ikes are called by the umpire, the riker must run for his base, and the 11, after it passes the home plate, treated just like a fair ball struck. the Catcher catches it and holds or if he can get it to first base bere the Batsman, the latter is out. four balls are called, the Batsman allowed to "take his base "-that to run to first base without any ndrance. Sometimes the batsman so hits the all that, although he is himself put it, he enables a base-runner to reach nother base. He is then said to ave made a "sacrifice hit." When a player either has been put ut or has made his base, another A Shoe Plate. ne of the same side takes his place as Batsman. The striking order is decided before the game and remains the same throughout. When a base-runner has reached first base, his object is to pass in succession second, third, and home base, and if he succeed in reaching the lastnamed without being put out, he scores one run for his side. He can be put out, after he has reached first base by being touched with the ball in the hands of one of the opposite side while he is not touching a base, and in other ways as told in Rule 50; but these do not often occur. He cannot be put out while he is standing on a base; but as two players cannot occupy the same base at the same time, he must leave the base before the base-runner following him reaches it. When a player is thus compelled to leave his base, he is said to be "forced." A baserunner usually keeps close to his base while the ball is near him, but when it is in the hands of the Pitcher or the Catcher he "leads off" a short distance toward the next base, so as to be ready to run to it should the Batsman strike a fair ball. When a foul ball is struck, all base-running after the ball leaves the bat is void, and the runners must return to the bases from which they started, retouching the bases they have just left. Sometimes a base-runner can make his next base by leading off and then running while the ball is being thrown by the Pitcher to the Catcher, hoping to reach the base before the latter can throw the ball to the Baseman. This is called "stealing a base." If the ball is thrown to the Baseman before the runner makes his base, he may then try to return to his former base, if it has not been occupied by another player. The basemen on each side of him then usually try to put him out by throwing the ball from one to the other, while they walk toward each other, keeping the runner between them till one is near enough to touch him. This is called "running out between bases," but it does not happen often with skillful players. Sometimes, in such a case, the runner will manage to slip past one of the basemen and make his base. In any case where there is a dispute as to whether a man has been put out or not, the umpire decides, as he does in all disputed points throughout the game. Sometimes a baseman, after putting out a man, can get the ball to another base in time to put out someone else, or a fielder, after catching a fly and thus putting the striker out, may throw out a base-runner. These and similar cases are called doubleplays." If three men are thus put BASE BALL 44 out, it is a "triple-play," but this The game consists of nine such innings, and the side that scores the most runs is the winner. If the same number of runs has been scored by each side at the end of the ninth inning, a tenth must be played, or more, if necessary, till the game is decided. Each inning is divided into halves, during each of which a different side is at the bat. At the end of an entire inning, when the sides have been at the bat the same number of times, the innings are said to be "even"; but when the side that struck first has been at the bat once more than the other, the innings are said to be "uneven." If the 56 side that would go to the bat last is ahead at the middle of the ninth or any subsequent inning, the last half of that inning is omitted, as it could not affect the result of the game, but only increase the winners' score. Similarly, if the side last at bat scores the winning run before putting out its three men, the rest of the inning is omitted. If a player reaches his base, he does so either because he made so good a hit that the best fielding could not have put him out, or because one of the fielders did not do his duty. In the former case, the Batsman is said to have made a basehit, or a two-, three-, or four-base hit, as the case may be; in the latter case, the fielder is said to have made an Likewise, a fielder that "error." allows a base-runner to make a new base, when he might have stopped A run made him, makes an error. entirely without the aid of errors on the opposite side is called an "earned run." Errors, base-hits, and earned runs are scored, not because they count in deciding the results, but because they serve to show whether a game is won by the skill of the winners or the carelessness or bad playing of the losers; and they also show which are the best players on a side. They are more carefully considered under Scoring. The Catcher. This player usually wears gloves, made for the purpose, to protect his hands, a cage, or mask, of strong steel wire over his face, and sometimes a padded in Figure 1. body protector, as When there are no men on bases, and the batsman has less than two strikes, the Catcher usually stands back and takes the Pitcher's balls on the first bounce, or allows them to strike the high board fence at his rear without trying to catch them. When the Batsman has two strikes, the Catcher stands close to him (called playing close to, or behind, the bat), so that at the next strike he may catch the ball on the fly, and so put the striker out. When there is a man on third base, he also tries to "throw them out" if possible. He tries to catch those foul balls that are struck to the Batsman's rear, and any fair balls that fall but a short distance in front of the Home-plate. When a fair ball falls between Catcher and Pitcher, or in any other case where it is doubtful which player should take a ball, the captain of the side calls out the name of the one he wishes to catch it. Besides these duties, the Catcher generally acts as Home-Baseman. Pitcher. The Pitcher. His chief duty is to throw his ball so that the Batsman will find difficulty in striking it. For this purpose he often throws the ball in a curve, so that the Batsman is puzzled to know just where it will cross the home-plate. This is done by giving the ball a twist as it is thrown. A swiftly moving ball pushes the air in front of it into a sort of elastic cushion, and if the ball is twisting at the same time the cushion will be a little more elastic on one side than on the other, pushing the ball slightly sideways, and thus making its path a curve. By mak Straight Delivery. ing the ball twirl in one direction or another, the skillful Pitcher can curve outside of the lines that determine his position, as laid down in the rules. While engaged in pitching the ball the Pitcher must also keep close watch of the base-runners, trying to put them out by throwing the ball to the bases when they are off their guard. He should also be ready to "back up" the Catcher, or stand behind him, when the ball is thrown in from the field it to the right or to the left upward to put a runner out at home. Sometimes he backs up the First Baseman in like manner. The Pitcher or downward, so that only a batsman of equal skill can strike it at all. The illustrations show the positions of the hand and body for various curves. It requires much judgment to make a curved ball pass over the Home-plate, for when it leaves the Pitcher's hand it seems as if it were going to pass to one side. That the Catcher may not be puzzled as well as the Batsman, the Pitcher makes signals, usually by moving his hand or head, to tell the Straight Delivery. Catcher how the ball is to be curved. When he is pitching the ball, he must not step the others, in most cases, put the runner out by touching him with the ball before he reaches the base. When, however, the runner is "forced" the basemen need only touch the base before the runner Out-Curve. |