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THE BASE OF A WALL
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THE See also:BASE OF A See also:WALL Or GROUND TABLE, in See also:architecture, is the See also:mouldings See also:round a See also:building just above ground; they mostly consist of similar members to those above described and run round the buttresses. The See also:flat See also:band between the See also:plinth and upper mouldings is frequently panelled and carved with See also:shields, as in See also: The popularity of the game spread rapidly, resulting in the organization of many famous clubs, such as the See also:Beacon and See also:Lowell of See also:Boston, the Red Stockings of See also:Cincinnati, the See also:Forest See also:City of See also:Cleveland and the See also:Maple See also:Leaf of See also:Guelph, but, owing to the See also:sharp rivalry between the foremost teams, semi-professionalism soon crept in, although in those days a See also:man who played for a See also:financial See also:consideration always had some other means of livelihood, as the income to be derived from playing ball in the summer See also:time was not enough to support him throughout the See also:year. In spite of its popularity, the game acquired certain undesirable adjuncts. The betting and See also:pool selling evils became prominent, and before See also:long the game was in thorough disrepute. It was not only generally believed that the matches were not played on their merits, but it was known that players themselves were not above selling contests. At that time many of the See also:journals of the See also:day foretold the speedy downfall of the sport. A See also:convention of those interested financially and otherwise in the game, was held in 1867 in Philadelphia, and an effort was made to effect a See also:reformation. That the sport even then was by no means insignificant can be seen from the fact that in that convention some 500 organizations were represented. While the See also:work done at the convention did not accomplish all that was expected, it did produce certain reforms, and the sport See also:grew rapidly thereafter both in the eastern and in the See also:middle western See also:part of the United States. In the next five years the See also:interest in the game became so See also:great that it was decided to send a See also:representation of See also:American base-ball players to See also:England; and two clubs, the Bostons, who were the champions that year, and the Athletics, former champions, crossed the Atlantic and played several See also:exhibition See also:games with each other. While successful in exciting some interest, the trip did not succeed in.popularizing baseball in Great See also:Britain. Fifteen years later two other nines of representative American base-ball players made a general tour of See also:Australia and various other countries, completing their trip by a contest in England. This too, however, had little effect, and later attempts to establish base-ball in England have likewise been unsuccessful. But in America the game continued to prosper. The first entirely professional club was the Cincinnati Red Stockings (1868). Two national associations were formed in 1871, one having See also:jurisdiction over professional clubs and the other over amateurs. In 1876 was formed the National See also:League, of eight clubs under the See also:presidency of See also:Nicholas E. Youngs which contained the See also:expert ball-players of the See also:country. There were so many See also:people in the United States who wanted to see professional base-ball that this organization proved too small to furnish the desired number of games, and hence in 1882 the American Association was formed. For a time it seemed that there would be See also:room for both organizations; but there was considerable rivalry, and it was not until an agreement was made between the two organizations that they were able to work together in See also:harmony. They practically controlled professional base-ball for many years, although there were occasional attempts to overthrow their authority, the most notable being the formation in 1890 of a brotherhood of. players called the Players' League, organized for the purpose of securing some of the financial benefits accruing to the managers, as well as for the purpose of abolishing See also:black-listing and other supposed abuses. The Players' League proved not sufficiently strong for the task, and See also:fell to pieces. For some years the National League consisted of twelve clubs organized as stock companies, representing cities as far apart as Boston and St See also: B. See also: Any smooth, level field about 15o yds. long and too yds. broad will serve for a'base-ball ground. Upon this field is marked out with See also: Three-cornered spikes are usually worn on the players' shoes. The catcher and first-baseman (v. infra) may See also:wear a See also:glove of any See also:size on one See also:hand; the gloves worn by all other players may not measure more than 14 in. round the See also:palm nor weigh more than to oz. The Players.—The fielding side consists of (a) the pitcher and catcher, called the See also:battery, (b) the first-baseman, second-baseman, third-baseman and See also:short-stop, called infielders, and (c) the left-fielder, centre-fielder and right-fielder; called outs fielders. The pitcher, who delivers the ball to the batsman, is the most important member of the side. In the See also:act of pitching, which is throwing either over or underhand, he must keep one See also:foot in contact with a white plate, called the pitcher's plate, 24 in. long and 6 in. wide, placed 6o•5 ft. from the back of the home-base. Before 1875 the pitcher was obliged to deliver the ball with a full toss only, but about that time a disguised underhand throw., which greatly increased the See also:pace, began to be used so generally that it was soon legalized, and the overhand throw followed as a See also:matter of course. As long as the See also:arm was held stiff no See also:curve could be imparted to the See also:flight of the ball in the See also:air, but with the increase of pace came the possibility of doing this by a See also:movement of the See also:wrist as the ball left the hand,. the twist thus given causing the ball, by the pressure on the air, to swerve to one side or the other, or downwards, according to the position of the hand and fingers as the ball is let go. The commonest of these swerving deliveries, and the first one invented, is the out-curve, the ball coming straight towards the batsman until almost within reach of his bat, when it suddenly swerves away from him towards the right, if he be right-handed. The other important curves are the in-curve, See also:shooting sharply to the left, and the drop, with their many variations, nearly every pitcher using some favourite curve. Change of pace, disguised as well as possible, is also an important part of pitching See also:strategy, as well as variation of the delivery and the play upon the known weaknesses or idiosyncrasies of the batsman. See also:Good control over the ball is a See also:necessity, as four " balls " called by the See also:umpire,-that is, balls not over the base, or over the base and not between the See also:shoulder and See also:knee of the batsman,'—entitle the batsman to become a base-runner and take his first base. If the pitcher disregards the restrictions placed upon him by the rules (e.g. he may not, while in position, make a See also:motion to deliver the ball to the batsman without actually delivering it, or to first-base, while that base is occupied by a runner, without completing the throw), he is said to have made a balk, which permits a base runner to advance a base. In fielding batted balls the pitcher takes all that come directly to him, especially slow ones which the other fielders cannot reach in time. One of his duties is to " back up " the first-baseman in order to stop balls thrown wide, and to See also:cover first-base in See also:place of the baseman whenever that player has to leave his base to field a ground ball. On occasion he also backs up other positions. The catcher usually stands about i yd. behind the home plate, and he must never be more than to ft. behind the home plate when the pitcher delivers the ball to the batsman. He generally catches the ball from the pitcher before it strikes the ground, and, when a man of the opposing side has succeeded in getting to a base, must be on the alert to See also:head this opponent off should he endeavour to steal the next base, i.e. run to it while the pitcher is delivering the ball to the batsman. For this See also:reason the catcher must be a See also:quick, strong and accurate thrower. As the catcher alone faces the whole field, he is able to warn the pitcher when to throw to a base in order to catch a runner napping off the base, and by secretly signalling to the pitcher (usually by means of signs with his fingers) he directs what See also:kind of a ball is to be pitched, so that he may be in the proper position to receive the ball, be it high or See also:low, to left or right. Some pitchers, however, prefer to reserve their choice of balls and there-fore do the signalling them- selves. The catcher wears a See also:mask, a See also:breast-See also:pad, and Position of^ a large glove, without which second Besnnel/ the position would be a very dangerous one. As every batsman upon hitting the ball must run for the first-base, the first-baseman must be a sure catch of balls thrown to head runners off, even those thrown too low, high or wide. A tall man is usually chosen for this position. The second - baseman usually stands about 30 ft. to the right of second-base and back of the See also:line between the bases, and attends to balls batted to his side of the diamond. He also backs up any exposed position and must be ready to cover second-base whenever a runner tries to steal down from first-base, or whenever there is a runner on second-base, a See also:duty which he shares with the short-stop, whose position corresponds to that of the second-baseman on the left side of the diamond. Short-stop must be a quick and accurate thrower and a lively fielder, as he is required to back up second-and third-base. Both he and the second-baseman must field ground balls cleanly and are often called upon to catch See also:fly balls also. The requirements of third-baseman are very similar, but he must be an exceptionally good thrower, as he has the longest distance to throw to the first-base; and as he plays nearer to the batsman than do the second-baseman and the short-stop, the balls batted in his direction are See also:apt to be faster and more difficult to field. One of the third-baseman's . See also:chief duties is to be ready to run in towards the batsman to field " bunts," i.e. balls blocked by allowing them to rebound from a loosely held bat. These commonly See also:roll slowly in the direction of third-baseman, who, in order to get them to first-base in time to put the runner out, must run in, pick them up, usually with one hand, so as to be in position to throw without the loss of an instant, and " snap " them to the first-baseman, i.e. throw them underhand without taking time to raise his See also:body to an erect position. Many of these bunts can be fielded either by the pitcher or, if they drop dead in front of the home-plate, by the catcher. The positions of the three outfielders can be seen on the See also:diagram. Their duties consist of catching all " flies " batted over the heads of the infielders (i.e. high batted balls that have not touched the ground) ,stopping and returning ground balls that pass the infield, and backing up the baseman. The accompanying diagram indicates the territory roughly allotted to the different fielders. " Backing up " is a very prominent feature in fielding. Even the pitcher, for example, should run behind the first-baseman when the ball is thrown to the latter by another, in order to stop a widely thrown or missed ball, which, if allowed to pass, would enable the runner to gain one or more additional bases. Bases vacated by their basemen while fielding balls must often, also, be promptly covered by an-other player. The general See also:rule of See also:defence strategy is similar to that in cricket, namely, to have as many men as possible at the probable point of attack. There is usually an infield and an outfield See also:captain for the See also:special purpose of calling the name of the player who is to take a certain fly ball, to prevent collisions. The batsman stands three - quarters facing the pitcher within a parallelogram (" See also:box ") 6 ft. long and 4 ft. wide, the lines of which he may not overstep, on See also:penalty of being declared out. His See also:object is to get to first-base without being put out. This he may do in several ways. (t) He may make a "safe-See also:hit," 'i.e. one that is " See also:fair " but cannot be caught, or fielded in time to put him out. (2) He is entitled to first-base if the pitcher pitches four See also:bad balls, at none of which he (the batsman) has struck. (3) He may be unavoidably struck by a pitched ball, in which See also:case he is given his base. (4) He may, except in certain specified cases, after a third strike, if the catcher has failed to catch the third one, See also:earn his base if he can reach it before the catcher can throw the ball to the first-baseman, and the first-baseman, with the ball in his See also:possession, See also:touch first-base: (g) He may reach his base by an See also:error of some fielder, which may be either a muffed fly, a failure to stop and field a ground ball, a muffed thrown ball or a bad throw. Only balls batted within the foul-lines (see diagram) are fair. All others are " fouls," and the batsman cannot run on them. All foul-struck balls are called strikes until two strikes have been called by the umpire, after which fouls are not counted. Batting, as in cricket, is a See also:science by itself, although comparatively more stress is laid on fielding than in cricket. A good batsman can place the ball in any part of the field he chooses by See also:meeting the ball at different angles. He may make a safe hit either by hitting the ball on the ground directly through the infield out of reach of the fielders, or so hard that it cannot be Catchers^Po;tlron OPosition of See also:Night fie/See also:don Posittiion of centre See also:fit/dor Diagram of Base-ball Field. Position of OShort Stop Position oT Left fie/der stopped. In the last case a failure to stop and field it does not See also:count as an " error " (misplay) for the fielder, even though it came straight at him, the decision as to errors appearing in the score (v. infra) depending upon the See also:official scorer of the home club. The batsman may also hit safely by placing the ball over the heads of the infielders, but not far enough to be caught by the outfielders, or over the heads of the outfielders themselves, or he may bunt successfully. A hit by which two bases can be made (without errors by opponents) is a " two-base-hit," one for three bases a " three-base-hit," and one for four bases a " home-run." The batsman may be put out in various ways. For example, he is out (1) if he, fails to bat in the order named in the published batting-See also:list; (2) if he fails to take his position within one See also:minute after the umpire has summoned him; (3) if he makes a foul hit which is caught before it strikes the ground (a ball barely ticked by the bat [" foul-tip "] does not count); (4) if he oversteps the batting-lines; (5) if he intentionally obstructs or interferes with the catcher; (6) if he unsuccessfully attempts the third strike and the ball hits his See also:person or is caught by the catcher (under certain conditions he is out whether the ball is so caught or not), or, not being caught, is thrown to first-base and held there by an opposing player before the batsman can get there; (7) if a fair ball be caught before striking the ground; (8) if any fair ball is fielded to first-baseman before he reaches the base. The batsman becomes a base-runner the moment he starts for first-base. He may, when he first reaches first-base, overrun his base (provided he turns to his right in returning to it) without See also:risk of being put out, but thereafter can be put out by being touched with the ball in the hands of a fielder unless some part of the runner's person is in contact with the base. When a fair or foul ball struck by a batsman on his side is caught on the fly, he must retouch his base, or be put out if the baseman receives the ball before he can do so. A runner on first-base is forced to run to second as soon as a fair ball is batted, or, being on second with another runner on first, he is forced to run to third. This is called being " forced off his base." In such a situation the forced runner can be put out if the ball is thrown to the baseman at the next base before the runner gets there. He does not require to be touched with the ball. The runner on first is entitled, however, to advance to second without risk of being put out if the batsman becomes similarly entitled to first-base (e.g. on being unavoidably struck by the ball, or on four balls). Frequently, if the ball is batted to the infield while a runner is on first-base, the fielder tosses it to second-baseman, putting out the runner, and the second-baseman has still time to throw the ball to first-base ahead of the batsman, thus completing a " See also:double play." Triple plays are sometimes made when there are runners on two or on all of the bases. Base-running is one of the important arts of base-ball play. A good base-runner takes as long a See also:lead off the base as he dares, starts to run the moment the pitcher makes the first movement to deliver the ball, and if necessary throws himself with a slide, either feet or head first, on to the See also:objective base, the reason for the slide being to make it more difficult for the baseman to touch the runner, having to stoop in order to do so, thus losing time. A base-runner is out if he interferes with an opponent while the latter is fielding a ball or if he is hit by a batted ball. An example of See also:modern base-running is offered by the " double steal," carried out, e.g., when there is a runner on first-base and a runner on third-base. The runner on first starts for second leisurely in order to draw a throw to second by the catcher. If the catcher throws, the runner on third runs for the home-plate, the second-baseman returning the ball to the catcher in order to put the runner out. The play often results in a score, but the runner is frequently caught if the throws are quick and accurate, or when the catcher deceives the runner by throwing, not to the player at second-base, but to a man stationed for the purpose much nearer the home-plate, this man intercepting the ball and returning it to the catcher if the runner on third is attempting to score, or letting it pass to the player on second-base, if the runner on third does not make the See also:attempt. Team batting is the co-operation of batsman and base-runner. The commonest example is the " hit and run " play, e.g. when a461 runner is on first-base. After the runner has ascertained by a false start which infielder, whether second-baseman or short-stop, will cover second-base, the batsman signals to the runner that he will hit the next ball. As soon as the pitcher delivers the ball the runner starts for second and the batsman hits the ball to that part of the infield vacated by the fielder who has gone to receive the ball at second from the catcher. If successful this play results in a safe hit, while the runner not infrequently makes, not only second, but third-base as well. Another instance of team batting is when a runner is on third-base and the batsman signals that he will hit the next ball. This enables the runner to get a long start, making his scoring nearly certain if the batsman succeeds in hitting the ball fairly. If the ball is hit without the See also:signal and consequent long start by the runner, the latter is frequently put out at the plate, as the infielder who See also:fields the ball will ignore the batsman and throw the ball to the catcher to head off the runner and prevent a run being scored. In See also:close games the " See also:sacrifice-hit," a part of team batting, is an important See also:element. It consists, when a runner is on base, of a hit by the batsman resulting in his own retirement but the See also:advancement to the next base of the runner. The sacrifice-hit is most frequently a bunt, as this gives the batsman the best See also:chance of reaching first-base safely, besides surely advancing the runner. Another kind of sacrifice-hit is a long fly to the outfield. On such a hit a runner on third-base (as on the other bases) must remain on the base until after the ball is caught, but the distance from the outfield to the home-plate is so great that a fast runner can generally See also:beat the ball and score his run. When men are or. bases, coaches are allowed to stand near first and third bases to See also:direct the runners. One umpire, who has See also:absolute jurisdiction over all points of play, usually officiates in base-ball, but, in important games, two umpires are often employed, one of them See also:standing behind the catcher and calling the good and bad balls pitched, and the other, posted in the infield, giving decisions on plays at the bases. In cases where the game is tied after nine innings, extra ones are played, the umpire " calling " a game when it becomes too dark to play. In case of See also:rain, play is suspended by the umpire, who calls the game if the rain continues for one See also:half-See also:hour. Should play he permanently interrupted the game See also:counts if five innings have been completed by each side. Scoring.—The base-ball score shows, in See also:vertical columns, (1) how many times each player has been at bat (bases taken on balls and sacrifice-hits not counted); (2) how many runs he has scored; (3) how many base-hits he has made; (4) how many sacrifice-hits he has made; (5) how many opponents he has put out; (6) how many " assists," i.e. times he has assisted in putting out (e.g. stopping a ground ball and throwing it to first-base); (7) the number of errors he has made, See also:wild pitches and "passed balls," i.e. not held by the catcher, as well as balks and bases on balls, not being counted as errors but set down under the regular columns, together with the See also:record of stolen bases, extra long hits, double and triple plays, batsmen struck out by each pitcher, the number of men struck by each pitcher with the ball, the time of the game and the name of the umpire. Careful record is kept of the batting, fielding, pitching and base-running averages of both professional and amateur players. To find the batting record of a player, See also:divide the number of hits made by the number of times at bat. To find a fielding record, divide the number of accepted chances by the See also:total chances, e.g. A.B. put 1188 men out, and assisted sixty-four times, while making fifteen errors; his fielding See also:average is therefore 1252 divided by 1267, or 988, 1000 being perfect fielding. See See also:Spalding's Base-ball See also:Guide, in Spalding's Athletic Library, published annually; How to Play Base-ball, by T. H. Murnane, Spalding's Athletic Library ; The See also:Book of School and College See also:Sports, by R. H. See also:Barbour (New York, 1904). (E. Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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