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The Game of Base Ball by Henry Chadwick (1868)

By Patrick Mondout
April 1, 2008

This month's BaseballChronology Book of the Month is The Game of Base Ball by Henry Chadwick, published in 1868. You are on web page 2 of 6 of The Game of Base Ball. Click here to go back to the first page.

The Game of Base Ball continued...

CHAPTER 1

HOW TO LEARN THE GAME.

THERE are two ways of learning to play base ball: the one is to learn it for the objects of recreation and exercise, and the other in order to become a skillful and noted player. The former involves but little trouble, inasmuch as the theoretical knowledge requisite for the purpose can be readily acquired in an hour's study of any standard work on the subject; while an afternoon's practice on the field, in an amateur contest, will afford all the practical information necessary. To become a professional expert, however, not only requires an attentive study of the rules of the game, and of those special applications of them known as "points," together with perfect familiarity with each and every rule; but also a regular course of training, to fully develop the physical powers, in order to ensure the highest degree of skill in each and all of the several departments of the game. To learn the game, therefore, for the simple purpose of a few hours of recreation of a summer's afternoon, is an easy task; but to go into a regular course of training, in order to become a professional player, is like everything else in which any special standard of physical skill is aimed at, viz., a task which involves steady and persevering application, fatiguing exertion, plenty of pluck and nerve, thorough control of the temper, great powers of endurance, and, withal, the physical aptitude to excel in one or other—if not in all—of those special departments of the game known as pitching, catching, base-play, out-fielding and batting; the specialty of batting requiring a quick eye, considerable strength of arm and wrist, and the judgment which experience seems alone to impart; while that of fielding requires great agility, good throwing powers, courage and endurance, and quick perception.

The theory of base ball is as simple as that of any field sport in vogue, and herein lies one of its attractive features; and yet, to play the game up to its highest point of excellence requires as great a degree of mental ability, and the possession of as many manly physical attributes as any known game of ball. Ordinarily a party of juveniles, ranging from seven to ten years of age, can easily play a game of base ball; but to play the game in the highest style of the art requires men of pluck, nerve, and presence of mind—courageous fellows, having their wits about them; for when played as it should be, it is anything but a boy's game in any respect, as the amount of fatigue undergone, and the number of injuries sustained in leading contests each season fully proves. The theory of the game is simply as follows: A space of ground being marked out on a level field, in the form of a square, bases are placed on the four corners thereof. The field side take their positions, and the pitcher delivers the ball to the batsman, who endeavors to send it out of reach of the fielders, and far enough into the field to enable him to run the round of the bases, and if he reaches the home base—his starting point—without being put out, he scores a run. He is followed by his companions until three of the batting side are put out, when the field side take the bat and have their innings. Nine innings constitute the game, and the side making the most runs in these innings wins the ball. To illustrate the peculiarities of the game more fully, however, we will follow an amateur party to a ball ground and describe their contest together. In the first place, such a party should. be composed of not less than twenty-one persons, eighteen for the two contesting sides, two for the scorers and one for the umpire. The materials of the game necessary consist of six bases, as many bats, and one ball, all of regular dimensions; also two flags, on staffs, for foul ball posts, three of the bases being canvas bags filled with soft material, and three others fiat iron plates, each of which must cover a square foot of surface. On the arrival of the party at the field of operations, they proceed to mark out the ground, and the plan they adopt is as follows: Choosing the most level spot for the position of catcher, they first set down the home base plate. In a straight line from that base, and distant some forty-nine paces, they place the second base, and on the line between these two bases, and distant fifteen paces from the home base, they place the pitcher's plate, and four feet further back the other plate for that position. Two men then take their stand on home base and two on second base, and each step off thirty paces towards a point opposite the centre of the square, and the places where these lines intersect are the positions of first and third bases. This is as near the right measurement as can be arrived at without a tape line to measure by. The foul ball posts are placed in the ground on the line of the home, and first and home and third bases, near the boundary of the field. The ground laid out, sides are chosen and the innings tossed for, the party captained by A going to the field, and B's nine taking the bat. All being in readiness the umpire calls "play," and the game begins.

When the batsman takes his position at the home base, the umpire asks him where he wants a ball, and the batsman responds by saying "knee high," or "waist high," or by naming the character of ball he wants, and the pitcher is required by the rules to deliver the batsman a ball within the legitimate reach of his bat and as near the place indicated as he can, and if he fails to do this twice the umpire, after warning him, is required to call balls on him, viz., to call "one ball" for the first failure to deliver the ball fairly to the bat, after he has pitched one unfair ball; "two balls " for the second, and " three balls " for the third, and when " three balls" have been called the batsman drops his bat and goes to first base; and should any player be on any of the bases when this penalty is inflicted on the pitcher, they, too, take the next base. The moment the batsman hits a fair ball—that is, one which strikes the ground in front of the base lines—he drops his bat and runs for the first base, and if he reaches it before being touched by the ball, or before the ball is held on the base by the base player, he secures his base, but if not he is out. If the ball he hits should be caught by any one of the fielders before touching the ground —or " on the fly," as it is called—he is out; and if he should strike at the ball three times and fail to hit it, and on the third strike the ball be caught by the catcher on the first bound, the batsman is out; and likewise, if it be caught on the first bound, after glancing from the bat and touching the ground back of the base lines—in which case the umpire calls "foul"—the batsman is out; and if, too, after he has made his first base, he step off the base, and is touched while off, he is out. In running, too, from first to second base, or from any other base to the next, either on a ball hit foul or caught on the fly, he must turn and regain the base he has left, or, if the ball be held on the base, or if he be touched before returning to it, he is out. Again, on the first base—when a fair ball is struck, or any other when all arc occupied—he is obliged to vacate the base and run for the next, and if the ball be held on the base he is running to before he reaches it, or if he be touched by the ball, in the hands of any fielder while off the base he is running to, he is out; and lastly, if lie takes any backward step in hitting at the ball, or fail to stand astride of the line of the home base when about to strike the ball, he incurs the same penalty as when failing to hit the ball after striking at it three times. It will thus be seen, therefore, that the field party have nine distinct chances given them by the rules for putting their batting opponents out. First, by a fair fly catch; second, by striking out; third, by a foul fly catch; fourth, by a foul bound catch; fifth, by being forced off a base; sixth, by a ball being held on a base before reaching it—as at first base; seventh, by a ball being held on a base before returning to it; eighth, by being "run out," viz., touched by the ball when off a base, and ninth, by stepping backward at the home base line when striking at the ball. It would by this appear, at a casual glance, that the batsman's chances of securing a run are very small; but when the chances of dropped fly balls, failures to stop ground balls, wild throwing, and balls not held when thrown to bases accurately, together with a lack of judgment in not playing the field "points" of a game, and the cost of wild pitching in passed balls and called balls is taken into consideration, the batsman will be found to have as many chances for making runs as the fielders have for putting him out. In fact, a good batting nine will go through a season against average nines more successfully than a good fielding nine who do not excel at the bat; but when the batting skill of a nine is good, though not first-class, and their fielding is extra, the chances are in favor of the best fielding. Skill at the bat, however, is more general than in the fielding department, amateur nines frequently excelling at the bat, though poor in the field, skill in fielding being the result of training. But to our amateur game.

"Play" having been called, the first player named on the score book of the B party took his place at the bat, and going in on his muscle, he hit the ball over the center fielder's head, and went the round of the bases, opening play with a "clean" home run, the ball not reaching the in-field—viz., the space inside the lines of the bases—until the batsman had reached the home base. In making a "clean home run," as it is called, it is requisite that the ball be sent so far out of the reach of the out-fielders that it cannot be handled by any of them in time to put the base-runner out before he touches the home-base; and it is also necessary that he be not compelled to stop on any base from fear of being put out, but that he keep on running until the home base is reached. It sometimes happens, however, that a ball is hit by the striker to one or other of the base men, and thrown in wildly to first base, by which means the batsman is enabled to run the round of the bases without stopping, and to get home before the ball is returned. This is not counted a home run, because it is not a clean home run, viz., one earned by a good hit, but simply the result of poor fielding. The first run being scored, the name of the second player on the list was called, and he, failing to hit the ball after striking at it three times, was declared out on three strikes. The third striker was equally unlucky, he being caught out on the " fly" by the pitcher, the batsman hitting a high ball, which fell into the pitcher's hands, this style of hit being technically termed " popping one up." Here were two hands out and but one run scored, and striker No. 4 went in to change the appearance of things, and though he hit the ball hard, it went directly to the short stop, who fielded it well to the first baseman, but the latter dropped it, and had the batsman ran well to his base, he would have made it, but instead of keeping on running,he stopped when he saw the ball held, as he thought, by the baseman, and when he perceived that it was dropped, it was too late to get to the base before the ball was again held, and so he was put out, the inning closing for the one run scored by the first striker. This habit of stopping when running to first base, because the striker happens to think that there is no chance for him to make it, is a very bad one, and frequently loses a man his base. The invariable rule with the striker, when he hits the ball, should be to drop his bat and take a 2.40 gait for the base, and not stop until he is declared out, or "foul ball" is called. The B party now took the field, and the Captain having heard that slow pitching was very effective, instructed his pitcher to try that style of delivery, which he did, until every man of A's side had not only made his base on his hit, but secured his run, the reason that the "slows" were so easily hit, being that they were pitched directly for the bat, so that even a muffin could have hit them; and the out-field being neither active in their movements, or sure catchers, the result was that when chances were offered off the slow pitching, they were not taken. When nine runs had been scored, and a player was on the first base, and no hands out, the Captain changed his pitcher, the new player in the position being swifter, but not so accurate in his delivery, and though he had " balls" called on him, and the player on the first base made his second and third on passed balls-the result of wild pitching—still two hands were put out on tips, and the third was disposed of at first base, the player who ran in from third base at the time not being entitled to score a run when two hands are out if the striker of a fair ball be put out, the tally of the first innings standing at 9 to 1 in favor of A's nine. Of course this lead at the start greatly encouraged the A nine, and they went into the field in the second innings greatly inspirited and, fielding more sharply, disposed of their adversaries in " one, two, three" order, that is, the three first strikers of the B party were put out in succession, the first on the fly by the second baseman, and the other two on foul balls, by the catcher. The B party now went at the bat to equal their opponents' score, but the rather swift pitching bothered them, especially as they could not get one ball out of three anywhere within reach. "Balls" were called by the umpire, and the first striker took his base on three called balls, as did the second striker, and each took bases on a "balk," the pitcher stopping, in the act of delivery, to throw the ball to first base. In every instance when the pitcher has made the first movement of the series he makes in delivering the ball, and lie fails to follow the movement up by actual delivery, the umpire is bound to call a "balk," without waiting to be asked for " judgment." Some pitchers have three separate movements in delivery, others have four and even more. Now, whatever the number of these preliminary movements may be, they must be made in regular order, and must be followed by the delivery of the ball, or otherwise a "balk" is the result. Two men were on the bases when the ball was " popped up" by the next striker, and caught on the fly by the third baseman while standing near his base, and though both the base runners had left their bases when the ball was struck, they both managed to get back to their bases safely, the player who had caught the ball, failing to play the "points" he had a chance to do, for instead of promptly placing his foot on the third base the moment lie bad caught the ball, and then rapidly passing the ball to the second base player, he hastily threw it to the catcher, thinking that the base runner was "forced" off third base, forgetting that the moment the fly ball had been caught, and the " batsman" thereby put out, that the base runners ceased to be obliged to leave their bases, both being obliged instead to return to them when left, because of the fly catch. Had the proper "point" been played, and the ball held on the third base, and passed to the second baseman, the result would have been "side out," the first hand being out on the fly, the second out at third base, from failing to return to it before the ball had been held on it, and the third out at second base for a similar reason. Instead of this triple play, however, only one player—the striker—was put out, and before the second and third hands could be disposed of, the two men got home on passed balls, the last two hands being put out on "tips"—viz., foul balls just touching the bat and bounding sharply into the catcher's hands. This left the tally of the second innings at 11 to 1 in favor of the A nine, and the B party began to look blank.

A consultation was now held, and as there seemed to be a prevailing idea that it was the wild pitching that was alone the cause of their failure to hit balls, they decided to go in this time and wait for fair balls, and they did wait, and the result was that their two first strikers had their bases given them on called balls, and by the aid of passed balls, the result of extra speed—the pitcher getting "mad" at having the rule of calling balls enforced on him —they both got home, two runs being scored before a single ball had been hit to the field. The next striker, seeing that this waiting for good balls was productive of good results in the run-getting business, thought he would try and get his base on three balls, too, and lie therefore failed to strike at two or three balls that came just where he had said lie wanted them. As the umpire was not only strict but thoroughly impartial in his ruling, he put a stop to this little "waiting game" by calling "one strike" on the batsman after he had allowed three good balls to pass him, and after the umpire had warned him that he must strike at the first fair ball. Being rather bothered by this the batsman failed to hit the next two he struck at, and though the third time that he struck he missed, the ball was not caught on the bound, and he therefore had a chance given him to run to his first; and as he did not droll his hit °rd run to the base, but turned and walked off "mad," the result was that the catcher had a chance offered him to redeem his failure to catch the ball, and picking it up, he passed it to first base, and "striker out" was the call of the umpire. There was still a chance to pull up offered them, but they had lost their tempers, so much so that they could not judge the ball properly or employ their faculties to advantage, and in consequence they closed their innings with the two runs obtained by called and passed balls. By some poor batting by the A party, in their third innings, they were disposed of for one run, all three of their players being put out at first base, five men going to the bat, two of them being left on the bases, both of whom had their bases given them through dropped fly balls. The tally at the close of the third innings now stood at 12 to 3 in favor of the A nine, and the B fellows went into their fourth innings to make up their losses, and feeling a little less chagrined, in consequence: of getting out their opponents for a single run, as a matter of course, began to play better, and, batting more successfully, scored 6 runs in their fourth innings, two of their batsmen having their first base given them by the failure of the base player to hold the balls, which were not thrown well to him. The A Captain, before the inning was out, seeing the errors of the player, made him change places with the third-base man, it being about the fourth change of position made by the two nines for just such causes. Now this style of thing is very peculiar to amateur ball players. If you see a party of amateurs playing a match anywhere, you will see that they will not proceed through half their game, in fact, frequently not two innings, before they begin to change the positions of their players, because the fielders happen to make one or two bad plays in their positions. This custom used to prevail to a great extent in leading contests some six years ago, but as the game was improved and a professional style of play begun to be in vogue, the silly plan of changing players for errors of play was put a stop to, and now you can only see It done in amateur matches or among the boys. Of course there are circumstances where players require to be changed, viz., in the case of a pitcher, when it is found that his style of delivery is easily punished, and it is advisable to try a quicker or slower delivery. But this changing players because they commit errors is child's play as a general thing. How is it reasonably to be expected that a player who muffs in a position he is familiar with is going to do better in one he is not, and if you have a player occupying a position in which he is playing well, because he is at home there, and you place him in one he is partially strange to, the chances are that he will do but little better than the one he replaces. It is bad policy, in nine cases out of ten, and should never be allowed in a well-captained nine. We are describing this amateur game, remember, purposely to show these weak points of their play, and therefore we shall interrupt our description of the game frequently in this way, for the purpose of making these instructive explanations.

In the fourth inning of the A party, they were disposed of for one run, not by good fielding so much, as by their striking too quick at some slow balls which were sent in, none of them having had the practice in properly turning their hits according to the pace of the pitching. The score now—at the close of the fourth innings—stood at 13 to 9 in favor of the A nine, they having only scored four runs to eight by the B party in the last three innings. As it was getting towards sundown, and the probability was that not more than six innings would be played, the B nine went in to the bat to make the most of their time, and having by this time got a better range of the ball, and also being encouraged by their previous rally, they got into what is called a " streak of batting," that is, one after another made good hits, and being assisted by the rather loose fielding which almost invariably follows this style of thing, they ran up a score of nine runs with but one man out, a result which had a decidedly demoralizing effect on the field party. Having done so much, however, the next two outs were of men who had made their first bases, but who ran too carelessly for others, the second hand out being a victim of the catcher in an attempt to run in on him, the third being caught napping between third and second bases by the short stop and third base man, the latter touching him when he was half way back to second base. This left B's score at 18 to 13, they having at last obtained the lead, but in the fifth innings of the A party, after their two first strikers had tipped out, the third hit a long high ball, and made a clean home run on it, and the others following with some good hits, the B nine now became flurried, and what with hasty throwing, wild pitching; passed balls and failures to catch two high balls, they allowed the A party to recover their lost ground by adding seven runs to their score, thus closing the fifth innings with the totals of 20 to 18, a lead of two runs. It was now betting dark, the sun having set, and though the B party wanted to continue the game, with the hope of pulling up the score, the umpire very properly called the game, and forgetting the little animosities that the contest had temporarily engendered, each nine collected in a body, gave three cheers for each other, and three altogether for the umpire, and adjourned for home, all eager for supper and all benefited by the exercise. The score of the match was as follows:

Now this game, which we have been describing, is simply one of those ordinary contests on the field, played in the style in which inexperienced clubs or amateur parties of players are noted for. The object is fun and exercise more than anything else, and therefore none of what is commonly called the "science" of the game is shown. The batsmen go to the bat to hit the ball as hard as they can, and as far out into the field. They know no more where the ball is going to, as a general thing, than the fielders do as to the direction it is likely to comes to them. The fielders, on the other hand, run after the ball, try to catch it, throw it hastily to the nearest base a player is running to, and the pitcher tries to send in the ball as swift as he can, and to  twist it" as it is called, although he has not the least idea of what effect the "twist" has on the ball beyond that which prevails in the fraternity generally, viz.: that the "twist" causes the batsmen to tip the ball more frequently, when in reality its only effect is to make the ball more difficult to field.

But we will devote another chapter to the subject and endeavor to show how much there is to be acquired in a practical knowledge of the game after a player is able to take part in a game such as the one we have described.

CHAPTER II.

Learning to excel in base-ball, is like learning to become expert in anything else requiring any degree of physical ability; in fact, like every game or sport worth learning at all, it necessitates steady practice and persevering application. Almost every one, physically competent for field exercise at all, can play base ball, as the fundamental principle of the game is as simple as A, B, C. You take a bat in hand am) try to hit a ball, pitched to you, as far into the field as you can, and then, dropping your bat, try to run the round of the bases and to score your run without being put out; while all you have to do when in the field on the other side, is to try and catch the ball from the bat, and failing in that, to endeavor to put your opponent out when off the bases. This is all there is base ball, as far as the simple theory of the game is concerned; and consequently any one, having the ordinary use of his limbs, can take active part in the game. But base bail, again, is like billiards or skating, or, in fact, like most games requiring a high degree of skill to excel in them, viz.: there are two ways of playing it. In billiards, for instance, you play the game, in the ordinary sense of the word, when you count by making the simplest caroms or holing the balls; but to become an expert player requires not only fatiguing practice, but a keen eye for calculating the angles, delicate powers of touch in manipulating the balls with the cue, great control of temper and considerable powers of endurance. In skating, too, a man skates, when he glides along the ice without falling, simply doing the ordinary inside-edge movements. To excel in the art, however, he must be strong and muscular in limbs, possess considerable powers of equilibrium, plenty of courage and daring, and a natural grace of motion withal. So in base ball. To excel in the game, a man, besides being physically competent, must have good perceptive faculties, and plenty of pluck, nerve and endurance. If he does not possess these attributes to the required extent, he need not attempt to excel as a player, but should remain content with being able to play ball " just for the fun of the thing."

We will suppose our reader to be entirely ignorant of a practical cal knowledge of base ball and desirous of learning to play it. A perusal of the first chapter of this book, will give him some insight into the game as far as the theory of it is concerned; and to practically introduce him to its mysteries, we will take him to the field, or rather first to the club room, there to dress for the occasion of his debut as a member of the Amateur Base Ball Club. The uniform of the club is simply blue and white, the pants being blue, and the skirt and cap white, trimmed neatly with blue, the material of the suit being flannel. Each ball club, by the way, should choose but one color for their suit, their pants and cap to be either blue, grey drab or brown, with white shirts trimmed with the same colored material as the pants. This having several colors in a suit, especially when bright red is one of them, is in bad taste. The old brown uniform of the Mutuals, the grey suit of the Eckfords, and the blue suit of the Excelsiors, were all attractive uniforms, and they have not been improved upon by the changes made. The new uniform of the Active club, of New York, is also a neat one, also that of the Harvard club, of Cambridge. In regard to shoes, those known as "Oxford ties are the best form. The style of shoe which laces up around the ankle are objectionable, for the reason that when laced up tight, they cramp the muscles of the feet by impeding the circulation of the blood, and thereby weaken rather than strengthen the ankles. The shoe should just cover the ankle bone, but not more. And they should be made with stout soles, having four short spikes instead of three long ones; the injuries from large spikes being very severe at times when running the bases.

Having dressed our novice and taken him to the field, he is assigned a position in the nine, and the side he is on having to go to the field, his name is called out as right fielder, and he forthwith takes his position at that point of the field and awaits the commencement of the game. The batting party happening to include some hard hitters, the opening play of the contest gives the outfielders some work to do, our novice being among the first employed. Naturally supposing that his duties are confined to keeping a watch only on balls coming to his position, he stands a mere spectator when a ball happens to go to some other position of the outer field. He must learn, however, that he has far more important work to do than this, if he ever expects to become a tinted and skillful fielder. But let us notice what he does when the game began in earnest. The first good hit made sent the ball to center field, and the fielder in that position ran to catch it, while our novice quietly looked on, the ball not coining to his quarter of the field. Here was mistake number one. In the first, place, he should have been on the alert to move quickly the moment the ball was hit, and when it was hit, seeing that it went, to the center field in such manner as to make a catch difficult, and the chance of its passing the center fielder very probable, he should have at once run over to the back of the center fielder's position, in readiness either to stop the ball, if it passed that fielder, or to endeavor to catch it if he should drop it on the fly. In fact, each out-fielder, when a ball is struck to the outer field, should act as if he was certain that the ball would pass the fielder as sent to, and endeavor to be on hand ready to make up for anticipated error of play; by this means he will prevent many a base from being made which would have been run, but for this assistance in backing his companion. If he sees a ball going over center fielder's head, he should at once run for the center fielder's position, and be ready to help to pass the ball in from outer field, if necessary. Another point of play the right fielder—and, in fact, all the out-fielders—should attend to, is to a to run in and meet the ball when it is coming to him on the ground, and not wait for it to come to him. If the base runner an out-fielder waiting for the ball to come to him instead of running in to meet it, he will take the risk of another base; this he would not do if he saw the out-fielder run in to meet the ball, as it then becomes too risky a matter to run another base. In judging of his position in the right field, the fielder should make an estimate of the batting powers of his opponents, and take his stand accordingly, not being too far out, and yet not so far in as to have to back down for a ball, as it is far easier to run in and catch a ball or stop it, than to have to run back for it when you see it is going over your head. This estimating the style of the batsmen, and taking your position according to their peculiar method of hitting, is a point in out-fielding specially worthy of attention; nothing shows the skillful player and expert fielder more than this. Another point, in this connection, is, for the out-fielder to have an understanding with the captain and pitchers, so as to be able to move to the right or left, or further out or nearer, as either may direct. In judging high fly balls, the outfielder should watch the ball well, and be certain it is not going farther than it looks to be before he runs in to catch it, in order to avoid running under it, for it is better to reach it too late and be sure of stopping it if it cannot be caught, than to run too far on and have to run back for it, thereby giving the base runner time to make an additional base.

The first chance for a catch our novice had, he missed, and simply because he did not know how to catch a ball. Seeing it coming directly to his hand, he ran forward, holding up both hands above his head: the result was, the ball struck the top of his wrist instead of the palm of his hand and his fingers, and it bounded out in lively style. The plan is to judge the ball so that it can fall into your hands about breast high or even lower, just in the style Crane, of the Atlantics, does. Another model catcher, in this respect, is Callaway, of the Eurekas, of Newark, who takes a ball with a spring-like movement of his hands about waist high. Beale, of the Unions, of Morrisania, handles a ball in catching it as pretty as we ever saw a player do at right field.

When you have caught or fielded a ball in the outer-field, never hold it a moment longer than is necessary to throw it in accurately. You must judge as to where to throw the ball before it reaches you and not afterward. Thus, if there is no player running the bases, and a ball be sent to the right field, for instance, you will know beforehand that your play is to throw it to second base; but if a player is on the second or third base, and the ball is hit to the outer-field, the point is to throw it in to the catcher. But unless you can throw in accurately, the best plan is to send the ball to the pitcher when players are running their bases. Should the captain call to you to throw, however, send the ball to whatever point he may call for. The rule is to obey the captain's directions implicitly.

Before the first innings closed, the last striker kept hitting foul balls to right field, and our novice invariably, after fielding each foul ball, returned to his former position, instead of taking up a position near the foul ball line, with a view of getting a better chance for a catch. When it is seen that a batsman has a habit of hitting foul balls, either to the right or left, the fielders should be brought in closer to the lines, the right-fielder—if the balls are hit to the right—taking his position close to the foul ball line, the center fielder going nearer right field, and the left fielder towards the center. But we have shown our Novice about all he can well attend to in the way of out-fielding, and as the innings is over we will bring him in to the bat, the other side taking the field.

When Novice first takes bat in hand he should just reflect upon his position for a little while and think of the object he has in view to begin with, and then set about his task intelligently, and not like a stupid school-boy, doing that only which he is simply taught to do.

When he takes bat in hand for the first time in a game, he will at once realize the fact that it is not quite so easy a task to hit the ball pitched to him, as it looks; batting, like other things of the kind, requiring practice to do it properly. The first thing to be done is to take the right position to strike, and that is as follows: The rule says he must stand astride of the line of the home base, and, in doing this, he should place his left foot, with the toe pointed towards the pitcher, just over the line of the base, and about one foot to the left of the base. His right foot should rest firmly on the ground on the other side of the line, with the toe pointing the same way as the line of the base. He must then tell the umpire how high or how low he requires the ball to be pitched to him over the base, and, with his bat firmly grasped, and with the end of it inclining over his right shoulder, he should stand prepared to bring the bat down to hit the ball, the best height to meet the ball being between knee and waist high. This is what Novice should have done. Now let us what he did do. The pitching was tolerably swift and not very accurate. The first ball that came to him happened to be a good one, but he was not ready to meet it, and, as the next looked as if it was another of the same sort, he struck at it without waiting to be sure that it was so, and it being pitched closer to him than the first ball was, the result was that he struck it close to the handle and it bounded from the bat into the short stop's hands, and our novice ran for his base, the ball being well fielded to the first base but not held in time. The next striker now took his stand at the bat, and it became necessary that the first base should be vacated as soon as possible, to prevent a chance for a double play, and so Novice got off his base in readiness to take advantage of the first chance to run a base. The pitcher, seeing him off his base, suddenly turned and threw the ball to the first baseman, but as he sent it to him too high, the result was that Novice got around to his third base; but for the wild throw he would have been nabbed, as he was too far off the base to get back. There are two kinds of poor base runners, viz: those who are too venturesome, and those who are not enough so. Risks, in base running, are only to be taken when the fielding in the in-field is not up to the mark; when it is, then as much judgment is required to run a base well as in any point of the game. Two of the best base runners we know of are Ed Brown, of the Eckfords, and Seaver Page, of the Actives. Some base runners have a habit of sliding in on a base when they steal one; but we prefer Brown's style of getting around and back of the base player, and catching hold of the bag as he stoops to touch it; sliding in is serviceable, at times, but the other way is the best as a general thing.

Novice was on third base when a high ball was hit to left field, and, as he ran for home the moment it was hit, he was near the home base when he saw that it was caught on the fly, and he then had to return and touch the base before he could leave it again. The ball was returned in too quick for him to do this, and he therefore lost his run, for the next two strikers were put out on tips, and Novice was left on his third base. When a player is on the second or third base and a high ball is hit to the field, he should invariably stand on his base until the ball is caught, and unless the ball be hit so as to fall just outside the infield, the chances are good for his making a base by starting the moment the ball is held. In the case of a high ball, hit when a player is on the first base, the base runner must make his calculations, in running, on the skill of the fielder who has the best chance of catching it; but if the fielder is a sure catch he should get no further off his base than is necessary to allow him to return to it quickly; if the fielder is not, then the base-runner should make good time for second base at once. He will have to run the risk of a purposely dropped ball for a double play made by a sharp fielder; but as this requires skillful fielding his best play is to stand ready to return in time, if the falling ball looks as if it would be certainly caught. Base-runners require to devote their whole attention to the game when on the bases, as what with having to return on fly catches and foul balls, and being obliged to vacate bases, they require all their wits about them to avoid being put out when they have sharp fielders for opponents. When on the third base they will find many a good chance to steal home if they possess good judgment in playing points. The moment the ball leaves the pitcher's hands the base-runner on third base should start for home, so as to be ready to run in on a passed or muffed ball. He should take ground in this way, according to the ability of the catcher in throwing; if the catcher is a swift and accurate thrower, the base-runner should be wary of getting far off his third base, unless the base player is a poor one; but when such players as Mills and Smith of the Atlantics are working together in these positions it is just as well to be careful and keep well within reach of your base, especially if the pitcher is quick in throwing to bases, as Pabor, of the Unions, is, in throwing to third, or Martin, of the Mutuals, to second.

The side that Novice was on now went to the field again, and this time he was placed in the in-field, at short-stop's position, as he was found not able to throw in long balls far enough when in the out-field. Of course this position, like the one at right field, was a new one to him, and the first ball that came to him, in his eagerness to send it to the first baseman in time, he threw too low, and the base runner had a life given him. In throwing to first base from short field, always endeavor to throw accurately if you throw at all. Better hold the ball and let the base runner make his base, than by a wild throw give him a chance to reach his second or third. In throwing from short field to first, send the ball in swiftly and to the right of the base player, about breast high. The next striker hit a ball direct to the pitcher, who but partially stopped it, the ball going to second base. As the second base player was playing almost at right short, the ball was nearer the reach of the short-stop than the second baseman; but again our Novice made the same mistake he did when at right field, viz: because the ball did not come to his position he stood still and did not run to get the ball, but left it for the second baseman to attend to; the result was that the base runner seeing a chance to reach the second base before the ball could be held there—the second baseman being employed in doing short-stop's work—ran to second and made it. There is no position on the field which requires so much activity of movement—if we except the catcher's, perhaps—as that of the short-stop. One point of his play should be to attend upon the pitcher as much as possible, in order to save him from fatigue, and another is to be on a sharp lookout for balls thrown in or sent to the basemen, by catcher or pitcher, so as to back up the base players if the ball should be missed or thrown to the bases wildly. One of the best short-stops, in backing up the in-fielders, we know of, is Thomas, of the Eureka Club. He was always to be found in the right spot when wanted; at one time, behind second base, at another, backing up the third, anon, on the lookout for the ball at first or home base, and always on the alert for high balls over his head but dropping short of the outer field. The shortstop of a nine generally has to face some of the hottest kind of ground balls, and when he gets hold of this style of ball it requires rapid and straight throwing to get the ball to first base in time. Stockman, of the Irvingtons, is a model player in this respect. Another requisite of a good short-stop is deliberation and coolness in judging his throw. Pearce, of the Atlantics, used to excel in this respect. He used to judge the time of a ball so closely as to get it into Price's hands just a second or two before the base runner touched the base.

By the good play of our Novice, in stopping two hot balls from the bat when a player was on the first base, and passing them to the second baseman in time, the innings was closed for a small score, and for the third time the side that Novice was on took the field. The captain of his side, seeing that though he could face the music of hot balls from the bat well enough, but could not back up positions as actively as necessary, this time thought he would try how he could play a base, and he placed him at third base, although it is a position requiring more skill, judgment, and experience in base play than any of the three positions on the bases. As before, almost the first ball hit came to our Novice, the batsmen on the other side, of course, regarding him as the weak spot in the nine, as he was, as far as lack of experience was concerned; but he also had good play in him which only required practice and training to develop it. The ball sent to him was well stopped back of his base and he threw it over to first base swiftly and in a line with the base, but he did not calculate his distance well, and it went over the baseman's head and the batsman made his third base by the overthrow. Before the ball was hit again the player on the third attempted to run in on the pitcher, but finding when he had nearly reached the home base that the catcher had the ball there to meet him he tried to get back, but Novice was in his way and he got caught between the two points, and, in turning—as he saw the ball held by Novice—to reach home again, Novice tried to run him down but failed, and the player got in safely after all. Unless you are close to a man, caught in such a position, and can run faster, the best way is to pass the ball backward and forward until the runner gets tired out, taking care to get men on the home and third base in the interim to toss the ball to if he should pass either of the players trying to run him out. Fielders who are engaged in passing the ball to and fro in this way should see that they keep on the line of the base, and then if the base-runner should attempt to pass you, without being touched, he can only do it by running out of the line of the bases which will alone put him out.

Before the side was put out two men secured their bases, and the third struck a good ball to Novice, who failed to hold it on the fly, but he secured the ball in time to have played some good points; he, however, became confused with the position of the field, for what with his eagerness to get the ball to first base in time to put the batsman out, and his desire, also, to take advantage of the chance for a double play, he did neither the one thing or the other, that is, he hesitated too long in throwing the ball, and when he finally passed it to second base the base-runner was there before the ball. More chances for double plays occur at third base, when players are on the bases, than anywhere else, but they are more difficult ones to play than those which the second base player gets hold of, and hence the majority of double plays are made by the latter base player or the short-stop. Of course this one innings taught our novice that the third base was no position for him until he had become more familiar with base play, and so, in the next innings, he asked the captain to let him play at second base the next innings and he did so. But when the side Novice was on again took the field, he found out that the position of second baseman was but little less difficult to attend to properly than that at third base. While at second base the first ball that came to him he threw short to first base, as he again miscalculated his distance. This is something which invariably marks the play of fielders who are placed in positions they are not familiar with. Each position in the in-field requires a different throw in sending the ball to first base. From the position generally occupied by the third baseman the distance is over 125 feet, from the short-stop's position it is about 110, while from second base it is but 90. Now the difference between throwing accurately 90 feet and in throwing 125 feet is not much, but, when a player is in the habit of throwing a regular distance, a difference of twenty feet in the length of the throw will frequently bother him. That is one reason why each man in the in-field should always play in one position regularly.

Our Novice soon found out that there was no position in the infield which required the fielder to study a batsman's style of play more than that at second base. First, a ball would come to the right of him, and between first and second base, and if he moved to right-short's position, then he would miss balls that passed by second base, and between the two he did not know what to do. The fact is, one essential duty of all fielders, but especially of in-fielders, is, to study the style of batting of each man of their opponents. Every batsman has his favorite hit, and each batsman must stand somewhat differently, according to the ball he hits; that is, if he hits a ball to left-field he will be found facing the short-stop; if to the center-field, then he faces the pitcher, and if to right-field then he stands with his breast facing the first baseman. Consequently, when the fielder sees the batsman facing for a hit" in any particular direction, he should make his calculations accordingly. Our Novice, however, took his position close to the second base all the time, whether a base-runner was on the first or not. Here was Ids mistake. When the striker prepares to hit a ball, if lie is known to be a heavy hitter and a man to strike hard at the first ball reaching him, the second baseman should get well back of his base, towards the outer-field. If he sees him facing for a hit to right-field, then the baseman should come up towards right-short's position; but if the batsman faces to send the ball to left-field, then he should stand near his base. This the baseman must do, anyway, when the first base is occupied, unless the batting requires a man at right-short, when the regular short-stop takes his position near second base and the baseman his at right-short. We are only giving general hints as to fielding in this book. In book second, "How to Play the Game," will be found field diagrams, showing the positions of the nine in different states of the game.

After the side Novice was on had again taken the bat and been put out, and were about to resume their positions in the field, he asked the captain to let him try what he could do at first base, as he did not think he could play second base yet, until he had become better posted in the " points" of the game, for be plainly saw, from what little experience he had had in the position, that it was one requiring considerable practice in base play, and ready perceptive faculties, together with great agility of movement to play the position properly. The captain, consenting therefore, Novice took his stand in the fifth innings to play, for the first time, on first base, and, thinking that all lie had to do, in that position, was to hold balls thrown straight to him, he entered upon his 'task feeling confident of distinguishing himself. Almost the first ball sent to him, however, proved to him that this position, like that of all others on a ball field, required its peculiar degree of skill to excel in it. In the first place, the base player at first base must bear in mind that his principal work is to field the ball so as to hold it on the base before the base runner touches it, that is to say, he must manage to hold the ball in his hand or hands, while some part of his person is touching the base, before—mark the word—the player running to the base touches it. His duty is to do this, not only when a fair ball is struck and is fielded to first base, but when a player is on the first base and runs on a foul ball, or when a fair ball is caught on the fly, in which case the player running from first base to second is obliged to return to the base he left, and can be put out, in So returning, simply by the ball being held by the base player when touching the base, without the necessity of his touching the base runner with the ball. Before the ball is struck, his position is about eight or ten yards distant from his base, and within the foul ball line, and distant from it some four or five yards. The moment a ball is hit, however, and it is not sent near enough for him to field it or catch it, he should run and take his stand on the base, ready to receive the ball from the hands of the fielder getting it. When a player is on the first base, however, he should stand so near to the base as to be ready to hold the ball if thrown by the pitcher to him; in this case his movement must be a rapid one, not only in holding the ball, but in his effort to touch the player when off the base. In receiving a ball sent in from the field he must be careful not to stand in the way of the base runner running to first base, for if he does, and he should either hold the ball on the base before the runner reaches it, or touch him when off the base, it would not be an out, on account of the "intentional obstruction," named in the rules, all obstruction being regarded as intentional if it could readily have been avoided. In fact, it will be seen that even in the matter of playing the easiest base of the three there is a great deal of work to be done and many points of play to be studied.

It is needless, in this chapter, to refer to the catcher's and pitcher's positions, as the duties appertaining to both require amore elaborate description. We, therefore, devote another chapter to the subject.

CHAPTER III.

From a perusal of the preceding chapters the reader will have acquired a pretty good idea of the game, if he be anything of a studious character; but if he be one of these careless readers who merely glance at a book and swallow its contents, as they do their meals, bolting without tasting, he need not expect much benefit from it.

He will certainly have seen that there is one position in a ball field more suited to his physical capacity than another, and, this position, whichever one it is, he should select as the one to go into training for, and at once set about learning how to excel in it. Thus, if lie is strong in the arms, can throw a long distance, and can run fast, let him choose a position in the outer field, but, if he is very active in his movements, not afraid to face hot balls from the bat, is a quick and accurate thrower, but cannot throw a ball far, a position in the in-field is the best, and, in fact, the only one suited to him. Having selected the in-field as the locality of his operations as a fielder, the question then arises, "what position shall I train for, catcher, pitcher, short-stop, or base player, and if the latter, which base shall I play?" This question is an important one to answer, for there is as great a difference between some of them as between the out-field and in-field play. Let us first see, however, what each position requires in the player undertaking to discharge its duties capably. We will begin with the catcher.

The catcher of a nine must be qualified for his position according to the style of pitching he has to face. If his pitcher has a medium-paced or slow delivery he must be a very active player, a sure catch, a swift and accurate thrower, more than ordinarily skillful in judging and catching foul balls, and expert in watching the bases. If, however, his pitcher be one swift in his delivery, then the catcher must pay more attention to stopping the ball and to catching sharp tips from the bat, than anything else, for passed balls are one of the expensive results of swift pitching, and sharp tips are pretty difficult to hold, from swiftly delivered balls. From a slow delivery, however, the catcher has more active work to do, for the effectiveness of slow pitching depends solely upon the ability of the pitcher to outwit the batsman and umpire, and, in doing this, the circle enclosing the lines of his delivery is necessarily larger than that of the swift pitcher, and the catcher, therefore, has much more ground to cover; besides which, there are three times the chances for high foul fly and bound balls off slow pitching than there are off swift; and, moreover, a catcher has three chances to put a player out by a throw to second base, off slow pitching to one off swift, it being very difficult to hold a swiftly pitched ball in time to throw it to second base to cut off a player, while with slow pitching it can be done with comparative ease by an active and expert catcher. The catcher, it should be remembered, ought to be the best thrower at short distances—say from 40 to 60 yards—of any player in the in-field.

There are many noted catchers who excel as players in the position in one respect or another, but few who combine all the excellences of the position when played right up to the highest mark. For instance, in activity and judgment in catching foul balls, we know of no one who surpasses Berthrong, of the National Club of Washington; while for pluck and coolness in the position, W. Kelley, of the Actives, of New York, has few equals. In grace of movement Birdsall, of the Union Club, of Morrisania, takes a leading position; and for taking balls sharp from the bat, a la Joe Leggett, Wilder, of the Lowells, Flagg, of the Harvards, and Jewell, of the Excelsiors, are celebrated. As a general player in the position, Mills, of the Atlantics, ranks high, his quiet style being a good model to copy from. Radcliffe, of the Athletics, too, faces the swift music courageously, while Jewett, of the Mutuals, excels in activity. Buckley, too, of the Irving-tons, is noted for his courage in bearing punishment from swift pitching.

The pitcher of a nine ought to be the "smartest" player in it, for there is no position in the nine that requires more head work in playing the game than that of the pitcher. He must, in the first place, be strong, especially in the muscles of his arms and chest; he must be able, too, to endure fatigue well, for he will have to work hard in a long game. But the great requisite of the position is the ability to pitch a ball just where he wants it to go, without this, he will lack the ability to play the points his judgment directs. One of the greatest mistakes made by ball players is that of supposing that mere "pace" constitutes the element of success in pitching. When Creighton failed to use head-work in pitching, and sent in swift balls direct to the bat, he was as badly punished as any swift pitcher who ever pitched; and were Martin to do the same thing his medium-paced balls would be easily knocked over the field. It is not pace that makes pitching effective, but the judgment used in delivery; and, in order to use one's judgment, in this respect, to the best advantage, a pitcher must be able to send in a ball just within an inch or two of the very spot he aims for. It should specially be borne in mind that that pitching is the best and most telling in the long run—viz., showing the best average—which affords the most chances to the fielders for putting men out, and not that which is the most difficult to hit, and we will show you why it is, Take Creighton's style of delivery for example. When Creighton faced a country-club nine of hard hitters, but really inexperienced batsmen, he almost invariably found that the intimidating effect of his speed was alone sufficient to make his pitching effective. But when he faced experienced batsmen, like the Atlantics, he found out that something else was necessary to gain his point, and what this something was he found out from his experience in bowling in cricket, for that taught him "head work" in pitching, and when he came to apply it to his base ball pitching he became more effective than ever he had been before. Now this "head work," as it is technically termed, consists simply of a man's using his judgment and powers of observation in outwitting the batsman as to the character of the ball he sends him to hit. For instance, the batsman says he wants a ball knee high. Now, if the pitcher sends him one just where he wants it when he is prepared to hit, and the swing of the bat be well timed for the pace of the delivery, a good hit will follow—no matter what the pace is—as sure as the ball is delivered. But if, instead, he sends him in a ball knee high, but too far out to hit, and if the batsman, seeing the ball coming the right height, not thinking of anything else, strikes at it, the chances are that the ball will either be missed or simply tipped So in regard to a ball sent in the right height but sent in too close, the result being that if it be hit, it will be sent to some one of the in-fielders in such a manner as to put the striker out either by a catch or by a throw to first base. This power to deliver a ball to the bat in such form as to give it the appearance, apparently, of being within the legitimate reach of the batsmen, but, in reality, of sending it in out of his fair reach, constitutes " head-work" in pitching. Again, too, as every batsman has some favorite style of hitting and is very liable to be tempted to hit a certain character of ball when it is apparently coming just where he wants it, it is a point in headwork to send him in a ball that he likes, taking care previously to place your fielders just in the spot the ball is likely to be hit to. Now this style of pitching requires a pretty smart man to do it well, and, if he plays these points neatly and has perfect command of the ball in delivery, it matters little whether he is a swift or medium-paced pitcher, although the latter is the best for a fine supporting field; the swift pitcher, however, is the best to make up for weak fielding, especially in the outer field.

But there is something else required in the pitcher's position before a man can excel in it, and that is skillful fielding. There is no position in the nine so dangerous, from the liability to injury from swiftly batted balls, as the pitcher's position, and, consequently, it requires considerable pluck to play the position well. And then, too, in watching the base runners, and in taking advantage of the points of play offered the pitcher during a game, a player in that position requires to have pretty good perceptive faculties and to possess considerable presence of mind to avail himself promptly of the chances offered him. It will, therefore, be seen that pitching in base ball is a task somewhat different from the simple one those knowing nothing of the beauties of the game imagine it to be, the opinion of this class being that it is simply pitching the ball to the bat, and trying to catch it when it is hit back again.

Creighton ranked as the pitcher par excellence in base ball, and there has been no one to equal him since he died. McBride comes nearest we think. Walker, of the Actives, too, is a fine swift pitcher, and Zettlein, of the Atlantics, is noted for his swift and accurate delivery. Pratt, of Philadelphia, is a very effective player in the position, and so is Lovett, of Boston The model medium-paced pitcher is Martin, of the Mutuals. The jolliest player in the position we know of is Pabor, of the Unions of Morrisania. Nothing disturbs his equanimity, and there is no period of a game in which he will not get off a joke if he finds an opportunity. Cummings, of the Excelsiors, is the most promising young junior player in the position in the metropolitan fraternity. Brainard, formerly of the same club, too, is a fine pitcher. Spaulding, of the Rockford Club, ranks high out West. Williams, of the Nationals of Washington, is noted for his speed, and especially for his upright and gentlemanly conduct. Faitoute, of Newark, is an effective pitcher for a good fielding nine. Booth, of the Louisville Club, is noted for his skill in fielding in the position, while among the dodgy pitchers, who go in for head-work, Harry Wright, of Cincinnati, ranks highest, his cricketing experience as a bowler giving him a great advantage.

We now come to base playing, and we propose to show that each position has its peculiar points of play, and, that one man may excel on one base, and not on another. The first base player has the least active fielding to do, and the second base player the most; while the third baseman has the most important and arduous task to perform of the three positions. To play first base in style a man must be able to hold the swiftest thrown balls well, and to be able to pick them up close to the ground or from a sharp rebound, and to jump up and hold them when thrown high. To do this is his principal task, though, of course, lie also has to look sharp after a base runner, when he is trying to run to second base, and to be on the alert in receiving the ball from the pitcher under these circumstances. He ought also to be a good judge of high foul balls, and to be able to catch them well. Among the most noted of first base players is Joe Start, of the Atlantics; his style of play being quite a model. Reach, of the Athletics, used to excel in this position when in the Eckford nine. Both are left-handed players, and the first base is the only position in the in-field, except that of pitcher, a left-handed man should occupy. Pearsal, of the Excelsiors, was the finest player we ever saw in the position. Some of the best first base play we saw last season was that by Shaw, of the Harvard nine. He did handle the ball in lively style in the last match the Harvards played with the Lowells. Bliss, too, of the Orientals, is a good player in the position, as also Klein, of the Eckfords, Beadle Mil the Gothams, Hall, of the Excelsiors, and R. Edwards, of the Independents. We have seen Waddell, of the Stars of Brooklyn, show first-class play in the position. Among the old reliables of seasons gone by may be named Price, of the Atlantics, and, later, Berkenstocic, of the Athletics. Beerman, of the Mutuals, plays finely in the position; but among the best we know of is M. Campbell, of the Irvingtons, and Mills, of the Eureka. The latter is quite a little joker on the base, being blessed with that too scarce trait, good humor. Goldie, of the Unions, is a fine player in the position, being well up in all the points. Fletcher, of the Nationals, is one of those steady, gentlemanly players in the position, who always do credit to a club. Worth, of the Empire Club of St. Louis, is noted for his one-hand play in the position.

To play second base in style requires a man to be as spry and active in his movements as a cat, and, moreover, to be an excellent judge of high balls, and a sure catch, while he should also be sharp in playing points, and quick in handling a ball when thrown to him to put a player out, this latter business, and fielding balls to first base, being the chief duty he has to perform. He should be a swift and accurate thrower at short distances and be able to pick up ground balls neatly and return them in promptly. Among the best second base players of the day may be named Crane, of the Atlantics, Martin, of the Unions, and Sweezy, of the Irvingtous. The style of play in this position has not advanced of late years as much as that of other positions. Oliver's old play, when in his prime as second base player of the Atlantics, was hard to beat. George Wright is a fine player in the position, and so is Brown, of the Eckfords. King, of the Capitals of Columbus, plays the position well. Ames, of the Harvard nine, played second base finely, last season, and so did Parker, of the Nationals of Washington. Wood, of the Eckfords, used to be a noted player in the position; Nelson, too, of the same club, showed some fine play in the position last season. Macdiarmid, of the Stars, ranks as an effective second base player. King, of the Capital Club of Columbus, played well at second base last season. It is only within the past year or two, however, that players in general have taken up regular positions in nines, and hence but few have occupied any regular position long enough to distinguish themselves in them as Smith, of the Atlantics, has done in his, for instance. Every man in a nine ought to be able to play one position in it better than any other, and the one he does play best in he should always occupy both in practice games as well as on match days. Of course it does not matter so much which of the three positions in the outer field lie occupies, but there is a great difference in the character of the fielding of the outer and in-fields. In occupying bases, every player should select the position he thinks he can play best, and he should play no other, except in eases of emergency. The short-stop and a base man can change positions better than any other player, but never outfielders with base men or in-fielders, except a change pitcher, and, if possible, your change pitcher should occupy the position of short-stop.

We now come to the third base. This is the most difficult of the three bases to play well, and the position should be occupied by the swiftest and most accurate thrower, as well as the pluckiest player, in facing hotly-batted balls, of the in-fielders. The third baseman has more chances for foul balls than any other infielder except the catcher, and he frequently has to face as hard hit balls as the pitcher. But the importance of the position mainly arises from the fact that when players are on other bases when they have a life given them by a misplay at a base, the cost is generally only the loss of a base run; but when a player escapes the third baseman then the cost is a run scored. Moreover, in throwing the ball to first base, after a hit, the third baseman has less time afforded him to get the ball there, and has to throw it further and :picker to the base than any other player of the infield, besides which he has more chances for playing points, and, therefore, has to be on a sharp lookout all the time to see that nothing is missed in this respect. In fact, a man to play third base in tip-top style has got to be a very smart player indeed, a fine thrower, quick in his movements, with plenty of nerve, and sharp in perception of all the weak points of an adversary's play in running the bases. The finest third base player in the country is Charley Smith, of the Atlantic Club, and much of his efficiency lies in the fact that he has made himself familiar with the position. He plays any position well, for he is an excellent general player; but the moment he sets foot on third base he is what the boys call "hunky," that is, "he's at home." Ferguson, of the same club, too, played it finely last season. Fox, of the Nationals of Washington, is also a good player in this position, but, with more careful play he might be better. Waterman, of the Mutuals, is a good third base player too. Hatfield, of the Actives, is a good man for the position. But there are fewer players in the fraternity, who have occupied this base as a regular position, than there are of players of any other position in the field.

The position, of all others in the field, requiring the most active and expert player of a nine is that of the short-stop. This fielder has an extra duty to perform not exactly pertaining to tiny other position in the nine, viz., to back up other players. Of course every player is bound to assist his companion all he can, but the short-stop must be on the lookout all the time to be able to render this assistance to every fielder within the lines of the bases. When the catcher throws to the bases, the short-stop should be ready to back up the player throws to. Then again, he should be a special attendant on the pitcher, so as to save him all the work possible. He should also be able to throw to the bases from variable distances with equal accuracy. The short-stop, too, has to field more ground balls and short bounders than any other fielder, and also frequently has to take the place of a base player on an emergency, especially the position of second base.

The most effective short-stop last season was Stockman, of the Irvington Club. George Wright, also, is a fine player in the position. Akin, of the Unions of Morrisania, too, did good service as short fielder last year. Pearce, of the Atlantics, is a noted player in the position and used to excel. Thomas, of the Eureka Club, is one of the best we have, when in practice, especially in playing the points of the position. Wilkins, of the Athletic Club, is also an effective short-stop, as well as Devyr, of the Mutuals. Among the best samples of short fielding, last Summer, was that of George Cornwell, of the Excelsior juniors. His brother, R. Cornwell; used to be a famous short player in the Enterprise Club. Flanders, of the Stars, ranks high in the position. Shrieves, of the Gothams, Snediker, of the Powhattans, McCutcheou, of the Resolutes, and Schaffer, of the Eagles, all played well last season in the position. The short-stop is the last player in the order of the in-fielders, and we now come to the positions of the out-field, viz.: left, center, and right fields.

There is bat little difference in these three positions as regards the ability required to play them properly. The time was when the left fielder was considered the best position and the right fielder the poorest; but that was when balls used to be hit more frequently to left field than they now are. The best throwers, as regards distance, should be placed in the outer-field, and they should be good judges of high balls and sure catchers, and especially so when supporting medium-paced or slow pitching in the field. There are, of course, but few chances for playing points offered to out-fielders, unless they are very accurate throwers indeed, and careful in watching the progress of a game when players are running bases.

Among the noted out-fielders may be named the following who have excelled the past season as left fielders, viz.: F. Rogers, of the Stars, Lewis, of the Irvingtons, Smith, of the Unions, Callaway, of the Eurekas—a model player—Chauncey, of the Excelsiors, McDonald, of the Atlantics, Chapman, of the Quaker City, Wilson, of the Empires, Fesler, of the Eckfords, Smith, of the Harvards, Lowell, of the Lowells, King, of the Unions of Lansingburgh, and Willis, of the Champions of Jersey City. At center field the list of first-class players is more extensive. Among the best may be ranked Worth, of the Stars, Berthrong, of the Nationals, Crane, of the Atlantics—a model player in the position —Austin and Ketchum of the Unions, Ebbetts, of the Actives, M. Rogers, of the Lowells, Abrams, of the Unions of Lansingburgh, Clyne, of the Excelsiors, Mehle, of the Gothams, and Millspaugh, of the Hudson Rivers. As right fielders, last season, Beals, of the Unions, Cuthbert, of the Athletic, Galvin, of the Atlantics, Terrell, of the Eurekas, Studley, of the Nationals, and Haines, of the Actives, played in noteworthy style. But this position had few regular players in it, as it was reserved for substitutes when any regular player of a nine was absent It depends greatly on the character of a field which position the best player of the three out-fielders should occupy.

[[BaseballChronology note: At this point of the book, Chadwick includes a list of technical terms used in baseball. We have incorporated his list into ours and rather than be redundant, invite you to view it instead.]]

[[BaseballChronology note: The illustration above has been modified. The
original had the first baseman, shortstop, and third baseman flip-flopped.]]

[[BaseballChronology note: The book continues with Book 2.]]