelatter intends throwing to him to catch a runner "napping. " The runneralways takes considerable ground in order to score on a slow hit to thein-field, or on a short passed ball. By a signal, received before thepitcher delivers the ball, the baseman knows that the catcher willthrow, and during the delivery he gets to the base to receive it. Andhere, again, the best base runners are oftenest caught because they takethe most ground. If the batter hits at the ball the runner takes anextra start, and a quick throw to the base will very often catch himbefore he can get back. It should, therefore, be understood that, inevery case when the batter strikes at the ball and misses it, thecatcher will throw to third, whether or not he has previously given thesignal. In touching a runner the baseman must not run away from him; hemust expect to get spiked occasionally, for, if he is thinking more ofhis own safety than of making the put-out, he will lose many plays byallowing runners to slide under or around him. 

CHAPTER VIII. THE SHORT-STOP. 

Originally, it is said, the short-stop's chief function was as tender tothe pitcher, though this soon became an unimportant feature of his work. The possibilities of the position as a factor in field play were earlydeveloped; such fielders as George Wright and Dick Pearce soon showedthat it could be made one of the most important of the in-field. But thesame legislation which almost crowded the third baseman out of the game, affected materially the short-stop's work, and it is only within thepast couple of years that he has regained his former prominent place. 

During 1887 there was more hitting to short than to any other in-fieldposition; though the second baseman averaged more "total chances, " onaccount of a greater number of "put-outs, " the "assists" were in favorof the short-stop. 

The conception of the position has also undergone some changes, andwhen, therefore, I say that the position is now played more effectivelythan ever, it is not to assert that the players of the present arebetter than those of the past, but simply that these changes have beenin the line of improvement, that the short-stop now makes plays neverthought of in former years--in short, that the development of theposition has kept pace with the rest of the game. 

In the early days short-stop was played on the base line from second tothird, or even several feet inside the diamond; now it is played fromten to twenty and sometimes thirty feet back of the line. The result isa vast increase in the amount of territory covered; hits are now fieldedon either side which once were easily safe; short flies to the outfield, which formerly fell between the in and outfielders, are now, many ofthem, caught; the shortstop backs up the second and third bases, helps"hold" a runner on second, and, on a throw from pitcher or catcher, thesecond base is covered by him almost as often as by the baseman himself. Playing so much further from the batter, he will make inure errors; hecan seldom fumble a hit and still make the play; his throw to first islonger, and must therefore be swifter and more accurate; but for thesedisadvantages to himself he is repaid many fold by an increasedusefulness to his team. All these features together make the positionvery different from what it was some years ago, and in point ofeffectiveness it has undoubtedly been improved. 

A short-stop should be a player of more than ordinary suppleness andactivity. He has a large amount of ground to cover; he has to fieldsharply hit balls on either side, and must therefore be able to startand stop quickly; he is often obliged to stoop, recover himself, andthrow while running, and so has no time to get his feet tangled. Moreover, his presence is often required at widely separated portions ofthe field, with very brief intervals allowed him for making the changes. He may have to field a hit to first from near second base, and at once, in continuation of the same play, back up third on the return of theball from first base. Or, from a close in-field position one moment, hemay be called the next to far left-field to assist in the return of along hit. So that he needs to be awake all the time and able to transferhimself without delay to that part of the field in which his servicesare required. On account of the length of his throw to first base, andbecause he is often expected to assist in the return of a long hit tothe out-field, he should be a good, hard thrower. He should also be ableto throw from any posture, because there are occasions when he has notime to straighten up and pull himself together before throwing. 

In chances for skillful plays and the employment of judgment, short-stopis second to no other position on the in-field. He is tied to no base, but is at liberty to go anywhere he may be most needed, and he is thusable to make himself very useful at times, in plays altogether out ofhis position proper. But to make the best use of these advantages hemust be possessed of some intelligence and a wit quick enough to see thepoint and act before the opportunity has passed. Brains are as much anecessity in base-ball as in any other profession. The best ball playersare the most intelligent, though, of course, natural intelligence ishere meant and not necessarily that which is derived from books. 

The proper place for the short-stop to play will be governed always bythe particular circumstances, as explained in the preceding chapterswith reference to other in-fielders. If there are no runners on thebases, regard for the batter alone will determine, but if there arerunners, this fact, and the situation of the game, must be taken intoconsideration. A glance at the diagram of the field given in Chapter Iwill show the usual position of all the fielders, but from these pointsthey may greatly vary. If the batter generally hits along the left foul-line, the short-stop will play nearer the third baseman, and if, on theother hand, the batter hits toward right-field, the short-stop will movetoward second, even going so far as to be directly back of the pitcher, the entire in-field, of course, moving around correspondingly. 

If the batter is a heavy runner, the short-stop may play a deep field, because he will still have sufficient time to get the ball to first; andso, also, if there is a runner on first, he may play well back, becausehis throw then, on a hit, is only to second base. If he is coveringsecond base either to catch a runner from first or to hold a runner onsecond who has already reached there, he must play near enough to thebase to be able to receive the throw. Or, if the attempt is to be madeto cut off at the plate a runner trying to score on a sacrifice hit, hewill play on the base-line or a few feet inside the diamond. 

All in-fielders, as well as out-fielders, should be willingly guided asto the position to play by a signal from the pitcher. The latter, knowing what kind of ball he is going to give the batsman to hit, isbest able to judge beforehand of the direction of the hit. 

The short-stop should cover second base in all cases where there is arunner on first and the batter is one likely to hit to right-field. Thisallows the second baseman to guard the territory between second andfirst, which he would not otherwise be able to do, and if the ball ishit to him, he throws to the short-stop at second, forcing out therunner from first. 

He should also guard second when there is a runner on that base and thebaseman is obliged to play well off for a hit toward right-field. Ofcourse, he does not play on the base, but near enough to be able toreach it if the pitcher or catcher wishes to throw there. 

Another instance in which he may take the base is when there are runnerson first and third and the runner on first starts for second. One way ofmaking this play was described in speaking of "The Second Baseman, " butit is believed that it may be much better done with the assistance ofthe short-stop. With runners on first and third, the catcher signalswhether he will make a long or short throw toward second. When therunner on first starts down, the second baseman runs inside the diamondto a point in line with the base, and the short-stop goes to the base. If the throw is long, the short-stop receives the ball and touches therunner, or returns it quickly to the plate if the runner on third startsin. If the throw is short, the second baseman receives the ball andreturns it to the catcher; or, if the runner on third does not starthome, the baseman may still have time to turn and toss the ball to theshort-stop to catch the runner from first. In deciding to give thesignal for a short or long throw, the catcher is guided by thecircumstances of the case and the situation of the game. If one run isgoing to materially affect the result of the game, the throw will beshort, so that the ball may be surely returned to the catcher before therunner from third scores. If the run is not vital, the throw may stillbe short if the runner at third is speedy; but if he is slow and notlikely to chance the run home, the throw will be all the way to theshortstop to put out the runner from first. The success of the play liesin the fact that the runner on third can never tell, until too late, whether the throw is to be short or long. The play was first made inthis way by Gerhardt and myself in 1886, and during the past two seasonsit has been tried in the New York team many tunes with the best results. Each player must, however, understand his part and all work together. Ina recent game against Philadelphia, on the Polo Grounds, Crane, who hadnever taken part in the play before, gave Fogarty a ball within reachand he hit it through the short-stop position, left unguarded by myhaving gone to cover second base. 

On all hits to left and left centre-fields, the shortstop should takesecond, allowing the baseman to back up the throw, and on all hits toright and right centre the baseman will take the base and the shortstopattend to the backing up. 

In fielding ground hits the short-stop should observe the generalprinciples for such plays. He should, if possible, get directly andsquarely in front of every hit, making his feet, legs, and body assistin stopping the ball, in case it gets through his hands. 

If the ball comes on a "short bound, " he should not push the handsforward to meet it, hut, having reached forward, "give" with the ball bydrawing back the hands in the direction the ball should bound. In thisway if the ball does not strike the hands fairly, its force will atleast be deadened so that it will fall to the ground within reach of theplayer; whereas, if he pushes his hands forward and the ball does notstrike fairly, it will be driven too far away. 

He should meet every hit as quickly as possible, so that if fumbled hemay still have time to recover the ball and make the play. In running into meet the ball, he must not forget the importance of steadiness, andto this end should get himself in proper form just before the ballreaches him. What is meant by "good form" may be seen by the above cut. The feet, legs, hands, arms, and body are all made to assist inpresenting an impassable front to the ball. 

If base-ball diamonds were perfectly true the bound of the ball might becalculated with mathematical precision, but unfortunately they are not, and these precautions become necessary. 

There should be an understanding between the short-stop and thirdbaseman that the latter is to take all slow hits toward short, and asmany hard hits as he can fairly and safely field. The effect of thebaseman's covering ground in this way is to allow the short-stop to playa deeper field and farther toward second base. Some players do not likethe idea of another fielder taking hits which seem more properly tobelong to themselves, but this is the correct way for a short-stop andthird baseman to work, and between two men, playing only for the team'ssuccess, there will never be any dispute. 

It is always best, when possible, to use both hands to stop or catch aball; but sometimes a hit is so far to either side, or so high, that itcan only be reached with one hand. Therefore, a short-stop shouldpractice one-hand play so that he may be able to use it when theemergency requires. He should never attempt it at any other time. 

Having secured a batted ball, he should throw it at once, waiting onlylong enough to regain his balance and make sure of his aim. The practiceof holding the ball for a moment and looking at the runner, whether doneto demonstrate the fielder's perfect sang froid, or to make a swift andpretty throw for the benefit of the grand stand, is altogether wrong. Generally, the throw will be to first, though sometimes there will be anopportunity to put out another runner, in which case it will be to someother base. In throwing to second or third, if he is near the base, heshould pass the ball to the baseman by an easy, underhand toss. It is adifficult play to catch a thrown ball when the thrower is quite near;besides, in making double plays by way of second base, any time lost intossing the ball will be more than regained by the quicker handling, andthere is the additional inducement of safety. 

In making double plays to second it is almost always better to pass theball to the baseman and allow him to throw to first, than for the short-stop to attempt to make the play alone. In 1882, a couple of weeksbefore the season closed, the Providence Club reached Chicago with thepennant all but won; one game from Chicago would have made it sure. Inabout the sixth inning of the last game, with the score four to two inour favor, the first two Chicago batters reached their bases. Kelly thenhit to George Wright at short, who passed the ball to Farrell, retiringthe runner from first, but Jack threw a little high to Start and missedthe double. With runners on first and third, the next man, Anson, hithard to Wright, so that he had plenty of time again for a double. But, this time, instead of passing the ball to Farrell, as before, Georgeattempted to make the play alone. He touched second, but, by the time hewas ready to throw Kelly came against him, and the result was a wildthrow, and, to complete the disaster, the ball rolled through a smallopening under a gate and both runners scored. We were beaten finally sixto five, and lost the championship. It should be added that the gamewould have been won again in the eighth inning but for the unpardonablestupidity of one of the Providence base-runners. 

By far the most difficult catch on a ball field is that of a ball hithigh to the in-field, because of the great "twist" to the ball. Theslightest failure to get the ball fairly in the hands will result in amiss, and yet this is always greeted by derisive howls from certainamong the spectators. There are various styles of catching these hits, but the position of the hands shown in the accompanying cut is believedto be the best. 

The hands should be reached well up to meet the ball and then broughtdown easily in the line of its course. If the hands and arms are heldstiff, the ball will rebound from them as though it had struck a stone. The use of a glove on one hand may be found helpful in counteracting theeffect of the twist. The short-stop is expected to try for all such hitsfalling in his own position, and also all falling back of the thirdbaseman and in short left-field. 

With runners on bases, a double play may sometimes be made by allowingsuch a hit to first strike the ground. In order that the ball may notbound beyond reach, it should be caught or "picked up" on the shortbound, and to do this safely requires a great deal of skill. It is apretty play, and often of invaluable service, and it should therefore bepracticed carefully until it can be made with approximate safety. Theshort-stop must not betray beforehand his intention, but pretend that heis going to catch the ball on the fly. 

With all signals given by the catcher to the different in-fielders theshort-stop must be perfectly familiar, in order that he may be preparedto do his part. If there is to be a throw to second or third he shouldknow it, so that he can be ready to back up in case the throw is wide orbreaks through the baseman's hands. So, too, he must know when to expecta throw if he himself be covering second. 

In all cases where a runner is caught between bases, the short-stop musttake part. If the play is between first and second or between second andthird, he and the second baseman alternate in backing one another up onone side of the runner, while the other baseman and the pitcher do thesame on the other side. If it is between third and home, he and thethird baseman attend to one side, while the catcher and pitcher lookafter the other. In every case the base runner should be run down asquickly as possible, and always toward the base farthest from the homeplate, so that if an error is made the runner will gain no advantage. 

In backing up other fielders a short-stop may be of great service, andhe should do this in every possible case, no matter where the play maybe. But the positions which he is specially bound to back up are thesecond and third bases, not only on all throws from the catcher, butfrom any other fielder, where it is possible for him to get in line withthe throw. He must not get too close to the baseman but keep asufficient distance back of him to make sure of getting in front of theball. 

CHAPTER IX. THE LEFT-FIELDER. 

The simplest of the three out-field positions is the left-field, and oneevidence of this is seen by the fact that a left-fielder almostinvariably leads in the averages. 

If fielding were the only consideration, the man who was the surestcatch, who could run the fastest and throw the longest, would be thebest man for the left-field position; but other points enter into thequestion. A team, to win, must have hitters as well as fielders, and itis therefore usual to fill up the outfield with good batters, even atthe expense of a slight weakness in fielding. 

Considered simply as a fielder, the occupant of the left-field shouldhave a good "eye" to "judge" a ball hit in the air. The moment the hitis made he must be able to tell its direction and locate the place whereit is going to fall. The best fielders acquire a remarkable skill inthis respect and are able to decide these things at a glance. Thefielder who is obliged to keep his eye on the ball all the time it is inthe air will not cover nearly so much ground as the one who is able toput down his head and run until near the ball. Particularly is this trueof a fly hit over the fielder's head. The player who attempts to runbackwards or sideways for the ball, or who turns his back to the ballbut keeps his head twisted around so as to see it, will not begin to getthe hits that a man will who is able to locate the hit exactly and thenturn and run until he has reached the spot where the ball is going tofall. If the eyesight is good any fielder can learn to do this, all itrequires being sufficient practice and plenty of confidence. 

Another qualification for a fielder is the ability to start quickly andrun fast. The player who excels in these respects will, of course, getmore hits than one who starts and runs slowly. 

Next, he must be a sure catch on a batted ball, no matter in what shapehe may be obliged to take it, whether running toward or with the ball, and whether it be high, low, or on either side. Many fielders are sureof a ball if they can get it in a particular position or at a certainheight, but this is not enough, for it is not always possible to dothis. A player who feels himself weak on any point should practice andpractice upon that particular thing until he has mastered it. If he cancatch hits on his right better than on his left side, let him practicecatching only on the left; if he is weak on hits over his head, heshould have some one bat to him thus, until he has overcome theweakness. Any failing of this nature may be corrected by practice. 

A fly ball should never be caught holding the hands and arms rigid. Thefielder should reach up to meet the ball and then bring the hands downeasily with it. There are some balls hit to the outfield, as well as tothe in-field, which the fielders cannot possibly reach with both handsbut may be able to get with one. In a game played to-day (May 7th), between New York and Indianapolis, Hines, of the latter Club, made amarvelous one-hand catch of a hit that would otherwise have been goodfor three bases; and the effect of that one play off the first New Yorkbatter was so bracing to the rest of the Indianapolis team that itprobably accounted for the strong and winning game they afterwardsplayed. So that, while discountenancing one-hand plays when two handsmay be used, I still think every fielder should practice one-handcatches, to be prepared for such a play when it becomes necessary. 

In fielding balls hit along the ground, the fielder should not waituntil the ball comes to him, but run in to meet it as quickly aspossible. Then, if fumbled, he may still have time to get it back to theinfield before base runners can take an extra base. 

The instant an out-fielder gets a ball in his hands he should throw itto some point in the in-field. The habit of holding a ball is extremelydangerous. If the bases are clear and a single base-hit is made the ballshould be sent at once to second base. If there is a runner on first, itshould be thrown to third base, because if sent to second a bold runnerwill sometimes keep right on to third. If there is a runner on secondwhen the hit is made and the left-fielder secures the ball quickly, heshould throw it to third, because most runners will over-run that basein order to draw the throw to the home plate, and a quick throw to thebase will catch them before they can return. 

The left-fielder is expected to back up the second and third bases on athrow from first base or right-field. He should also back up third on athrow from the catcher, and to this end must be on the look-out for thecatcher's signal. He must also back up the centre-fielder when thatplayer runs in to meet a hit, for, though he may not be able to get infront of the ball, he will still be able to recover it quicker than thecentre-fielder in case it gets by the latter. He should also get nearthe centre-fielder when the latter is trying for a high fly, so that ifthe ball is missed he may assist in sending it quickly to the in-field. 

As soon as a fielder has decided that he can get to a hit and has madeup his mind to take it, he should call out loudly and distinctly, "I'lltake it. " That gives every one else warning to keep out of the way, andavoids the chance of collisions. On the other hand, if he is running fora hit and hears some other fielder call out, he should reply, quicklyand clearly, "Go ahead. " That gives the other fielder confidence, and heneed not hesitate or take his eye from the ball to learn the location ofother fielders. If this very simple rule is observed there will never beany collisions, nor will any hits that should be caught be allowed todrop between fielders. 

On all long hits out of the fielder's reach he should go after the ballwith all possible speed and return it to the in-fielder, who has goneout to help him back with the ball. If he misses a fly he should getafter the ball at once and send it to the proper point on the in-field, and not walk after it simply because he has missed it. 

Andy Leonard, of the old Bostons, was, in his day, one of the best ofleft-fielders. He was particularly strong on balls hit over his head, which he always took over his shoulder while running with the directionof the hit. He was also a remarkably bard and accurate thrower. 

CHAPTER X. THE CENTRE FIELDER. 

Much of what has been said with reference to the left fielder isapplicable also to the occupant of the centre field. As a fielder only, it is necessary that he should possess the same powers of "judging" ahit quickly, of starting the instant the hit is made, of running fastuntil he has reached it, and of catching the ball in any position; butas a fielder and batter as well, his fielding qualities are oftenoverlooked, to a certain extent, in favor of his power as a batter. 

Many fielders prefer to catch a ball while they are running and soregulate their speed as to be still on the move when they meet the ball. Some of them do this because they can catch a ball better in that way, and others because they think it looks prettier and pleases the grandstand; they are continually making what appear to be difficult catches, and they occasionally fall down and roll over to add to the effect. Butwhile this may deceive the average spectator, it never escapes the otherplayers, and they soon grow extremely weary of such gymnastics. Andafter awhile the spectators, too, discover his tricks, and then theplayer will not get credit even for the really good work he may do. Another thing to be said against this grand-stand style of play is thatthese players sometimes miscalculate the direction or force of a hitjust enough to lose it, whereas if they had run hard at first the ballwould have been easily caught. The safest plan is to get under the hitas quickly as possible and then there will be time to correct any slightmisjudgment. 

In fielding balls hit along the ground, the outfielder should run inquickly to meet the ball and return it instantly to the proper point onthe in-field. I have seen games lost by out-fielders stupidly holding aball or returning it lazily to the in-field. There is absolutely nothingto be gained but everything to be lost by such plays. 

In throwing to any point on the in-field, if the throw is at all a longone, the fielder should line the ball in on the bound. An out-fieldershould never attempt a long throw on the fly, to first or third or home. A throw on the first bound will reach there just as quickly, moreaccurately, and with less chance of getting by the fielder to whom it isthrown. 

The centre fielder must back up second base on all throws from thecatcher, and also on throws from any other position, whenever possible. On throws from the direction of first base he will be assisted by theleft fielder and from the direction of third base by the right fielder. When a runner is stealing second base and the catcher's throw is wild, the centre fielder must meet the ball quickly so as to prevent therunner from going on to third. In a case of this kind a crafty runnerwill often make a feint to run to third in order to force the fielder tothrow the ball in the hope that he may throw it wild. If there is aprobability that the runner actually intends to go to third, there isnothing left the fielder but to throw and take the chance. But if thefielder has good reason to suspect the honesty of the runner'sintentions, a quick throw to second, instead of to third, will oftencatch him before he can return. 

The centre fielder should also back up the left and right fielders onall hits along the ground which either-of them runs in to meet. It givesone fielder more confidence to go in quickly after a ball if he knowsthere is another fielder behind him to stop it in case it passeshimself. 

Even on an in-field hit to the second baseman or short-stop the out-fielder should move in at once, so as to be able to recover the ballquickly if it gets through the in-field. 

When a runner is caught between first and second or second and thirdbases, the centre fielder should get in line with the play, back ofsecond base. For, while only four players take an active part in such aplay others should back up to provide for the possibility of a wildthrow. 

The necessity of "calling" for a fly hit applies with particular forceto the centre fielder. As soon as he has seen that he can get to a hitand has decided to take it, he calls out loudly so that every one musthear, "I'll take it, " and all the other fielders near him respond, "Goahead. " This will avoid all danger of collisions to which he isspecially exposed by having a fielder on either side. 

On all high flys to another out-fielder he should go near the fielderwho is attempting to make the catch, so that if the ball is missed andbounds his way, he can recover it quickly and prevent runners fromgaining extra bases. 

CHAPTER XI. THE RIGHT FIELDER. 

The right field, when properly played, is the most difficult of the out-field positions. A ball hit in that direction by a right-handed hitteralways describes a curve and is therefore very hard to judge. A goodright fielder should also throw out many men at first base during aseason, and this means that he must possess all the qualifications of anin-fielder. A few years ago it was not an unusual thing to see a batsmanthrown out at first on a hit into right field. One of the best fieldersfor this was George Shaffer, who for several seasons played with theCleveland Club. Another good man was "Jake" Evans, of the Troy Club, andwhen with the Providence Club, Dorgan seldom let a game go by withoutcatching one or more men in this way. 

Of late this is not done so often, for the reason that the right fielderplays a much deeper field now than he did a few years ago. Then, whenthe "curve" was still a novelty, there were very few hard hits made toright field by right-handed batters. Still, even now, there are manybatters for whom there is no reason to play a deep right field, and sucha batter should often be thrown out at first. Yet the only player whom Ihave seen make the play this season was Brown, of Boston, who threw outTitcomb twice in one game on the Polo Ground. 

All that has been said about the other out-fielders as to judging a hit, starting, running, and catching, may be said of the right fielder. Equally with them he must locate a hit instantly, start quickly, runspeedily, and be able to catch the ball in whatever form he may reachit. In judging a hit the fielder always takes into consideration theforce and direction of the wind--with the effect of which he has becomefamiliar in the preliminary practice--and the curve which the ball islikely to take if hit by a right-hand batter. 

In fielding ground-hits he meets the ball quickly, and, where possibleto catch the batter at first, he throws there on the fly. The reason forthrowing so in this instance is, that if he is near enough to catch theman at all, he is near enough to throw accurately on the fly. But tothird base or home he should always throw on the bound. 

He should back up first base on all throws from the catcher. He alsoshould assist the centre fielder in backing up second base, and to thisend run back of the centre fielder when the latter goes in to meet theball; so that if it passes one, the other will still be there to stopit. He should also back up the centre fielder on all ground-hits to thelatter, and on all fly hits to him he should go near so as to quicklyrecover the ball if it be missed. 

He should "call" for the ball the moment he has decided to take it, andas between an out-fielder and an in-fielder the former will take any hithe can reach. He is running in for the ball and has it before him allthe time, while the in-fielder, running out, is apt to get twisted upand in bad shape to make the catch. 

Out-fielders, like in-fielders, must change position to correspond withthe direction the batsman is likely to hit. For instance, there are somemen who are never known to hit to right field, and for such the entireout-field moves toward the left field, the right fielder going almost tocentre, the centre fielder to left centre, and the left fielder close tothe foul-line. When the fielder knows the batsman, he will changewithout direction; but in any case he should respond quickly to anysignal from the pitcher, because the latter may be going to force thebatter to hit in a particular direction. The best fielders make thegreatest difference in the positions they play for different batsmen. 

The right fielder must be on the look-out for the catcher's signal tothrow to first or second base, because, in order that he may get in linewith the throw, it is necessary that he shall start when the pitcherbegins to deliver. He cannot wait until the catcher throws or he will betoo late to get in line. 

CHAPTER XII. THE BATTER. 

The most unsatisfactory feature in base-ball to the player himself, isbatting. In theory it is so simple, yet in practice so difficult, thatone is forever finding fault with himself and thinking, when too late, of what he might have done if only he had not done as he did. 

Of course, the element of chance or "luck, " as it is called, enterslargely into the question. The hardest hit will sometimes go directlyinto the waiting hands of a fielder, while a little "punk" hit from thehandle or extreme end of the bat may drop lazily into some unguardedspot. But, in the course of a season, these chances should aboutequalize one another, and, though fate may seem to be against a man fora half dozen or more games, he will be found finally to have benefitedas much by "scratch" hits as he has lost in good, hard drives. 

The theory of batting is simplicity itself. All that is necessary is towait until the ball comes over the plate and then hit it on a line backinto the field. From the grand stand, nothing could be easier. To sitback of the catcher and see the balls come sailing over the plate, onewill wonder why they are not hit out of creation, and when some player, who has allowed a couple of balls to pass directly over the platewithout making the least attempt to hit at them, finally lets go at onethat he could scarcely reach with a wagon tongue, much less with a 36-inch bat, the spectator is likely to question the fellow's sanity. It isamusing to sit in a base-ball crowd and hear the remarks. There are moregood batters and umpires and all-round ball players in the grand standwithin one's hearing, than are to be found in both the contesting teams. 

It would be more amusing still if some of these prodigies could belifted out of their seats and taken down into the field, and, with a batin hand, made to face some first-class pitcher until they had hit theball just once. They would be surprised to see how differently it looks. At a distance of only fifty feet from a man who can throw a ball like astreak of lightning, or with the same apparent motion, send it so slowlythat one will think it is never going to reach him, who can curve it inor out, up or down, the question of hitting the ball at all becomes oneof some doubt, to say nothing of "base hits. " And then, add to this thedanger of a swift, wild pitch carrying away an arm or burying itself inthe batsman's stomach, and the difficulty is greatly increased. Justthink of it for a moment. A player who can throw a ball, say one hundredand sixteen and two-thirds yards, goes into the pitcher's box and from adistance of only sixteen and two-thirds yards throws the ball to thebatter with all speed. If the throw is wild and the ball hits the batterit strikes him with a force that would have been sufficient to carry theball one hundred yards further. It would be interesting to know just howmany mule power there is behind such a blow. There are a few momentsafter a man has been hit during which he wishes he had never seen abase-ball, and for the next couple of games, at least, he will thinkmore of escaping a recurrence of the accident than of hitting the ball. Hines, of Indianapolis, has already been hit on the head this season byone of the Chicago pitchers, and the result is a long, ragged-lookingscar that he will always carry. An inch lower, and the blow might havecost him his life. 

The first consideration in learning to bat is to acquire the properform. By this is not meant the position to be assumed while waiting forthe pitch, because each batter may, and generally does have hisdistinctive style. But when in the act of hitting there is a certainform to be observed, and this, in its salient points, is the same withall good batters. 

Standing within easy reach of the plate, the batter should hold his batready to hit a breast-high ball. It is easier to hit a low ball whenexpecting a high one than to hit a high ball when a low one wasexpected, for the reason that it is easier to drop the bat quickly andswing underhand than it is to elevate it and chop overhand. When theball is pitched be should not move until he has seen where the ball isgoing. Not until in the act of swinging his bat should he step forward, and then his step should be short, and, generally, directly toward thepitcher. When he hits, the body should be held erect and flung slightlyforward, so that when the bat meets the ball the weight is principallyon the forward foot. 

If he steps too soon, his position is taken and he cannot change it tosuit any slight miscalculation he may have made in the speed ordirection of the ball. 

Neither should he make too long a stride, for the same reasons given inthe preceding paragraph, and also because it puts him in bad form to hitat a high ball. 

He should generally step directly toward the pitcher, unless he hasspecial reasons for doing otherwise. For instance, if a right-handhitter wishes to hit to left-field, he had better step so as to faceslightly in that direction; and if he wishes to hit to right-field, hewill stand farther from the plate and step in with the left foot so asto face somewhat in the direction he intends to hit. 

The object in standing erect is to keep well the balance and be in aposition to cut under or over at a low or high ball. The body is thrownslightly forward so that the weight and force of the body may be givento the stroke. It is not necessary to hit hard, but solidly, and this isdone not so much by the swing of the arms as by the push and weight ofthe shoulder behind it. 

The accompanying cut of Ewing is an excellent representation of abatter, in the act of hitting. He not only swings the bat with the arms, but pushes it with the weight of the shoulders. The position is apicture of strength. 

In hitting at a high ball the bat should be swung overhand, in an almostperpendicular plane, and so, also, for a low ball, the batter shouldstand erect and cut underhand. If the bat is swung in a horizontal planethe least miscalculation in the height of the ball will be fatal. If itstrikes above or below the centre line of the bat, it will be driveneither up into the air or down to the ground. Whereas, if the bat isswung perpendicularly, the same mistake will only cause it to strike alittle farther up or down on the bat, but still on the centre line, andif it misses the centre line it will be thrown off toward first orthird, instead of up or down. 

There are two classes of good batters whose styles of hitting are sodifferent that they may be said to be distinct. The one, comprising suchhitters as Connor, Brouthers, Tiernan, Wise, Fogarty, Whitney, Ryan, Denny, and Fred Carroll, use the full length of the bat, and in additionto the push of the shoulders make a decided swing at the ball. In theother, in which are Anson, Kelly, Dunlap, and a few others, the motionis more of a push than a swing. Anson, who, if not the best batter inthe country, is certainly the surest, seldom does anything but push thebat against the ball, only occasionally making what might be called aswing. Many of the latter class grasp the bat up short, and some of themkeep the hands a few inches apart. If I were advising a novice whichstyle to learn I should say the latter, because it is the surer, thoughsuch batters seldom hit as hard as the others. 

Every ball player who pretends to play the game with his brain as wellas with his body, should be able to hit in whatever direction he wishes. It may not be always possible to hit in the exact direction desired, and, of course, he cannot "place" the ball in any particular spot, buthe can and should be able to hit either to left field or right, as theoccasion demands. The advantage of this to the player himself and to histeam cannot be overestimated. For example, there is a runner on firstwho signals to the batter that he will try to steal second on the secondball pitched. When he starts to run the second baseman goes for his baseand the entire field between first and second is left open. Now, if thebatter gets a ball anywhere within reach and taps it down toward rightfield, the chances are that it will be safe, and the runner from firstwill keep right on to third. Oftentimes, too, the batter himself willreach second on the throw from right field to third to catch the runnerahead of him. Here, now, by a little head-work, are runners on third andsecond, whereas, an attempt to smash the ball, trusting to luck as towhere it should go, might have resulted in a double play or at least oneman out and no advantage gained. Many a game is won by such scientificwork, and the club that can do the most of it, day after day, will comein the winners in the finish. 

When a batter is known as one who will attempt a play of this kind, itis usual for the second baseman to play well over into right field, allowing the second to be covered by the short-stop. When the batterdiscovers such a scheme to catch him he should continue to face towardright field, in order not to betray his intention, but when the ball ispitched, he should turn and hit toward left field. If the short-stop hasgone to take the base, the space between second and third is left openjust as the other side was. 

A great fault with many batters is that they try to hit the ball toohard. This is especially true of the younger players, the "colts, " asthey are called. A young player with a reputation as a hitter in someminor league, goes into a big club and at once thinks he must hit theball over the fence. The result is that he doesn't hit it at all, andunless he corrects his fault, he goes on "fanning the atmosphere" untilhe is handed his release. And yet the same player, if he would steadyhimself down and once get started hitting might do just as well as hedid in his former club. 

And this brings up the reflection that there is a great virtue inconfidence. The player who goes timidly to the bat with his mind made upthat he can't hit, anyhow, might just as well keep his seat. But the onewho walks up, saying to himself, "Other men hit this ball, and I can, too, " will be inspired by his own confidence, and for that very reasonhe will be more likely to hit. So it is that batting goes so much bystreaks. A nine that has not made a hit for several innings willsuddenly start in and bat out a victory. One player leads off with agood hit and is followed by another and another, each benefited by theconfidence and enthusiasm the preceding batters have aroused. 

It goes without saying that the player's eyesight must be perfect or hecan never hope to be a good batter. It requires the keenest kind of aneye to keep track of the ball and tell when it is over the plate and atthe proper height. 

So, too, the nerves must be kept in good condition or the player will beunable to resist the temptation to hit at wide balls. A nervous batteris easily "worked, " because he is so anxious to hit that he can't waitfor a good ball. 

But the most important attribute of all in the composition of a goodbatter is courage. In this term I include the self-control and theresolution by which a man will force himself to stand before theswiftest and wildest pitching without flinching, the fearlessness thatcan contemplate the probability of a blow from the ball without allowingthe judgment to be affected. Out of ten poor batters nine are so becausethey are afraid of being hit. It is often asked, "Why are pitchers, as arule, such poor batters?" and to this the answer in my own mind hasalways been that it is because they know so well the danger which thebatter incurs. There is perhaps no such thing as absolute fearlessness;the batter who has once been hit hard--and all of them have--will neverquite forget the occurrence, and he will forever after have the respectfor the ball that a burned child has for the fire. But some men will notallow this feeling to overcome them. 

It is absolutely necessary, then, to first conquer one's self, to fightdown fear and forget everything except that the ball must be hit. Tosome, this seems not a difficult matter, to many it comes only after themost determined effort and schooling of the nerves, while to a few itseems to be an utter impossibility. The instinct of self-preservation issuch a controlling power with them that unconsciously they draw awayfrom the ball, and, try as they will, they cannot stand up to the plate. The player who cannot overcome this feeling will never be a good hitter, though when he finds that he is a victim he should not give up without astruggle. Some players have broken themselves of the habit of runningaway from the plate by stepping back with the rear foot, instead offorward with the forward foot, when in the act of hitting. Thompson, ofDetroit, who is a remarkably good hitter, steps backward instead offorward. Others, like Hecker, of Louisville, step neither way, but hitas they stand, simply throwing the body forward. Every expedient shouldbe tried before the case is given up as incurable. In my own case I wasforced to change from right to left-hand hitting. I had been hit so hardseveral times that I grew afraid of the ball and contracted the habit ofstepping away from the plate. It was a nervous fear over which I had nocontrol, and the habit became so confirmed that I resolved to turnaround left-handed. I thought that in learning to hit the new way Icould avoid the mistakes into which I had before fallen. It took timeand practice to learn, but the result, I think, has been an improvement. While not able to hit so hard left-handed, because the muscles are notyet so strong, I make more single hits, reach first base oftener, andscore more runs. 

CHAPTER XIII. THE BASE-RUNNER. 

Of the four departments of play, batting, base-running, fielding, andbattery work, the most interesting is base-running. It is the mostskillful, it calls into play the keenest perception and the soundestjudgment, it demands agility and speed, and it requires more daring, courage, and enthusiasm than all the others combined. 

Its importance as a factor in winning games cannot be estimated. We onlyknow that a team of base-runners wins game after game in which it isout-batted and out-fielded by its opponents. No system of scoring hasbeen or can be devised by which a full record of this kind of work canbe kept. The system now in vogue, crediting the number of bases stolen, is all right so far as it goes, but it covers only a small part of theground. Stealing bases is a part of base-running, but it is a very smallpart, and to say that the player who steals the most bases is thereforethe best base-runner, is an altogether unwarranted statement. A quickstarter, speedy runner, and clever slider might easily steal the mostbases, and yet in general usefulness fall far behind some other player. 

Beginning with the more mechanical features, the first qualification fora base-runner is the ability to start quickly. The distances on a ballfield have been laid out with such marvelous nicety that every fractionof a second is valuable. Almost every play is close, and the loss of aninstant of time is often the loss of the opportunity. 

But to start quickly means more than a quick action of the muscles; itmeans also that the brain and body must act together. The base-runnerwho must wait to be told what to do will always be too late. By the timethe coacher has seen the point and called to the runner and the latterhas gotten himself into action, the chance has long passed. The playermust be able to see the play himself and act upon it instantly, withoutwaiting to be told. 

Different runners adopt different methods for getting a long start froma base. Some take as much ground as possible before the pitch and thenstart the moment they see the first motion to deliver. Others stand nearthe base, and when they think it about time for the pitcher to pitchmake a start. If they happen to guess aright they get a running start, which is, of course, a great advantage. And if they guess wrong, thepitcher is so taken by surprise that it is always possible to return tothe base before he can throw. Of the two methods I prefer the latter. Remaining near the base disarms suspicion, and the runner is not tiredout, by repeated feints to throw, on the part of the pitcher. 

In either case the practice of standing with the feet wide apart isaltogether wrong and in violation of every principle of quick starting. Unlike a sprinter, a base-runner must be in shape to start in eitherdirection, and this can be done best and quickest by standing uprightwith the feet almost together. A second qualification is speed. While, as before said, mere speed will not make a base-runner, in the fullsense of the term, yet, other things being equal, the faster runner willbe the better base-runner. Straight away running is something to whichball players do not devote sufficient attention. While, to a certainextent, it is a natural gift, yet every man can improve himself greatlyby practice, and if the spring training of players included more of thiswork, the result would certainly be an improvement in the base-running. Notwithstanding the importance of starting and running and sliding, there is absolutely no attention given these matters, and, consequently, the majority of players seem to be entirely ignorant of the proper"form. " It would be a good investment for some clubs to employ aprofessional sprinter to teach their men how to stand, in order to startquickly, and how to put one foot in front of the other in the approvedform. 

An important aid also to successful base-running is the knack of slidingwell. A player skillful in this respect will often save himself when heseems caught beyond escape. Every runner should know how to slide if heexpects to accomplish anything at all, and every man will slide who hasthe proper interest in his work. Some players do not do so because theyhave never learned and are afraid to try, while others seem to care solittle for the team's success that they are unwilling to take thechances of injury to themselves. As for the former class, a half hour'spractice on sawdust or soft earth will show them how easily it islearned, and as for the latter, they should be made to slide, even if itbe found necessary to persuade them through their pockets. 

Sliding, as an art, is of recent growth, though it has long been thepractice of base-runners to drop to avoid being touched. In view of itspresent importance it is amusing to read, in an article written on thesubject some years ago, an argument against the practice indulged in bya few players of sliding to the base in order to avoid being touched bythe ball. 

The old style of sliding was with the feet foremost, but there are nowvarious methods employed. Many runners now slide head foremost, throwingthemselves flat on the breast and stomach. Some keep to the base-lineand slide direct for the base, while others throw the body and legs outof the line and reach for the base with a hand or foot. Among those whoalways slide feet first and direct for the base, Hanlon is the mostsuccessful. He doesn't go down until quite close to the base, and thendoes not at all slacken his speed. Connor also slides feet foremost, butinstead of throwing himself at full length, he maintains a sittingposture, and each of his slides is the signal for a laugh from thecrowd. On account of his size and the weight behind his spikes, he isalways given the entire base-line without dispute. Williamson is a verysuccessful slider. He runs at full speed until near the base and thenthrows his body away from the baseman and his feet at the base. Thesuccessful runners who slide flat on the stomach are Fogarty, Tiernan, Miller, Andrews, Brown and others. Of those who go in head foremost butthrow the body out of the line and away from the baseman, are Ewing, Glasscock, Pfeffer, Dalrymple and some others. 

An expert base-runner will confine himself to no particular style, but, being familiar with all, will use, in each instance, the one bestsuited. Sometimes one style is best and sometimes another, dependingupon where the ball is thrown and the position of the baseman. Iconsider Kelly the best all-round slider in the League, because he can, and does, use every style with equal freedom. 

The American Association has some of the finest runners in Nicoll, Latham, Stovey, Purcell, and many others, but I have, unfortunately, notseen enough of their work to speak accurately of their methods. 

Though stealing bases is only a part of base-running, yet even thisrequires considerable skill, and it is by no means always the fastestrunner who succeeds the oftenest. Much depends on the start, and much, too, on the slide. I may be permitted to outline my own method: Havingreached first, I signal to the next batter when I am going to steal. Then, standing near the base, well upright and with my feet together, Itry to get a running start on the pitcher; that is, when I think he isabout to pitch, though he has yet made no motion, I make my start. If hedoes pitch I get all the ground that I would have had by playing off thebase in the first place, and I have, besides, the advantage of being onthe move. Every one who knows anything of sprinting will appreciate theadvantages of such a start. If the pitcher does not pitch I usuallymanage to return to the base in safety. Having secured my start, Iexpect that the batter will hit the ball, if it is a good one, intoright-field, in which case I will keep right on to third base; or, if itis a bad ball, the batter will at east hit at it, in order, if possible, to blind the catcher and help me out. In any event I put down my headand run direct for the base, and in no case do I attempt to watch theball. It is a foolish and often fatal mistake for a runner to keep hishead turned toward the catcher while running in another direction. Ifthe ball is hit I listen for the coacher's direction, but if it is not, I keep my eye on the baseman, and by watching his movements, theexpression of his face, and the direction he is looking, I can tell ascertainly just where the throw is going as though I saw the ball. If hestands in front of the line I run back of him, and if he is back of theline I slide in front. In every case, and whether I go in head or feetforemost, I throw my body away from the baseman so as to give him theleast possible surface to touch with the ball. 

There is an advantage in sliding head foremost, in that the runner, byfalling forward, gains the length of his body and the reach of his arm, whereas in sliding feet foremost, he loses this. But if one always goesin head foremost, the baseman, knowing what to expect and standing in nofear of injury, will block the base-line. It seems necessary tooccasionally throw the spikes in first in order to retain one's right tothe line and command a proper respect from opposing basemen. 

In order that the runner may not be continually cut and bruised bygravel or rough ground he should protect his hips and knees by pads. Some have the padding stitched to the inside of the pants, and for theknees this is the better plan, though it interferes somewhat with thewashing of the uniform. But for the hips I prefer the separate pads, which may be bought at any store for the sale of base-ball goods. Thebest make is buttoned to a strap which hinds tightly the lower portionof the body, and this latter feature is itself of great advantage; notonly as a matter of comfort and safety, but also for the sake ofdecency, every player should wear one of these straps, the same asathletes do in other branches of sport. 

But, after all, the important factors in successful base-running are yetto be spoken of, and the foregoing points are merely mechanical aids. There is no other department of play in which intelligence plays soimportant a part, and no matter how clever the player as a starter, runner, or slider, these faculties will be of little value unlessdirected by a quick perception and sound judgment. Indeed, they willoften serve only as traps to lead him into difficulty. 

By its very nature a quick perception is an inborn faculty of the mind, and while it may be developed by constant use, no amount of coaching cancreate it. There are some players who are no more capable of becominggood base-runners than of living under water, so unfitted are they bynature. The power of grasping a situation and acting upon it at once issomething which cannot be taught. 

In order, however, to know when a fair opportunity presents itself, therunner must be familiar with the chances of play, and this comes onlyfrom experience and close observation. A runner who is thoroughly aliveto all the possibilities of the game will see a chance and gain a pointwhere another of less ready perception would find no opening. The formerhas learned to marshal at a glance all the attendant probabilities andpossibilities and to estimate, in the same instant, the chances ofsuccess or failure. 

It is not, however, always best to accept an opportunity when presented, even where the chances of success are largely in the runner's favor. Thestages of the game must be taken into consideration, and what may be aperfectly commendable play in one situation may be altogether recklessand foolhardy in another. Therefore, the most important faculty of all, the pendulum which regulates, and the rudder which guides, is judgment. An illustration may make my meaning clear. In the ninth inning, with arunner on first base and the score a tie, it may be a good play for therunner to attempt to steal second, because from there a single hit maysend him home. But suppose that, instead of the score being a tie, theside at bat is four or five runs behind, of what possible use will thesteal be now, even if successful? One run will do no good, and the onlychance of victory is in the following batters also getting around thebases. But the hits or errors by which this must be accomplished willalso send the first runner home without a steal, so that in attemptingto steal he takes a chance which is of no advantage if successful, andperhaps a fatal mistake if not. 

Again, suppose there is a runner on third and none out and the batterhits a short fly to the out-field, on the catch of which it is doubtfulwhether the runner can score. If the next batter is a good hitter, hewill not make the attempt, trusting to the next hit for a better chance. But if the next batter is weak and not likely to offer as good a chancehe may decide to try for the run on the small chance already presented. These are only given as examples and they might be multiplied, becausethe same problem will always present itself in a more or less imperativeform every time the runner has a play to make. The question he mustalways decide is, "Is this the best play, everything considered?" Itgoes without saying that he must answer this for himself. In conclusion, I will describe some plays that may arise and venture some observations, running through which the reader may discern the general principles ofbase-running. 

There is an element in base-ball which is neither skill nor chance, andyet it is a most important factor of success. It is the unseen influencethat wins in the face of the greatest odds. It is the element, thepresence of which in a team is often called "luck, " and its absence a"lack of nerve. " It is sometimes spoken of as "young blood, " because theyounger players, as a general rule, are more susceptible to itsinfluence. Its real name is enthusiasm, and it is the factor, in theinfluence of which, is to be found the true explanation of the curiousstanding of some clubs. Between two teams of equal or unequal strengththe more enthusiastic will generally win. The field work may be slow andsteady, but at the bat and on the bases there must be dash and vim. 

If, for example, it be found that a catcher is a poor thrower, or apitcher slow in his movements, every fair runner reaching first shouldimmediately attempt to steal second, and even third. This style of playwill demoralize an opposing team quicker than anything else, and even ifunsuccessful at first, and the first few runners be caught, it shouldstill be kept up for a couple of innings, because it will, at least, affect the nerves of some of the opposing players, and if a break doescome, the victory will be an easy one. Every batter should be ready totake his place quickly at the bat, and hit at the first good ball; everyrunner should be on the move; and with plenty of coaching, and everybodyfull of enthusiasm, it is only necessary to get the run-getting startedin order to have it go right along. This is the game that is winning inbase-ball to-day, as every observant spectator knows. 

Base-running begins the moment the ball is hit. There are some playerswho don't know how to drop their bats and get away from the plate. Somestand until they see whether the hit is safe, and they run to first withthe head twisted around to watch the ball. The instant the ball is hit, no matter where it goes, the batter should drop the bat and start forthe base; leaving the ball to take care of itself, he should put downhis head and run, looking neither to the right nor the left. Every footgained may be of vital importance, for in most cases the runner isthrown out by the distance of only a few feet. 

Some runners make a mistake in jumping for the base with the last step. It not only loses time but makes the decision so plain to the umpirethat the runner fails to receive his fair share of benefit from closeplays. 

A runner to first on a base hit or fly to the outfield should alwaysturn first base and lead well down toward second, so that if the ball isfumbled or handled slowly or missed, he may be able to reach second. Andby hurrying the out-fielder he increases the probability of an error. 

A runner should always run at the top of his speed, except in the singlecase where he feels himself to be clearly within reach of his base andthen slackens up in order to draw the throw. 

At no other time is there anything to be gained by slow running, andoften there is much to be lost. In the game spoken of elsewhere in thisbook, between Providence and Chicago, which virtually decided thechampionship for 1882, Hines was on first when Joe Start hit what lookedlike a home-run over the centre-field fence. The wind caught the balland held it back so that it struck the top of the netting and fell backinto the field. Hines, thinking the hit perfectly safe, was joggingaround the bases when the ball was returned to the in-field. Start hadrun fast and overtaken Hines, and the result was that instead of a runscored, a man on third and no one out, both runners were put out and welost the game by one run, and the championship by that one game. Aplayer has no right to "think this or that;" his sole duty is to runhard until the play is over. 

When a runner is on first and a hit is made he should run fast tosecond, and if possible force the throw to third. Every such throwoffers an opportunity for error, and the more of these the runner canforce the more chances there will be in his favor. By getting quickly tosecond he is in a position to go on to third if the ball is fumbled orslowly handled, or returned to the wrong point on the in-field. 

So, too, a runner on second, when a hit is made, should always force thethrow to the home plate, even if he does not intend to try for the run. In order to do this he must run hard to third and turn the base asthough he really meant to go home. Any hesitation or looking around willfail of the object. The throw home gives the player who hit the ball achance to reach second base. 

In a game where there is plenty of hitting runners should obviously takefewer chances than where the hitting is light. 

It is usually advisable for a good runner, who leas reached first withtwo men out, to attempt to steal second, because then one hit willlikely bring him home; whereas if he stays on first it will require twohits, or two errors in succession, and these are not likely to come, with two men already out. 

The only times to steal third are, first, when there is only one out, for then a hit, a sacrifice, or a long fly will score the run. If thereis no one out, the chances are that a runner on second will eventuallyscore anyhow, and if there are two out there is little advantage gainedby stealing third. It still requires a hit or an error to score the run, and the same would probably score it from second as easily as fromthird. Second, it may sometimes be advisable for a runner on second baseto steal third, even when there are two out, provided there is also arunner on first. Because, if successful, the runner on first also getsto second, and the result is two stolen bases front the one chance, anda hit will now likely score two runs instead of one. 

When there is a runner on second or third with no more than one out, andthe batter makes what is apparently a long, safe hit, the runner shouldhold the base until he has seen, beyond a doubt, that the hit is safe. If safe, he will still have ample time to reach home, while if, by anychance, it be caught, he will nevertheless get third or home, as thecase may be. A couple of seasons back a New York runner was on third, with no one out, when the batter made what looked like a home-run hit. The runner on third, instead of waiting to make sure, started home; theball was caught and, though he managed to return to third, he did notscore, as he otherwise might easily have done. The next two batters wentout, the score was left a tie, and we finally lost an important game. 

Succeeding base-runners should have private signals so that they maycommunicate their intentions without apprising the opposing players. Arunner on first who intends to steal second should inform the batter, sothat the batter may hit the ball, or at least strike at it. A runner onsecond should notify a runner on first of his intention to steal third, so that the other may at the same time steal second. When there arerunners on first and third each should understand perfectly what theother purposes doing so they can help one another with the play. 

In such a situation the runner on first will generally attempt to stealsecond, and if the catcher throws down to catch him there are severalthings which the runner on third may do. First, as soon as he sees thethrow to second he may start for home, and if he has previously decidedto do this, he should take plenty of ground front third base. Second, hemay not start for home on the throw, but if the runner from first getscaught between first and second, it will then be necessary for him totry to score. For this purpose he carefully takes as much ground fromthird as possible, while the other player is being chased backward andforward. Finally, when the ball is tossed by the second baseman to thefirst baseman, he makes a dash for home. The idea of waiting until theball is thrown to the first baseman is because the latter has his backto the plate, and not only cannot see the play so well but must turnaround to throw. Third, if the circumstances are such that he thinksbest not to try to score on the throw, he should, at least, on seeingthe throw to second, make a strong feint to run in order to draw thesecond baseman in and allow the runner from first to reach second. 

There is a pretty play by which one run may be scored when there arerunners on first and second. It is, however, a desperate chance andshould only be resorted to in an extremity. The runner on first leadsoff the base so far as to draw the throw from the catcher, and, seeingthe throw, the runner on second goes to third. Then, while the firstrunner is playing between first and second, the runner now on thirdscores as described in the preceding play, waiting until the ball ispassed to the first baseman. If the second baseman is a poor thrower itmay be best to make the dash for home when the ball is thrown to him. 

A runner on second may receive a signal from the batsman that the latterintends to try a "bunt, " in which case the runner will try to stealthird. If the bunt is made the runner reaches third, but if the buntdoes not succeed, the attempt draws the third baseman in close andleaves the base uncovered for the runner. 

Without particularizing further, it will be seen that a base-runner mustnot only have some wits but he must have them always with him. Exactlythe same combinations never conic up, new ones are continually beingpresented, and in every case he must decide for himself what is best. Inview of all the circumstances, he makes a quick mental estimate of thechances and acts accordingly. Sometimes for-time will be against him, but if his judgment is sound he is sure to be successful in the majorityof attempts. 

CHAPTER XIV. CURVE PITCHING. 

Curve pitching is a scientific fact, the practice of which preceded thediscovery of its principle. For a long time after its existence wasfamiliar to every ball-player and spectator of the game, there were wisemen who proclaimed its impossibility, who declared it to be simply an"optical delusion, " and its believers the victims of the pitcher'strickery. It was only after the curve had been practically demonstratedto them, in a way which left no room for doubt, that they consented tofind for it a scientific explanation. 

The discovery of the curve itself was purely an accident. During theyears from 1866 to 1869 the theory was held by many pitchers that themore twist imparted to a pitched ball, the more difficult it would be tohit it straight out. It was thought that even if it were struck fairly, this twist would throw it off at an angle to the swing of the hat. Onewriter on the game declared strongly against this practice of thepitchers on the ground that, though this twist did do all that wasclaimed for it, it at the same time caused the ball, when hit, to boundbadly, and thus interfered with good fielding. Of course, both of thesetheories become absurd in the light of the present, but it was doubtlessthe belief in the former that led to the introduction of the curve. In1869 Arthur Cummings, pitching for the Star Club, noticed that by givinga certain twist to the ball it was made to describe a rising, outwardcurve, and his remarkable success with the new delivery soon led to itsimitation by other pitchers, and finally to the general introduction ofcurve pitching. 

The philosophy of the curve is, in itself, quite simple. A ball isthrown through the air and, at the same time, given a rotary motion uponits own axis, so that the resistance of the air, to its forward motion, is greater upon one point than upon another, and the result is amovement of the ball away from the retarded side. Suppose the ball inthe accompanying cut to be moving in the direction of the arrow, B C, atthe rate of 100 feet per second. Suppose, also, that it is rotatingabout its vertical axis, E, in the direction of I to H, so that anypoint on its circumference, I H D, is moving at the same rate of 100feet per second. The point I is, therefore, moving forward at the samerate as the ball's centre of gravity, that is, 100 feet per second, plusthe rate of its own revolution, which is 100 feet more, or 200 feet persecond; but the point D, though moving forward with the ball at the rateof 100 feet per second, is moving backward the rate of rotation, whichis 100 feet per second, so that the forward motion of the point D ispractically zero. At the point I, therefore, the resistance is to apoint moving 200 feet per second, while at D it is zero, and thetendency of the ball being to avoid the greatest resistance, it isdeflected in the direction of F. 

In the Scientific American of August 28th, 1886, a correspondent gave avery explicit demonstration of the theory of the curve, and, as it hasthe virtue of being more scientific than the one given above, I appendit in full. 

"Let Fig. 3 represent a ball moving through the air in the direction ofthe arrow, B K, and at the same time revolving about its vertical axis, U, in the direction of the curved arrow, C. Let A A A represent theretarding action of the air acting on different points of the forwardhalf or face of the ball. The rotary motion, C, generates a current ofair about the periphery of the ball, a current similar to that caused bythe revolving flywheel of a steam engine. 

"If, now, at a point on the face of the ball we let the arrow, R, represent the direction and intensity of this rotary current of air, andif at the same point we let the arrow, A, represent the direction andintensity of the retarding action of the air, then we will find byconstructing a parallelogram of forces that the resultant or combinedeffect of these two currents acts in the direction indicated by thedotted arrow, T. In other words, we have a sort of compression, or forceof air, acting on the face of the ball in the direction indicated by thearrow, T. This force, as we can readily see, tends, when combined withthe original impetus given to the ball, to deflect or cause time ball tocurve in the direction of the dotted line, B P, instead of maintainingits right line direction, B K. If the ball rotate about its vert axis inthe opposite direction, the curve, B N, will be the result. "

To the above demonstrations it is only necessary to add an explanationof one other feature. The question has arisen why it is that the ballapparently goes a part of its course in a straight line and then turnsoff abruptly. One might suppose at first thought that the greater speedat the beginning would create the greater resistance and consequentlycause the greatest deflection. This, however, is not true. Thedifference between the resistance upon opposite points of the ball inthe circumference of its rotation always remains the same, no matter howgreat the force of propulsion, and therefore the increased force of thelatter at the beginning has no effect on the curve. But while the forceof the twist itself is not affected by the rate of the forward movement, its effect upon the ball is greatly nullified. The force of propulsionbeing so great at first, drives the ball through the air and prevents itfrom being influenced by the unequal resistance. It is only when the twoforces approach one another in strength that the latter begins to have aperceptible effect. As soon, however, as it does, and the course of theball begins to change, the direction of the dotted arrow, T, begins tochange likewise. It follows the course of the ball around, and the moreit curves the more this resultant force tends to make it curve, and thiscontinues until the ball has lost either its twist or its forwardmotion. 

Having established the fact that a ball will curve in the direction ofthe least resistance, it is only necessary to alter the direction of theaxis of rotation in order to change the direction of the curve. Thus, ifin the cut first given the ball were rotating in the direction of D H Iinstead of I H D, the ball would curve, not toward F, but to the right. So, also, if the axis of rotation is horizontal instead of vertical, andthe greatest resistance is made to come on top, the ball will curvedownward, or "drop. " And in the same way, by imparting such a twist thatthe resistance falls on some intermediate point the ball may be made totake any of the combination curves known as the "outward drop, " the"rising out-curve, " and so on through the entire category.