Every Boy's Book: A Complete Encyclopaedia of Sports and Amusements Part 122

SEC. 1. The game shall consist of nine innings to each side, when, should the number of runs be equal, the play shall be continued until a majority of runs, upon an equal number of innings, shall be declared, which shall conclude the game. An innings must be concluded at the time the third hand is put out.

SEC. 2. In playing all matches, nine players from each club shall const.i.tute a full field; and they shall be members of the club which they represent. They also must not have been members of any other club, either in or out of the National a.s.sociation, for thirty days immediately prior to the match. Positions of players and choice of innings shall be determined by captains previously appointed for that purpose by the respective clubs. Every player taking part in a regular match game, no matter what number of innings are played, shall be, in the meaning of this section of the rules, considered a member of the club he plays with.

SEC. 3. When a club sends a challenge to play a first-nine match game of base-ball, and the same is accepted, the first game shall be played upon the grounds of the challenging club, within fifteen days from the date of the acceptance of the challenge; the second game shall be played upon the grounds of the challenged club within fifteen days thereafter; and if a third game be necessary, it shall be played upon grounds to be mutually agreed upon, within fifteen days from the date of the second game; _provided_: that the above arrangement may be varied by mutual consent. And when a first-nine match game is to be played, the contestants shall present on the field their recognized first-nines, as far as practicable.

SEC. 4. Whenever a match shall have been determined upon between two clubs, play shall be called at the exact hour appointed; and should either party fail to produce their players within thirty minutes thereafter, the party so failing shall admit a defeat, and shall deliver the ball before leaving the ground, which ball shall be received by the club who are ready to play, and the same shall be considered as won, and so counted in the list of matches played; and the winning club shall be ent.i.tled to a score of nine runs for any game so forfeited, unless the delinquent side fail to play on account of the recent death of one of its members, and sufficient time has not elapsed to enable them to give their opponents due notice before arriving on the ground.

SEC. 5. No person who shall be in arrears to any other club than the one he plays with, shall be competent to take part in any match game.

SEC. 6. No player, not in the nine taking their positions on the field in the _third_ innings of a game, shall be subst.i.tuted for a player, except for reason of illness or injury.

SEC. 7. No match game shall be commenced when rain is falling; and neither shall any such game be continued after rain has fallen for five minutes. No match game shall be postponed unless by the mutual consent of the contesting clubs.

SEC. 8. Every match game shall be decided by the best two games out of three, unless a single game shall be mutually agreed upon by the contesting clubs; and all matches shall terminate before the close of the season.

SEC. 9. No person who shall be in arrears to any other club, or who shall at any time receive compensation for his services as a player, shall be competent to play in any match. No players, who play base-ball for money, shall take part in any match game; and any club giving any compensation to a player, or having, to their knowledge, a player in their nine playing in a match for compensation, shall be debarred from members.h.i.+p in the National a.s.sociation; and they shall not be considered by any club belonging to this a.s.sociation as a proper club to engage in a match with; and should any club so engage with them, they shall forfeit members.h.i.+p.

RULE VI.--MISCELLANEOUS.

SEC. 1. If an adversary stops the ball with his hat or cap, or if a ball be stopped by any person or persons not engaged in the game, no player running the bases can be put out unless the ball shall first have been settled in the hands of the pitcher while he stands in the line of his position.

SEC. 2. Any player who shall intentionally prevent an adversary from catching or fielding the ball, shall be declared out; or if any player be prevented from making a base by the intentional obstruction of an adversary, he shall be ent.i.tled to that base, and shall not be declared out, even if touched with the ball.

SEC. 3. If a fair ball be held by a player before touching the ground, after rebounding from the hands or person of a player, it shall be considered a fair catch. And if a foul ball be similarly held after touching the ground but once, it shall be considered a fair catch.

SEC. 4. If the ball, from the stroke of a bat, first touches the ground, the person of a player, or any other object, behind the line or range of home and the first base, or home and the third base, it shall be termed foul, and must be so declared by the umpire, unasked. If the ball first touches the ground either upon or in front of the line or range of those bases, it shall be considered fair.

SEC. 5. Clubs may adopt such rules respecting b.a.l.l.s knocked beyond or outside of the bounds of the field, as the circ.u.mstances of the ground may demand; and these rules shall govern all matches played upon the ground, provided that they are distinctly made known to the umpire previous to the commencement of the game.

SEC. 6. The captains of each nine shall alone be allowed to appeal for the reversal of a decision of the umpire.

SEC. 7. No base can be run, or player be put out, on a dead ball.

RULE VII.--DUTIES OF THE UMPIRE.

SEC. 1. The umpire shall take care that the regulations respecting the ball, bats, bases, and the pitcher's and striker's positions, are strictly observed, and he shall require the challenging club to furnish a ball, on which the size, weight, and the name of the manufacturer shall be stamped. He shall be the sole judge of fair and unfair play, and shall determine all disputes and differences which may occur during the game. He shall take special care to declare all foul b.a.l.l.s and balks, immediately upon their occurrence, in a distinct and audible manner. He shall, in every instance, before leaving the ground, declare the winning club, and shall record his decision in the books of the scorers. The umpire shall also require that the game be recorded by a scorer for each of the contesting clubs. In all matches the umpire shall be selected by the captains of the respective sides, and shall perform all duties above enumerated.

SEC. 2. The umpire in any match shall determine when play shall be suspended; and, if the game cannot be fairly concluded, it shall be decided by the last equal innings, provided five innings have been played; and the party having the greatest number of runs shall be declared the winner.

SEC. 3. When the umpire calls "play," the game must at once be proceeded with; and the party failing to take their appointed positions in the game within five minutes thereafter shall forfeit the game. When the umpire calls "time," play shall be suspended until he calls "play"

again.

SEC. 4. When the umpire "calls" a game, it shall end; but when he merely suspends play for any stated period, it may be resumed at the point at which it was suspended, provided such suspension does not extend beyond the day of the match.

SEC. 5. No person engaged in a match, either as umpire, scorer, or player, shall be either directly or indirectly interested in any bet upon the game. Nor shall any person be permitted to act as umpire or scorer in any match unless he shall be a member of the National a.s.sociation, or of a State branch thereof. Neither shall the umpire or scorer be changed during a match, unless with the consent of both parties, except for reason of illness or injury, or for a violation of the above rules.

SEC. 6. No decision given by the umpire shall be reversed upon the testimony of any player; and no decision whatever shall be reversed, except for a palpable infringement of the rules, and then only on an appeal by the captain.

SEC. 7. No person shall be permitted to approach or to speak with the umpire, scorers, or players, or in any manner to interrupt or interfere during the progress of the game, unless by special request of the umpire. Any match game played by any club in contravention to the rules adopted by the National a.s.sociation, shall be considered null and void, and shall not be counted in the list of match games won and lost.

For the information of clubs desirous of joining the National a.s.sociation, or of organising a State branch thereof, we give below those portions of the const.i.tution of the a.s.sociation bearing upon the subject:--

ARTICLE 3, SECTION 1. This a.s.sociation shall be composed of delegates from the several State base-ball a.s.sociations which have been duly admitted to a representation in the convention forming this const.i.tution, or which may be admitted to a representation in the manner hereinafter provided. Each State a.s.sociation shall be ent.i.tled to one delegate for every ten clubs, or fractional part of ten clubs, belonging to such a.s.sociation. No individual club shall be ent.i.tled to representation in this a.s.sociation unless located in a state, territory, or district, where there are not sufficient clubs to form a State a.s.sociation. Each delegate shall be ent.i.tled to one vote, and no vote by proxy shall be allowed.

SEC. 2. Any State base-ball a.s.sociation desiring to be represented in this a.s.sociation shall present to the recording secretary, at least thirty days previous to the annual meeting of this a.s.sociation, a written official certificate, signed by the president and secretary of the State a.s.sociation they represent, giving the names and number of the clubs composing said a.s.sociation, date of their organization, names of their officers, and number of members belonging to each club; also the date of organization of the State a.s.sociation, and the names of their delegates. Territories and the district of Columbia shall be considered as states within the meaning of this section.

SEC. 3. All applications shall be immediately submitted to the committee on nominations; but no such application shall be received by said secretary unless presented thirty days previous to the annual meeting.

Said committee shall thereupon ascertain the condition, character, and standing of such State base-ball a.s.sociation, and report the same at the annual meeting, with the said application and their opinion thereon; and a ballot shall thereupon be had at such meeting, upon the admission of such State base-ball a.s.sociation, when, if two-thirds of the members present vote in favour thereof, such State base-ball a.s.sociation shall be declared duly ent.i.tled to representation in this a.s.sociation. Any informality or irregularity in the form or substance of the application may be waived by a two thirds vote of the members present at the annual meeting.

SEC. 4. No State a.s.sociation shall be represented in the a.s.sociation unless composed of ten clubs, numbering at least eighteen active members each, or by any delegate under twenty-one years of age; nor shall any State base-ball a.s.sociation be so represented until its delegates have paid a fee hereinafter designated.

SEC. 5. Any State a.s.sociation organized after the adjournment of the annual meeting of this a.s.sociation, may be elected probationary members thereof, after conforming to the requirements of sections second, third, and fourth, by the nominating committee. They shall be liable to the payment of dues and a.s.sessments, and be eligible to all the privileges of regular members of the a.s.sociation until the next annual meeting, at which time they must be duly elected in the same manner as all regular members.

THE GAME OF BASE-BALL.

As before a.s.serted, the American game of base-ball requires a high degree of physical ability, and the possession of manly characteristics to excel in it; for although in theory a schoolboy could easily comprehend the system, in practice an amount of manly vigour, courage, and physical endurance is requisite, surprising to those who regard the game in the light only of an improved edition of the old English school-game of rounders.

The theory of base-ball is as simple as that of any field sport in vogue, and therein lies one of its attractive features. But 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. The theory of base-ball is as follows:--In the first place, a level field for play is selected, about three hundred feet wide and five hundred long. A s.p.a.ce of ground is then marked out in the form of a square, with one corner as the position of the home base, and the other corners for the first, second, and third bases, the first base being on the right of the batsman, as he stands at home base, and the third base on the left. The contestants in a game consist of nine players on each side, and these nine players occupy the following positions: catcher, pitcher, first, second, and third bas.e.m.e.n, short-stop, and left, centre, and right fielders. The first six players above-named form the "_in-fielders_," and the last three the "_out-fielders_," the nine taking the field being known as the "out-hand," or "field." After the parties toss for the innings, the losing side go to the bat, and the winning party to the field, and each man to his position. The pitcher then delivers the ball to the batsman of the opposite nine, who endeavours to send it out of reach of the opposing field party, and far enough into the field to admit of his running round the four bases, in which case he scores one run, provided he is not put out in the interim. He is followed by his companions, one after the other in regular rotation, until three of the batting side are put out, when the field side take the bat and have their innings. Nine innings const.i.tute a full game, and no game is considered as played unless five full innings have been completed. The ball--the only trophy in a match--goes to the party making the most runs in a full game, or in any number of even innings played not less than five.

In case of a tie at the close of the ninth innings, the game, unless by mutual consent, must be prolonged innings after innings, until one or other of the contesting sides obtains the most runs. And if anything occur to interrupt or put a stop to the game before five innings on each side have been played, the game must be drawn. The rules and regulations of the game define all further particulars in reference to it.

HOW TO PLAY EACH POSITION.

GENERAL RULES.

There are nine positions in a base-ball field, two less than in a field of cricketers in a match. The catcher plays behind the batsman to receive the ball from the pitcher. The pitcher stands near the centre of the in-field, forty-five feet from home base, and he is allowed only to "_pitch_" the ball to the bat, not to throw it, jerk it, or bowl it. The first base man attends to b.a.l.l.s fielded to him on the base, his princ.i.p.al duty being to hold the ball, while having one foot on the base, before the batsman reaches it. The second and third bas.e.m.e.n have not only to hold the ball, but also to touch players running to the bases before they can touch the bases. The short-stop attends to the duties of backing up the pitcher and bas.e.m.e.n generally, and of stopping b.a.l.l.s from the bat, and sending them to the bases, when the ball happens to come within reach. The princ.i.p.al duties of the three out-fielders are to catch long high b.a.l.l.s, and to return in ground b.a.l.l.s sent to their positions. But the following are special instructions to occupants of each position in the nine:--

THE CATCHER.

This player is expected to catch or stop all b.a.l.l.s pitched or thrown to the home base. He must be fully prepared to catch all foul b.a.l.l.s, especially "tips," and be able to throw the ball accurately and swiftly to the bases, and also to keep a bright look-out over the whole field.

"Foul b.a.l.l.s" are those high b.a.l.l.s which are hit so as to fall to the ground _back_ of the line of the bases, from home to first base and home to third. "Tips" are also foul b.a.l.l.s, coming sharply from the bat to the catcher.

When a player has made his first base, the catcher should take a position nearer the striker, in order to take the ball from the pitcher before it bounds; and the moment the ball is delivered by the pitcher, and the player runs from the first to the second base, the catcher should take the ball before bounding, and send it to the second base as swiftly as possible, in time to cut off the player before he can touch the base. In throwing to the base it would be as well, in the majority of cases, to send the ball a little to the right of the base. The same advice holds good in reference to a player running from the second base to the third.

The catcher should have a thorough understanding with the pitcher in regard to a code of signals by means of which he can not only direct the pitcher to throw to a base to catch a player napping off the base--as a wicket-keeper does the batsman when out of his ground in cricket--but also so as to direct him where to send a ball to the bat, high or low, in or out, as the peculiarity of the batsman's play may require. The catcher needs to be a swift and accurate thrower to the bases, a plucky player in facing and stopping swiftly-pitched b.a.l.l.s, and a patient player in his efforts to prevent pa.s.sed b.a.l.l.s from inaccurate pitching.

When facing a swift pitcher, his aim should be to stop the ball, and to be on the _qui vive_ for sharp "tips." Off slow pitching more activity is required, as the chances offered for difficult catches from foul b.a.l.l.s are greater.

As the position occupied by the catcher affords him the best view of the field, the person filling it is generally chosen captain, although the pitcher is sometimes selected for that position. We would suggest, however, that some other player than the pitcher be chosen for captain, from the fact that the physical labour attached to that position tends to increase the player's excitement, especially if the contest is a close one, and it is requisite that the captain should be as cool and collected as possible. The catcher, whenever he sees two or more fielders running to catch a ball, should designate by name the one he deems most likely to catch it, in which case the others should refrain from the attempt to catch the ball on the fly, and strive only to catch it in case of its being otherwise missed.

THE PITCHER.