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 How to Plb^y 
 
 BASE -BALL 
 
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 CONNIE MACK 
 
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 PRICE 
 
 25 
 
 CENTS 
 
 Connie Mack 
 
 1903 
 
 Drexel Biddle 
 
 PUBLISHER 
 
 PHILADELPHIA 
 
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 CORNELIUS MCGILLI CUDDY 
 
 (CONNIE mack) 
 
 The popular manager of the Athletic (A.L.) Club 
 Champions for season of 1902 
 
How TO Play 
 Baseball 
 
 3Y 
 
 CONNIE MACK 
 
 (Cornelius McGillicuddy) 
 
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 DREXEL BIDDLE Publisher 
 PHILADELPHIA 
 

 THE LIBRARY OF 
 CON (jR ESS, 
 
 Two Copies 
 
 Received 
 
 APR 21 
 
 Cop>fnint 
 
 cuss CL 
 
 1903 
 
 Lntry 
 XXc. No. 
 
 COPY 
 
 o 
 
 B. 
 
 Copyright, 1903, b. DREXEL IIDDLE 
 
 f- • « • « V 
 
 » 
 
 Printed by The Drexel Biddle Press 
 
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 [PREFACE 
 
 To become a good baseball player is the 
 ambition of every boy at school, and the 
 absence of any sound, practical advice has 
 often resulted in spoiling young men, who, 
 under different conditions, might have been 
 developed into first-class players. Many ama- 
 teur and young players jump at the conclusion 
 that as they are able to throw, or catch a balj, 
 or run fast, they are on the proper road to 
 become first-class players, and that these attri- 
 butes constitute the groundwork of a baseball 
 player. 
 
 This is a common error, inasmuch as the 
 head is the principal stock in trade of a first- 
 class player. While the arms and legs are 
 necessary adjuncts, they must be controlled by 
 a superior power, which is the brain. This is 
 essential in all good players. Many of the 
 greatest experts who have graced the diamond 
 may be said to have reached that degree of 
 excellence and prominence mainly through 
 their superior headwork while on the ball 
 field. As an illustration, I might mention 
 that the majority of college men now playing 
 in the major and intercollegiate leagues have 
 won their baseball spurs through an earnest- 
 ness of desire to excel in that particular branch 
 
 13 
 
Preface 
 
 of the game to which they have devoted their 
 attention, and where, by the use of their head, 
 rather than speed and strength, they are suc- 
 cessful. 
 
 The present book is designed to cover not 
 only the way to play baseball and how differ- 
 ent positions should be filled, but to offer sug- 
 gestions as to the proper methods of training 
 and practice. The erroneous ideas usually en- 
 tertained by young players will be pointed out 
 and the field of base ball covered in full. 
 CORNELIUS McGILLICUDDY. 
 (Connie Mack.) 
 
 *4 
 
HARRY C. PULLIAM 
 
 President National League 
 
Harry C. Pulliam 
 
 President National League 
 
 Harry C. Pulliam was born in Scottsville, 
 Ky., thirty-three years ago. He is a graduate 
 of Virginia University. He became a news- 
 paper man in Louisville after graduation and 
 was a successful base-ball writer for several 
 years. In 1898 he resigned his position as city 
 editor of the Louisville Commercial and ac- 
 cepted the presidency of the Louisville Club. 
 In 1897 he was elected a member of the Ken- 
 tucky Legislature and served one term. 
 
 Since 1898 Pulliam has been in the thick 
 of all the fights that have disturbed the Na- 
 tional League magnates. In 1899 Barney 
 Dreyfuss secured control of the Louisville Club 
 and Pulliam was deposed from the presidency. 
 He was elected secretary and treasurer and con- 
 tinued to represent the club at the National 
 League meetings. 
 
 In the fall of 1899 Dreyfuss and Pulliam en- 
 gineered the biggest base-ball deal of recent 
 
years. They consolidated the Louisville and 
 Pittsburg Clubs and sold fourteen players to 
 Pittsburg, including Fred Clarke, Hans Wag- 
 ner, Claude Ditchey and others, laying the 
 foundation of the present Pittsburg champions. 
 
 Pulliam was elected secretary of the Pitts- 
 burg Club and retained that position until he 
 was elected president of the National League 
 at the December meeting in this city. 
 
 On December 12, 1902, Pulliam was unani- 
 mously elected president of the National 
 League to succeed Nicholas E. Young, of 
 Washington. 
 
 Ever since the ''Boy President," as Pulliam 
 was called, joined the magnates in the councils 
 he has been a very useful man to the National 
 League. On more than one occasion when the 
 magnates became overheated in arguments in 
 New York city, where so many base-ball deals, 
 good and bad, have been put through, Pulliam 
 has jollied the belligerents back into good hu- 
 mor. When it was contemplated to organize 
 the National Association to fight the American 
 League, Pulliam worked night and day in the 
 interest of the league. When Pulliam had all 
 his plans arranged the magnates upset tlieiu 
 
through demanding concessions from the As- 
 sociation promoters that they were unable to 
 comply with. 
 
 Pulliam is popular with all sorts and condi- 
 tions of base-b^ll men and is considered diplo- 
 matic enough to handle the cases that are sub- 
 mitted to the league and come under the presi- 
 dent's jurisdiction. 
 
BYRON BANCROFT JOHNSON 
 
 President American League 
 
Byron Bancroft Johnson 
 
 President American League 
 
 Without doubt the most important figure in 
 base-ball to-day is President Byron Bancroft 
 Johnson, of the American League. To his skill, 
 perseverance and execution the American 
 League is largely indebted for its proud posi- 
 tion in the base-ball world. In the perform- 
 ance of his duty as he sees it or as laid down 
 by the law, Johnson knows neither friend nor 
 foe. Hence, his rule, while vigorous, com- 
 mands respect and obedience. His one ambi- 
 tion in life has been to place the American 
 League where it now is. 
 
 Ban Johnson was born in Cincinnati in 1863, 
 and is the son of Professor Johnson, of Avon- 
 dale. During his connection with the press, 
 Johnson frequently ran afoul of President John 
 T. Brush, of the Cincinnati Club. Since then 
 he has engaged in a series of battles with 
 Brush, and in every instance he has had the 
 better of the argument with the wily Talley- 
 
rand of base-ball politics. 
 
 In 1893 the Western League held a meeting 
 in Indianapolis. Brush, who was the owner 
 of the Indianapolis team, did not attend the 
 first day's session of the league. Charles 
 Comiskey presented Johnson's name for the 
 presidency, and he was elected, much to the 
 disgust of Brush when he arrived on the scene 
 the next day. 
 
 There was no friction during the first year, 
 as the league did well financially, and Johnson 
 proved a capable executive. In 1894 Johnson 
 engaged in his first battle. The Indianapolis 
 Club was one of the weakest in the league, and 
 at the close of the season. Brush drafted sev- 
 eral crack players from other Western League 
 teams ostensibly for the Cincinnati Club, of 
 the National League. Before the season of 
 1893 was more than a few weeks old, these 
 players were sent to Indianapolis. Other club 
 owners raised a protest against this shady 
 transaction, claiming that Indianapolis, 
 through its relations with the Cincinnati Club, 
 had an unfair advantage. President Johnson 
 agreed with them, and he and Brush locked 
 horns. The battle lasted nearlv two vears, and 
 
at one time Brush almost succeeded in throwing 
 Johnson and the Western League out in the 
 cold through the Board of Arbitration. With 
 the aid. of Colonel Rogers and other National 
 League men, Johnson defeated the scheme, and 
 Brush only saved his seat in the National 
 Board by promising to dispose of his interest 
 in the IndianapoHs Club. 
 
 The Western League, under Johnson's 
 handling, in the next few years became the 
 strongest minor league in the country. In 
 1899, w^hen the National League set about re- 
 ducing itself to an eight-club basis, Johnson 
 began the expansion policy that has resulted 
 so disastrously for the National League. He 
 changed the name of the Western to the Amer- 
 ican League, and induced Charles Comiskey 
 to move his St. Paul team and franchise to 
 Chicago. This move brought on a clash with 
 the National League, the first of a long series 
 in which the older body has invariably been 
 worsted. 
 
 In 1901 the American League made the bold- 
 est move in its history. Johnson announced 
 that clubs would be placed in Boston, Philadel- 
 phia, Baltimore and Washington. The Na 
 
tional League men ignored Johnson and his 
 intentions and laughed at him. While the Na- 
 tional League was in session in this city in the 
 spring of 1901, Johnson was in Philadelphia 
 awaiting a message which did not come until 
 two years later, when the once haughty Na- 
 tional League men petitioned Johnson to end 
 the base-ball war. 
 
 The supporters of the American League have 
 implicit faith in Johnson. One of them says : 
 ''Ban Johnson has fairly fought for and won 
 in his ten years of base-ball leadership the full- 
 est meed of success and is clearly entitled to 
 his position as the greatest executive in the 
 base-ball world. There is not a single instance 
 on record where Johnson has failed to accom- 
 plish what he had set out to do." 
 
BILL DOUGLASS 
 
-^i^e^ ^jAATViyt4 '^^'^i^^^daJL^ 
 
The Art of Pitching 
 
 By George Edward (Rube) Waddell 
 
 A pitcher's sole desire is to accomplish his 
 work in such a manner as to secure the best 
 results. My record with the Champion Ath- 
 letics (American L^eague) team during the sea- 
 son of 1902 was due to my ability in mastering 
 .the different assortments of balls used by the 
 leading pitchers of the country, I varied my 
 pitching to suit the occasions as required. 
 Being over six feet in height and weighing two 
 hundred pounds I had many advantages not 
 enjoyed by lighter and smaller pitchers, espe- 
 cially when it became necessary for me to use 
 speed. 
 
 My best ball is a fast inshoot, which breaks 
 when close to the batsman and is a very hard 
 ball to judge. I would advise all young pitchers 
 to use a fast ball, as they will find it much 
 easier on the arm. 
 
 I depend mostly upon a fast ball, and up 
 to the present time have been free from a sore 
 arm, although I have pitched for the past seven 
 years. But it is necessary to be able to use a 
 
n 
 
< 
 n 
 
 a. 
 
 a 
 
Art of Pitching 
 
 slow ball, with the same motion as when de- 
 livering a fast ball, which makes the speedy 
 ball more efifective. 
 
 All pitchers will have days when it seems 
 almost impossible to get up full speed, and 
 on such days they change their delivery and use 
 either the slow ball or an out curve. Upon 
 such days I would advise young pitchers to 
 use a curve ball, but would advise no pitcher 
 to use a curve ball when the same results can 
 be accomplished with his fast ball. 
 
 My advice to all young pitchers when 
 first entering the box and facing the 
 batsman is to study closely the position 
 taken by batsman. If finding he is stand- 
 ing close to the plate keep the ball in close and 
 use as much speed as possible. I would also 
 advise young pitchers when being hit freely to 
 stop and rest, or, in other words, to steady him- 
 self long enough to regain his control. This 
 will also worry the batsman, and that is the 
 main thing in pitching. 
 
H. D. QUIN 
 
 President American Baseball Association 
 
EDDIE McFARLAND 
 
NAPOLEON LAJOIE 
 
How TO Play Baseball 
 
 BATTING 
 
 THE most difficult feature of 
 baseball in which to acquire 
 proficiency, and the one to 
 which least attention is usu- 
 ally given, is batting. This 
 is especially the case with 
 young players, with w^hom 
 inability to hit is the great- 
 est weakness as compared 
 to fielding. Just as clean 
 fielding can be witnessed in 
 amateur games as that seen 
 in the best professional con- 
 tests, but the batting is 
 always light. Much of this can be overcome 
 if more attention and time are devoted to it. 
 
 It is a grievous error to suppose that bat- 
 ting practice consists of hitting grounders to 
 the infield or long flies to the outfield. While 
 no harm can come from such form of prac- 
 tice, I do not consider any great good will 
 follow. The practice is so entirely different 
 from that w^hich is required w^hen actually hit- 
 
 2 17 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 ting pitched balls, that it does not improve the 
 player's hitting any more than lawn tennis or 
 exercises with Indian clubs. 
 
 It helps to develop many of the same mus- 
 cles of the wrists, arms, body and legs that 
 are used in actual play, and to that extent it 
 is a good thing. But its uselessness as an aid 
 to good hitting lies in the fact that it does not 
 train the eye. 
 
 It is not good batting practice to hit against 
 a player who knows nothing about pitching, 
 but who insists upon taking his place in the 
 box and just tosses the ball over the plate. 
 The only real practice is when the batter takes 
 his place at the home plate with a pitcher who 
 has good control and is possessed of a fair 
 amount of speed. In that way only can the 
 brain, muscles and eye be taught to work in 
 imison. There is one thing to be avoided, and 
 that is hitting against a swift pitcher who does 
 not know himself where the ball is going. 
 
 It is not very pleasant or agreeable to re- 
 ceive a hard blow on some tender part of the 
 body from a wildly pitched ball, and it often 
 affecto a player's hitting. It not infrequently 
 develops an uncontrollable nervous fear, which 
 often causes a man to shrink away from the 
 l)late in spite of himself. The fear of being- 
 hit has made many bad players of young men 
 who otherwise might shine on the diamond. 
 The change in the rules giving a batter his 
 base when hit by a pitched ball has had a ten- 
 dency to help many of the batters' averages. 
 
 x8 
 
LAVE CROSS 
 Third Baseman, Athletics 
 
Batting 
 
 When a player takes his position at the 
 plate he should wait patiently until the ball 
 travels directly over the centre of the rubber. 
 Do not lose sight of the ball from the time the 
 pitcher starts to deliver. When he draws back 
 his arm, take one short step and meet the ball 
 just as it reaches the plate. Then hit out 
 straight on a line to the field. From the grand 
 stand it looks easy enough. To sit back of 
 the catcher and see the balls coming over the 
 plate the average spectator will wonder why 
 they are not hit out of the field. But to the 
 batter himself, they look altogether different. 
 Since the pitchers have mastered a slow ball it 
 is now more difficult for the batter to gauge 
 the ball, as the pitcher will send a very swift 
 ball and the very next time may deliver with 
 the same motion a slow one which will hardly 
 reach the plate. In this way the batter is 
 kept guessing as to what to expect next. 
 
 There are certain points in batting to be 
 observed, especially in the matter of ''form," 
 and while there are apparently many styles 
 of hitting, to be successful it is necessary that 
 they should all agree in this respect. The ele- 
 ment of chance, or luck as it is called, enters 
 largely into the question. The hardest and 
 most difficult kinds of hits will often go into 
 the waiting hands of a fielder, while a little 
 punk or bunt will sometimes drop into safe 
 territory. But in the long run chances of 
 this kind will break even. 
 
 The first element necessary for a successful 
 
 zi 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 batsman is to acquire the proper *'form/' This 
 does not mean exactly the position to be 
 assumed while waiting for the ball, because 
 each batter may, and, as a rule, does, have his 
 own peculiar distinctive style. This is notice- 
 able with professional ball players, and many 
 of them are recognized by this style when at 
 the bat rather than by their features. 
 
 When in the act of hitting there is a certain 
 ''form" which should be religiously observed. 
 And this, in its salient points, is the same with 
 all good batters. Standing within easy reach 
 of the plate, the batter should hold himself 
 in readiness to hit the ball which is best suited 
 to himself. It is often more advantageous to 
 the batter to let a strike be called on him than 
 to take chances on hitting at a high ball when 
 he would much prefer a low one. When the 
 ball is pitched he should not move until he 
 has seen where the ball is going. 
 
 Do not step forward until you see the ball 
 coming towards the plate, and then take a 
 vshort step and directly towards the pitcher. 
 
 When hitting the body should be held nearly 
 straight ; just a sHght stoop, so that when the 
 bat meets the ball the weight is principally on 
 the forward foot. 
 
 Too much care cannot be exercised by the 
 batter when taking his position at the plate. 
 It is impossible to change the position when 
 once taken, and any slight miscalculation' he 
 may have made in the speed or direction of 
 the ball will operate against him, and he would 
 
 22 
 
SCHRECKENGOST 
 
 Catcher, Athletics 
 
Batting 
 
 have no time to remedy the error of judgment. 
 A short stride is important, for the reason that 
 if any miscalculation has been made for speed 
 or location of the ball he might be able to 
 change his position, and a long stride would 
 put him in such a position that no such change 
 could possibly be made, and the batter would 
 be at the mercy of the pitcher. 
 
 It will also be found that a long stride will 
 lose the batter all of the height and reach, and 
 would necessarily force the man at the plate 
 to hit at a high ball which he might otherwise 
 have met on a line. The player who takes a 
 long step naturally stoops down as he hits, and 
 this fact would be a great disadvantage to him 
 with high balls. 
 
 The ball that would have been of fair height 
 he would find would be over his head. The 
 batter should generally step directly towards 
 the pitcher, unless he has good reasons for 
 doing otherwise, as, for example, if he is try- 
 ing to hit in any particular part of the field. In 
 that case he should step accordingly. 
 
 A right-handed batter attempting to hit 
 towards right field should stand at least eigh- 
 teen inches from the plate, and before hitting 
 should wait until the ball is directly over the 
 home base, taking a short step toward the 
 plate. By standing erect the batter is in better 
 position to hit at any good ball, and is not so 
 easily fooled on a slowly delivered ball. 
 
 It is not necessary to hit hard in order to 
 drive the ball a great distance. The secret lies 
 
 25 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 in meeting the ball with a quick and short 
 snap, putting the whole weight of the shoulder 
 just at the proper moment. There are some 
 of the very best batters who hit entirely with 
 the arms, w^hile others use principally the 
 shoulder and simply push rather than swing. 
 It is a great mistake to swing too hard at the 
 ball. The effect is certain to take away that 
 which is most required — that is, judgment of 
 height, judgment and speed. 
 
 If a player would remem-ber that it is much 
 better to think of making single hits rather 
 than attempt home runs, his batting average 
 would materially improve, though now and 
 then a player should attempt to put a little 
 more force in hitting, especially if he finds the 
 outfielders playing a rather short field. Some 
 of the longest hitters on the diamond are men 
 who seem to make the least effort. 
 
 When swinging at a high ball the bat should 
 be held in such a way as to bring it downward 
 to hit the ball in such a manner as to send it 
 on a line to the outfield. The ball should be 
 met about six inches from the end of the bat. 
 Should the ball strike a little further up or 
 down on the centre line of the bat, or, if it does 
 strike fairly on the centre line, it will still be 
 thrown off toward first or third base on a line, 
 and not up or down, as would otherwise be 
 the case. In holding the bat, the hands should 
 be kept slightly apart, but not so much so that 
 it would interfere with an easy and free swing. 
 
 After a short time the player will be better 
 
 26 
 
*' CHICK'* ERASER 
 
 Pitcher, Philadelphia (N. L.) Club 
 
Batting 
 
 able to judge for himself how he should handle 
 the bat, choosing his own peculiar style which 
 comes most natural to him. 
 
 When a sacrifice hit is needed the player 
 should, by all means, have his hands fully three 
 inches apart, and lean forward, waiting for a 
 low ball, which can be better placed than a 
 high ball. In picking out a high ball to sac- 
 rifice, the batter is more liable to hit an infield 
 fly. Too much attention cannot be given to 
 sacrifice hitting, which is one of the first 
 things a player should learn. Every ball 
 player who pretends to play the game with 
 his brains, as well as his arms and legs, should 
 be able to hit in whatever direction he desires. 
 A batter cannot always place the ball in any 
 particular spot, but he can, with practice, hit 
 into the right or left field at will. The advan- 
 tage of this to a player and his team cannot 
 be overestimated, and such players are valuable 
 to any team. 
 
 Confidence is one of the greatest factors 
 in successful hitting. The player who faces 
 the pitcher with timidity written all over his 
 face is not only handicapped from the start, 
 but he is already half out. On the other hand, 
 the batter who does not feel any fear becomes 
 inspired by his own confidence, and for that 
 very reason is more liable to hit well. Enthu- 
 siasm is another element in good batting. A 
 player who loves to bat can be depended upon, 
 when the pccasion requires his best efiforts. 
 This is often the reason that batting is done 
 
 29 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 in streaks, and many players for a number of 
 games will lose confidence in themselves and 
 cannot hit the simplest kind of pitching. It is 
 a fact that a whole team has failed to hit for 
 eight innings, and then go in and bat out a 
 victory. Some one player will start the ball 
 rolling by lining out a clean hit, giving confi- 
 dence to the next man, and so on down the line, 
 until the game is won. To win a game of this 
 kind gives confidence to the whole team, and 
 when they take the field the next day, the pos- 
 session of greater confidence is apparent. 
 
 In order to be a good batsman, the player's 
 eyesight must be perfect. No player can pos- 
 sibly make a good batter who has had trouble 
 with his eyes. It requires a quick, strong eye 
 to keep track of the ball and tell when it is over 
 the plate and at the right height for hitting. 
 Nervousness, when at bat, is to be avoided, and 
 the desire to hit at every ball pitched should 
 also be avoided. By resisting the temptation 
 to strike the first ball pitched, a player will 
 gradually increase his confidence. A nervous 
 player is easily ''worked'' by the pitcher, for 
 the reason that he can hardly wait for the 
 pitcher to deliver the ball. He thus throws 
 himself open to be fooled by almost any 
 pitcher. 
 
 The most important attribute in the compo- 
 sition of a good batter is courage. In this 
 term, I include the self-control and the reso- 
 lutions by which a player will force himself 
 to stand before the swiftest and wildest pitch- 
 
 30 
 
Batting 
 
 ing without flinching, and the fearlessness 
 that can contemplate the probability of a blow 
 from the ball without allowing the judgment 
 to be affected. As a rule, the poor batters are 
 pla3^ers who are afraid of being hit. The 
 player who has such fear will frequently get 
 in the way of the ball, where the player with 
 confidence will escape being hit. This is due 
 to the fact that when he sees the ball coming 
 towards him he will step directly to meet it. A 
 first-class batter will not mind being hit now 
 and then without having any tendency to fear 
 the pitcher when called upon to take his turn 
 at bat. The player who will stand at the 
 plate in an easy position will seldom get hit, 
 owing to his ability to move quickly. The 
 player who sinks the spikes of his shoes deep 
 into the ground cannot easily extract himself 
 from that position should he find it necessary 
 at any time. The batter's mind should be 
 concentrated on the ball when he is at bat. This 
 is not a difficult matter to some players, but 
 to others a determined effort is necessary. 
 
 The nerves must be taught and kept under 
 control. To some this may seem an utter 
 impossibility. Instinct of self-command is 
 such a controlling power with them that they 
 find themselves drawing away from the ball. 
 Try as they may, they are not able to stand 
 up to the plate. The player who cannot break 
 himself of this habit will never amount to 
 anything in the hitting line. 
 
 In order to break yourself from stepping 
 
 31 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 away from the plate, throw the forward foot 
 toward the plate, keeping the rear foot a little 
 further away. Every style of batting should 
 be tried before giving up entirely. Should you 
 find it utterly impossible to overcome this 
 weakness, you would do well to give up all 
 thoughts of becoming a professional player. 
 
 3* 
 
PITCHING 
 
 THE pitching department is 
 the most important on any 
 team, and the pitcher is the 
 central figure around 
 which others are grouped. 
 No matter how strong a 
 team may be, it cannot 
 make a good showing un- 
 less the man in the pitcher's 
 box possesses the requisite 
 skill to mystify and deceive 
 the opposing batsmen. A 
 pitcher, after winning the 
 game, has often lost it 
 again through becoming rattled, thus while a 
 man may be a little short of marvelous in 
 pitching curves, drops or inshoots, his work 
 is apt to become non-effective if he is not the 
 possessor of a cool head and is not backed by 
 a clever, wide-awake catcher, w^ho can put life 
 into an otherwise mediocre nine. It is not, 
 however, the catcher that is to be considered 
 in the present article, but the pitcher, who, if 
 he is first-class, is the master of all batters. 
 He is not always the man who can deliver the 
 swiftest ball that is the most effective. Speed 
 is an admirable requisite, but to become a 
 really first-class pitcher a knowledge of all 
 
 33 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 curves, change of pace, judgment of batting 
 and a keen observance of conditions as they 
 may exist at different times are necessary. 
 
 Where formerly a fast ball was considered 
 the most effective, the present up-to-date pitch- 
 er must be able to vary his speed as conditions 
 warrant. Speed should be practiced, but no 
 attempt should be made to overdo it. With 
 speedy balls should be mixed slow and curved 
 ones. There is also a danger in a pitcher being 
 too true ; that is to say, he puts too many balls 
 over the plate, which gives the batsman greater 
 confidence in facing them. When the batter 
 knows that the ball will cleave the centre of 
 the plate every time he will keep close up and 
 will be able to gauge the delivery more accur- 
 ately than if a ball is thrown close to the batter, 
 w^hich will drive him away from the plate. This 
 error is often apparent ^n young players, who 
 use every endeavor to pitch every ball in a 
 direct line. Avoid this and try and make the 
 batter afraid of your delivery. 
 
 To field his position is another necessity in 
 a good pitcher. Should a pitcher be backward 
 in this respect he should practice continually 
 until he is able not only to catch the swiftest 
 ball, but field the hardest kind of grounders. 
 The pitcher is nearer the batter than any of 
 the fielders, and as a result he has very little 
 time to make up his mind what to do should the 
 ball be driven in his direction. In this he must 
 be quick to act, and until he learns to master 
 the fielding problem he cannot be considered a 
 
 34 
 
Pitching 
 
 winning pitcher, more especially at the present 
 time, when such great strides have been made 
 in hitting, and where the bunt has been so suc- 
 cessfully developed. 
 
 Watching bases when any of the runners are 
 on them is very important. It is a fact that a 
 pitcher who can hold the base runners close to 
 the base can be batted for double the number 
 of hits and still have fewer runs caught ofif him 
 than the pitcher who fails to hold his men safe. 
 
 A pitcher should hold himself in a straight, 
 upright position preparatory to throwing the 
 ball. He should also throw with a quick, short 
 snap. By so doing he can be depended upon 
 to catch many men napping at first base. He 
 should watch his catcher, who faces the field, 
 and who can signal where and when the ball 
 should be thrown. By proper attention to the 
 man wearing the pad he can be saved many 
 useless throws and frequently catch men off 
 bases who otherwise would be safe. 
 
 The pitcher should start for first the instant 
 the ball is hit in this direction, providing it is 
 not a long drive. The advantage of this is 
 obvious. In the event of a fumble he will then 
 have plenty of time to make the put-out. It is 
 work of this kind that makes a pitcher the most 
 valued member of a base-ball team. He should 
 be ready for any emergency, and in a position 
 to cover any base left vacant, so as to catch 
 the runner between the bases. Strive to make 
 the base as soon as possible, so as to be better 
 able to return the ball. 
 
 35 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 Never fail to back up the catcher on all 
 throws from the outfield to the plate. There 
 are times, however, when it might be advisable 
 to get in line in front of the catcher, to handle 
 the ball, making the throw to second. Such 
 an action can be prompted only by the condi- 
 tions as they might exist. The catcher has 
 full observation of the entire field, and should 
 he find the throw will be ahead of the base 
 runner he can readily instruct the pitcher to 
 stand aside. 
 
 Whenil^cking up a fielder take a position at 
 a fair distance, say about 50 feet from the 
 fielder, so as to be sure of the ball, and ready, 
 prepared for any erratic bound. Many runs 
 can be saved by this work. No ball player is 
 perfect, and everyone is liable to commit an 
 error at any stage of the game. It is to prevent 
 as far as possible these errors being disastrous 
 that the pitcher should always back up the in- 
 fielders. 
 
 A pitcher must always know just what to 
 do with the ball when hit to him. Care should 
 be taken to anticipate a play as far as possible. 
 The pitcher should review the likelihood of 
 diflferent plays, and when determined deliver 
 the ball. Too much haste in this respect often 
 results in a wild pitch. On the other hand, 
 long delays are often dangerous. Do not pitch 
 until you are ready, but when ready do not 
 hesitate. Should any kind of failure follow 
 any play, do not attempt to ofifer excuses, either 
 to yourself or the captain of the team. If a 
 
 36 
 
Pitching 
 
 mistake is made it is too late to rectify it, and 
 the proper course to pursue is to prevent, as 
 far as possible, a recurrence of the bad play. 
 
 When throwing to base do not attempt to 
 hold the ball for any lengthy period. It is just 
 as easy to put a man out when he is midway 
 betw^n the bases as it is to draw a decision 
 close. If by chance the fielder should drop the 
 ball after being thrown to him, this will give 
 him a better opportunity to recover it. It is 
 far easier to avoid mistakes than to remedy 
 them. )fc^ 
 
 Poor support will often dishearten a pitcher. 
 Remember that everyone has an off day, and 
 while it is hard on a pitcher to suffer from lack 
 of support when he is pitching in good form, it 
 is the pitcher's duty to infuse spirit in the mem- 
 bers of the team, and not give way to petty 
 spite because of unavoidable accidents. Should 
 any pitcher display a lazy, care-nothing dispo- 
 sition the feeling often travels to the other 
 members of the team. It is infectious, and he 
 should show an aggressive spirit, which will 
 invariably insure him the .best of support. 
 
 The necessary qualities which go to make up 
 a successful pitcher are as many as varied. Few 
 pitchers possess all the qualifications, but the 
 one that displays the greater number is always 
 in demand. He can nearly always be depended 
 upon, and will often pull a team out of a big 
 hole. A pitcher with a sulky disposition will 
 cause dissatisfaction with the other members of 
 the team. First, the result of the game de- 
 
 37 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 pends upon the ability of the pitcher, and sec- 
 ondly, upon the support given him. If the 
 pitcher is equal to his task the second result 
 will follow. . 
 
 There is not a batter on the diamond that 
 does not possess some particular weakness, and 
 it is the duty of pitchers to study each man 
 closely when he comes to bat. Should a batter 
 be regarded as a great hitter, it is advisable to 
 try different styles of delivery. In base-ball it 
 is difficult for a man to secure a false or un- 
 earned reputation. He must earn his laurels 
 on the ball field by actual work, and not 
 through judicious exploitation. The hit col- 
 umn on the score card is the best and really 
 only indication of a man's batting ability, and 
 when the time arrives to face such a player the 
 pitcher should step from one side of the rub- 
 ber to the other, giving him a different kind 
 of ball each time until his weakness has been 
 found. Don't become discouraged should you 
 fail to discover the weak spot at his first or 
 second time at bat. Perseverance is the keynote 
 of success in base-ball, as it is in everything 
 else. The greatest need for the pitcher is en- 
 durance. Many games have been lost through 
 the pitcher's inability to stand the physical 
 strain. Big, powerful men have a decided ad- 
 vantage in this respect. It is a notorious fact 
 that very few light men make first-class pitch- 
 ers. There are exceptions, of course, and oc- 
 casionally a really great pitcher has been found 
 below the physical standard ordinarily set for 
 
 38 
 
pitching 
 
 pitchers. When this is the case the pitcher 
 has depended upon an excellent assortment of 
 curves and changes of pace and speed. Batters 
 can be enticed to go after balls which they 
 otherwise would not attempt to hit. A high 
 fast ball around the neck is the most difficult 
 ball to hit, and one which the batter will find 
 the most tempting. They seldom fail to strike 
 at it, and if they do manage to connect with it 
 the result is a fly. A curved ball should start 
 for the batter's shoulder, having a slight drop, 
 and the batter will invariably hit such a ball 
 into the air. 
 
 p 
 
CATCHING 
 
 VEN to the uninitiated the 
 position of catcher on the 
 basebaU field is a most im- 
 portant one. In a large 
 measure the effective work 
 of the pitcher depends upon 
 the man who wears the 
 mask and chest protector. 
 Many good pitchers have 
 been spoiled by poor patch- 
 ing, and hence you will in- 
 variably see an old and ex- 
 perienced catcher in the big 
 leagues delegated to catch 
 a young pitcher. If the latter has full and 
 complete confidence in his team mate he is 
 certain to do his best work, but otherwise he 
 may prove an easy proposition to his opponents. 
 Wild pitches are liable to occur at any time, 
 but the danger of them proving disastrous is 
 somewhat minimized by the good work of the 
 catcher. 
 
 The position is also the most dangerous on 
 the nine. Were it not for this fact, it would 
 be the most desirable. Ball players are human 
 and they play superior ball under favorable 
 conditions. They revel in applause and en- 
 couragement, and the position of catcher gives 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 the player more opportunities for showing his 
 true worth in judgment and skill than the other 
 members of the team. All players desire to 
 figure in the most important plays on the field, 
 and in this respect the man with the mask is the 
 same as the rest of the players, and he likes 
 to occupy the position of honor when the op- 
 portunity presents itself. 
 
 The catcher's work always shows for itself, 
 and is usually more appreciated than that of 
 any other player. Some catchers are always 
 trying to make their work as easy as possible, 
 and at the same time impress upon those near 
 them that they are not playing for themselves. 
 1 nese men prove a big handicap to their teams, 
 and are looked upon as individual players. The 
 catcher who is imbued with the desire to win 
 everything and anything can usually be de- 
 pended upon under almost any conditions. If 
 a catcher has nothing but victory before him he 
 will take desperate chances, and should he fail 
 in the play, his fellow players are always ready 
 to pat him on the back. Such a player will help 
 the team to win championship honors. 
 
 A good, aggressive, intelligent catcher is of 
 more value to a nine than any other single 
 player. He has practically the control of the 
 entire team and of the situation. He stands 
 facing every player on the field, consequently 
 he is in a position to direct movements that 
 might be lost to the captain. Should he find 
 his field is playing close in to the line he will 
 be careful not to give the signal for such a 
 
 42 
 
Catching 
 
 ball as should under ordinary conditions be 
 hit into the territory. He can watch every 
 play, advise the players, and lend his captain 
 invaluable assistance. 
 
 A tall, active catcher has many advantages. 
 By reason of his long reach he is able to reduce 
 the number of wild pitches and stop many balls 
 which with a shorter man would escape the 
 clutches of the catcher. A pitcher always pre- 
 fers a tall catcher to a short one. Not only 
 is this advantageous to the pitcher on account 
 of the ability of the catcher to reach the ball, 
 but it gives him greater confidence, inasmuch 
 as he is given a bigger mark behind the plate 
 to throw at. A pitcher will usually throw 
 swifter and dish up a greater variety of balls 
 if he is backed up by a big, efficient catcher. 
 
 Weight is also an important factor in block- 
 ing a base runner. In case of a collision, a 
 heavy catcher will have the greater advantage 
 with desperate base runners. It will require a 
 considerable amount of nerve on the part of a 
 runner to tackle a heavy catcher, and this also 
 carries advantages, as the catcher will throw 
 his knees well forward, making it very difficult 
 for the runner to score. The heavier the 
 catcher is the less" will be his chances of injury 
 in such a case. 
 
 Grit is a necessary attribute in a catcher. 
 He is called upon to face almost every kind of 
 ball thrown, and the necessary stamina to en- 
 able a catcher to keep up with his work day 
 after day is a severe strain. No catcher should 
 
 43 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 attempt to escape a speedy pitcher. Sooner or 
 later he must face them, and, Hke every other 
 position, that of catcher requires as much ex- 
 perience as possible to perfect the individual 
 for the position, and he will find himself greatly 
 benefited by handling the hardest kind of 
 balls thrown by pitchers. Should he confine 
 himself to occasional work he will find it diffi- 
 cult to withstand the strain, but with constant 
 practice he will find his work come much easier. 
 Hard and conscientious practice is absolutely 
 necessary. This is shown by the players who 
 have not caught for a week. Often you will 
 find them when in this condition dropping 
 many balls during a game. Their hands be- 
 come soft, and they lose sight of the ball, hence 
 you will find the catchers working hard, even 
 when they are not to catch for a couple of days. 
 The ideal catcher must not only be able to stop 
 the balls, but he must be an accurate thrower, 
 quick of wit, and taking every opportunity of 
 any play that may come up during a game. 
 The uselessness of a catcher who is not an 
 accurate thrower is apparent to every student 
 of the game. He must watch his bases closely, 
 and should any of the opposing runners at- 
 tempt to steal on him he should be ready to 
 send the ball directly over the base and at a 
 height that will enable the fielder to score a 
 put out without reaching several feet or run- 
 ning ofif the base to reach the throw. Wild 
 throws by the catcher have been responsible for 
 the loss of many games, therefore when a 
 
 44 
 
Catching 
 
 young player is practicing it is well for him to 
 remember that he is improving himself in al- 
 ways trying to throw straight. 
 
 Head work counts behind the bat. While a 
 backstop may not be wonderful in handling the 
 balls neatly, yet with a good head he may, in a 
 great measure, overcome this deficiency, and 
 on account of his great generalship and head- 
 work will be recognized as a winning player. 
 It is impossible for an individual to combine all 
 these qualities, but it is well to possess as many 
 of them as possible. 
 
 Signaling is an art acquired by only a few. 
 I mean by that, the use of a set of signals which 
 will defy detection. Few of the best catchers 
 use the same set of signals, and many of them 
 change them during the season. Many of 
 them in signalling to the pitcher use the finger 
 signs, which are as follows : One for a curve, 
 and two for a straight ball. When signals are 
 used, no matter what kind, always be sure to 
 keep the knees close together, that the coachers 
 on either side of the line will be unable to de- 
 tect them. Always change your signs when a 
 runner occupies second base, as he will be in a 
 splendid position to detect any kind of signs or 
 signals. 
 
 The first duty of a young player who desires 
 to become a catcher is to acquire a correct 
 style. This does not mean mannerisms or 
 anything of the kind, but an approved position 
 of the body, feet and hands, the best manner 
 of catching a ball, the proper place to stand, 
 
 45 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 how to throw safely and quickly, and the best 
 motion for throwing. The object of this is to 
 accompHsh the best results wnth the least effort. 
 This should be followed by a study of the dif- 
 ferent points at play. There are many styles 
 of play, but throughout there is a certain re- 
 semblance in all which may be generalized. 
 When a catcher takes his position he should 
 assume a stooping posture. The body should 
 be well bent forward from the hips, so as to 
 enable the player to handle the ball at any 
 height. Crouching to the ground should be 
 avoided, as a player who insists on so doing 
 will never become a first-class catcher. An 
 easy position should be assum_ed as far as pos- 
 sible. Where the catcher crouches he is un- 
 able to control the erratic flight of the ball. 
 Energy is a necessity in a good base-ball play- 
 er's make-up, but much of it is thrown use- 
 lessly away by some players who make more 
 work than is necessary for themselves. Not 
 only is it inadvisable to create work from a 
 physical standpoint, but it invariably results in 
 something akin to disaster for the catcher's 
 team in the loss of runs. 
 
 A catcher should keep his feet close together, 
 not more than 12 inches should separate them. 
 It is a notorious fact that many catchers disre- 
 gard this rule, but this is a serious mistake, 
 and a little reflection will readily convince the 
 player of this. While in such a position he 
 cannot change his position and handle the ball 
 as quickly as though he kept his feet closer to- 
 
 46 
 
Catching 
 
 gether. He is deprived of that agility which 
 all good catchers must have. On low pitched 
 balls he is greatly handicapped, as in such a 
 case it is necessary to have the feet together to 
 assist the hands. Should his feet be spread 
 out, the catcher will find it next to impossible 
 to stop the ball. Upon the face, these matters 
 may appear of minor importance, but it is 
 their observance which often draws that line of 
 distinction between a first-class and an ordi- 
 nary catcher. It is always advantageous to 
 the catcher to be seen at his best. As I have 
 already pointed out, a good catcher never for- 
 gets he is behind the plate and has his mind 
 centered on everything that is going on during 
 the game. He must be alert to every situation, 
 ready for any emergency and reliable under 
 all conditions. 
 
 A complete understanding should exist be- 
 tween the catcher and pitcher. The catcher 
 should stand directly behind the plate, and after 
 giving the pitcher the sign for the style of ball 
 wanted he should place his hands upon his 
 knees or directly in front of him. This is done 
 to keep the batter guessing as to the kind of 
 ball to expect. Many batters watch the catcher 
 closely to see what position he settles himself 
 in before the ball is delivered. Some of them 
 can by so doing anticipate the ball and be pre- 
 pared for a curve or straight delivery. It is 
 not to be supposed that each batter can foretell 
 the ball by this means, but long experience will 
 materially aid the latter in this respect, and 
 
 47 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 he will be able to help his batting average by 
 this trick. It is to prevent the possibility of 
 this that it is advisable for the catcher to keep 
 his hands on his icnees o^Jli?^ -front of him. 
 
 If the catcher is in a proper position he can 
 always change to another after the pitcher is 
 about to"deliver the b»lL^ He can then step in 
 or out as the occasion.^»ay demand, and the 
 batter has not time for a side glance when the 
 pitcher is in motion. His mind must be cen- 
 tered on the white sphere which ?ie knows will 
 soon be spinning in the neighborhood of the 
 plate, and any diversion of his mind w411 result 
 in a strike being called on him. 
 
 Some catchers in throwing to the bases do so 
 with scarcely a perceptible move. The advan- 
 tage of this is obvious. They get the ball av/ay 
 quickly, and as a rule are very accurate. These 
 men do not as a rule last long. The strain is 
 so severe that the arm will give out. Very few 
 catchers will throw this way. The amount of 
 physical exertion necessarily handicaps many 
 of the catchers in this respect. 
 
 Throwing to bases is very important to the 
 catching department. The secret of success of 
 the first-class catchers is not so much their 
 ability to handle the ball safely, but to get it 
 to the bases promptly to hold or -catch a man 
 trying to steal. This needs lots of practice, 
 and when not actually working behind the 
 plate young players would do well to practice 
 the work. Here again is the possibility of 
 overdoing it. The catcher's arm is in no way 
 
 48 
 
Catching 
 
 different to that of any other member of the 
 team, and is hable to give out at any time, thus 
 removing him from his sphere of usefulness 
 for a time. In throwing to bases a catcher 
 should be in a position to receive the ball on 
 his right side. When in the act of catching 
 the ball take one short step with the left foot, 
 and in throwing the ball send it straight from 
 the shoulder without drawing the arm too far 
 back. 
 
 While the catcher may not get the greatest 
 amount of speed by such a throw, he will more 
 than compensate for this by catching more base 
 runners than the catcher whose swing is longer 
 and more labored. The time consumed to 
 draw the arm back and gather the energy suffi- 
 cient to propel the ball at a high rate of speed 
 is more than the difference in the actual travel- 
 ing time of the ball between the catcher and 
 fielder. 
 
 When throwing a great distance the ball 
 should be thrown overhand. This insures a 
 long and sure throw ; but when throwing to 
 first and third bases a snap throw can be used 
 to greater advantage. To make an accurate 
 throw the arm must be in good position. 
 
 Many young players labor under the impres- 
 sion that a stiff arm is desired. This is a mis- 
 take, as it not only tends to injure the hands, 
 but renders it difficult to hold the ball properly. 
 The arm should be kept free, with the muscles 
 relaxed, so as to give with the ball when in the 
 act of catching. By meeting the ball with a 
 
 4 49 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 stiff jolt the Strain is considerably greater on 
 the catcher than when the hands are gradually 
 drawn back to break the force of the throw. 
 The hands must be kept in good condition and 
 are liable to give out at any time ; therefore it is 
 advisable to take as few chances of having 
 them crippled as possible. 
 
 It requires considerable time and practice to 
 become expert in handling foul flies. A player 
 in the outfield can watch and gauge the flight 
 of the ball from the time it leaves the batter's 
 stick until it is caught. With the catcher this 
 is different. In nearly every case the ball is 
 hit in such a direction as to fall behind him, 
 and he has very little time to decide upon the 
 course he intends to take. Some good practice 
 and experience can be gained by having a 
 player hit the ball straight up in the air. The 
 catcher should stand up close behind, just the 
 same as in an actual game. Another point that 
 is well worthy of consideration is a study of 
 the direction of the wind. Often a ball that is 
 hit straight in the air will be carried many 
 yards during its descent by a strong wind. 
 Many catchers are guilty of misjudging the 
 ball on account of the high wind. 
 
 One very important point in advice to 
 catchers is guarding the home plate from base 
 runners coming home. There is a wide differ- 
 ence of opinion as to the best place for a catcher 
 to stand when waiting for the throw to cut off 
 the runner. Some catchers stand a few feet 
 back of the line and near the plate, claiming 
 
 50 
 
Catching 
 
 that in this way the runner is prevented from 
 sliding around them. The proper place for a 
 catcher when waiting for such a play is in front 
 of the plate and a couple of feet toward third 
 base. From this position he can handle the 
 ball with greater facility and minimize the 
 chances of his man dodging. 
 
 When a runner slides feet first and throws 
 his body on one side it is a good rule to get the 
 arms as close to the ground as possible. Fear- 
 lessness is essential in a catcher's make-up. He 
 must be ready for all plays, resourceful in the 
 extreme, and alive to every situation on the 
 ball field. 
 
 51 
 
FIRST BASE 
 
 Up to recently first base was considered an 
 easy position to play. By many it is still 
 thought to be one of the easiest positions on the 
 ball field. This feeling is due to the fact that 
 the first baseman is supposed to do nothing but 
 catch thrown balls. This was in a measure 
 true a few years ago, when the game was not 
 surrounded with the scientific elements which 
 govern it to-day. When the underhand throw 
 was in vogue, and the scores often amounted to 
 the century mark in a game, the first baseman's 
 job was a sinecure. The gradual improvement 
 of the game has necessarily resulted in mak- 
 ing the first base one of the mo. t difficult posi- 
 tions on the ball field to fill. 
 
 Each succeeding year witnesses the introduc- 
 tion of a variety of plays, and as some of them 
 are good it requires a player of great discrimi- 
 nation to determine which of the new plays 
 are adapted to his style of fielding and those 
 likely to prove the most effective. What is 
 true of the catcher is equally so of the initial 
 baseman. He must watch carefully all plays, 
 as perhaps 50 per cent, of the batted balls 
 are returned to first base. Should the catcher 
 drop the third strike, the first baseman must 
 run up to meet the ball, as in this way he would 
 not only be in a position to touch the runner 
 trying to reach first, but would also be in a po- 
 
 53 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 sition to cut off the runner from second or third 
 base, should either of them be occupied. 
 
 It 'S always advisable for a first baseman to 
 cut off the player from third in preference to 
 the runner trying to reach first. Many players 
 are too anxious, and instead of making sure of 
 the man coming home they will try for a dou- 
 ble play. This often results in the failure to 
 put either man out. It is always best to be sure 
 of one man. Double plays are of immense value 
 in any game, and should be encouraged at all 
 times, but there are exceptions, when such a 
 play is dangerous, and in such a case it is well 
 to remember that one out is better than none 
 at all. 
 
 In the introductory chapter on the duties of 
 the first baseman particular stress was laid 
 upon the importance of the position as played 
 to-day compared with that of a few years ago. 
 Attention was also paid to his general work 
 and the necessity of a close observation of the 
 work of the batter. In this latter respect the 
 first baseman must be particularly alive, as the 
 majority of batted balls are returned to him. 
 On ground balls, with the bases vacant, the 
 man covering the initial bag should play a deep 
 field, depending upon his pitcher to cover the 
 base for hits within the actual diamond. By 
 so doing it will give him an opportunity to 
 stop what otherwise would be a safe hit. In 
 this event he should use excellent judgment in 
 throwing the ball to the pitcher, who covers the 
 base. As is mostly the case, the first baseman 
 
 54 
 
First Base 
 
 has an abundance of time to throw the ball to 
 first base, and he should not attempt to throw it 
 hard from a distance, but wait until he is with- 
 in a few yards of the base, and then toss the 
 ball underhand, which enables the pitcher to 
 catch it. An overhand throw from a short dis- 
 tance is often puzzling and difficult for the 
 player to handle. 
 
 When a runner is occupying first base, with 
 no one out, the first baseman should watch the 
 batter closely. He should endeavor to watch 
 just exactly what play is intended, and in the 
 event of an attempt to bunt towards first base 
 by the batter, he should take the chance of run- 
 ning in so as to secure the ball and cut ofif the 
 runner at second instead of putting the man 
 out at first. This will prevent the sacrifice and 
 often enable him to accomplish a double play. 
 This is acknowledged by all ball players to be 
 one of the most important plays. All the first- 
 class first basemen follow this plan, and it sel- 
 dom fails to work, for, in addition to depriving 
 the Letter of a sacrifice hit, the play invariably 
 disposes of a much-needed run. When such a 
 play is being made it is bad policy to hurry. 
 When the first baseman secures the ball he 
 should face the second base and pause momen- 
 tarily so as to be sure of a true throw. The 
 second baseman or shortstop is certain to be 
 at the bag waiting for the throw. After the 
 ball has left his hands the player should re- 
 turn to his position at first so as to complete 
 a double play, if possible. This does not apply 
 
 55 
 
• How to Play Baseball 
 
 to the case where the question of securing the 
 runner to second is problematical. Always be 
 sure of your man, giving the leading base-run- 
 ner the closest attention. 
 
 A player covering first base should be an 
 expert in handling low-thrown balls. Often it 
 becomes necessary to make a clean pick-up to 
 enable the player to secure a put-out. It can 
 be readily seen that unless the man covering the 
 initial bag is proficient in this particular depart- 
 ment of the game, he will often fail to make 
 the necessary play. A long reach is advan- 
 tageous in this respect, also in stopping what, 
 under other conditions, would be a wild throw. 
 
 Many of the most famous first basemen have 
 been favored with a phenomenally long reach. 
 This enables a player to step forward or side- 
 wise and reach the ball while- keeping one foot 
 on the bag. In the case of a man of short stat- 
 ure playing this position, he would often be 
 compelled to jump high in the air or leave the 
 bag temporarily while he went after balls which 
 could be easily secured by a man with a longer 
 reach with little apparent effort. 
 
 The fielder is not always able to gauge ac- 
 curately the throws^ and the ball is liable to be 
 thrown either one side or other of the base. To 
 be certain of handling the sphere it is advisable 
 for the player to stand with both feet in front 
 of the base, so that he can readily change his 
 position to suit the direction from which the 
 ball may be coming. It is good practice for a 
 plaver to reach as far as possible for every ball 
 
 56 
 
First Base 
 
 thrown him. Many players who will wait for 
 the ball to come to them without going after it 
 will often lose a put-out. A first baseman must 
 also be good on foul flies, as a man fielding 
 that position is often called upon to handle the 
 most difficult kind. 
 
 Often the first baseman is called upon to 
 handle the flies that belong to the catcher and 
 pitcher. To do so successfully he must be a 
 very speedy runner. The hardest kind of flies 
 to judge accurately are those that take an al- 
 most perpendicular direction. 
 
 It is well to remember that, in fielding the 
 first base position, to be always on the alert, 
 watch carefully the batter, and to go after 
 the ball rather than wait for it to come to the 
 player. 
 
 a? 
 
SECOND BASE 
 
 Second base is considered the most satis- 
 factory and desirable position to play in the 
 entire infield. Ball players, like all professional 
 people, do their best work under the stimulat- 
 ing efifects of liberal applause, and, as the sec- 
 ond base position carries with it a larger terri- 
 tory to cover, it necessarily follows that the 
 player has more opportunities to distinguish 
 himself in this position by making brilliant 
 plays than in any of the other positions in the 
 infield. It can readily be imagined that the sec- 
 ond baseman should be the possessor of a cool 
 head, as much depends upon him giving sig- 
 nals to the various players, which duty falls 
 upon him when the bases are occupied by base- 
 runners. 
 
 With a man on first and third base, the sec- 
 ond baseman should signal the catcher for a 
 long or short throw, as the case warrants. The 
 shortstop should then be given the sign as to 
 the style of throw to be made, and who should 
 cover the second bag. This play has caused 
 more discussion and opened up more criticism 
 among the players and experts than any other. 
 It can be played in many ways, and with vary- 
 ing success. Some of the best second basemen 
 on the diamond make the play themselves, al- 
 ways signalling the catcher for the long throw, 
 and always being in a position to run in and 
 
 59 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 take the ball in the event of a base-runner on 
 third attempting to score. Many players have 
 been very successful in this style of play, which 
 can only be executed after considerable experi- 
 ence on the diamond. 
 
 Nearly every ball player filling the position 
 of second baseman has his own ideas as to the 
 way the position should be played. This, un- 
 fortunately, is noticeable among the amateur 
 players, and to prove the force of this argument 
 it would be well for all young second basemen 
 to watch carefully and study the different plays 
 of the first-class players in the big leagues. By 
 this means they will be able not only to judge 
 for themselves as to the effectiveness of this 
 play, but they will be enabled to derive the 
 necessary experience for the execution of it. 
 
 The actual work of the second baseman does 
 not appear on the surface. I explained the du- 
 ties of the player covering the second base and 
 the difference of opinion as to how certain 
 plays should be made. There is one thing cer- 
 tain, with men on bases the second baseman 
 must be alive to every situation and ready for 
 any play. New tricks and plays are being in- 
 vented on the ball field nearly every day, and 
 no opportunity is being lost to take advantage 
 of any opening that presents itself. The ques- 
 tion whether under certain conditions the 
 shortstop or second baseman should cover the 
 base IS open to controversy, but there are cer- 
 tain plays universally recognized by all first- 
 class players playing the second base position, 
 
 60 
 
Second Base 
 
 Frequently a runner, after reaching first 
 base, with a man on third, will be sent to sec- 
 ond with the understanding that the batter 
 will make no effort to connect with the ball. 
 In this case the shortstop should always cover 
 second, and the second baseman should take 
 up a position in front of the base just as soon 
 as the ball is pitched. Should the man on third 
 start for home when the ball is thrown to catch 
 the runner at second, he will be in a good posi- 
 tion to head the runner oflf. In the event of the 
 man on third not attempting to reach home, the 
 second baseman will be able to stand aside and 
 permit the shortstop to take the throw and 
 catch the man trying to reach second. This 
 play is invariably made with the object of al- 
 lowing the runner on third to take the chance 
 of scoring. When the team is not hitting well 
 or a weak batter is up and two men out this 
 is often a good play, and the man on third 
 will often score. 
 
 Quick judgment is required on nearly all 
 the plays. With a runner on first and the ball 
 hit into his territory the second baseman must 
 decide as to what play he will make while the 
 ball is coming in his direction. With no one, 
 or, possibly, one man, out, the player should 
 always try for a double play. 
 
 Many players place themselves in front of a 
 runner with the object of forcing him back 
 towards first, always throwing the ball to 
 the first baseman, thus catching the batter. 
 The first baseman then returns the ball to 
 
 6i 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 second, heading off the runner, thus accom- 
 pHshing a double play. The best plan is to 
 throw the ball to second base and afterwards 
 to first. A ball that is hit with speed and is 
 fielded properly will invariably result in a 
 double play if this plan is closely followed. 
 
 One of the most important points in playing 
 the second base is the position where to stand. 
 In touching a runner from first on a throw 
 from the catcher, the fielder should stand just 
 inside of the line, say, two or three feet from 
 the base. Should the base runner be one of the 
 kind that makes it a practice of sliding or div- 
 ing head first, it is advisable to play behind the 
 line. In this case there would be little chance 
 of the runner being hit by the throw from the 
 catcher and could easily be touched by the sec- 
 ond baseman. In making this play he deter- 
 mines beforehand in each instance from his 
 knowledge of the habits of opposing players. 
 While playing inside of the line the fielder is 
 not only in as good a position to touch the 
 runner, but is often able to help the catcher out 
 on short throws, making the pick-up and thus 
 accomplishing the put-out, which otherwise he 
 might fail to do. 
 
 The recent development of the science of 
 place hits has rendered it advisable to play for 
 the batter alone. With the runner on first he 
 should sign to the shortstop to cover the base. 
 The understanding on this particular play be- 
 tween the second baseman and shortstop is 
 reached by having signals, which are usually 
 
 62 
 
Second Base 
 
 given by the second baseman. It is as well 
 that the catcher should know these signals, so 
 that he can make allowance for his throw, 
 which is generally made to the side of the base 
 that the player is coming from. 
 
 It will often be found good policy to so ad- 
 just the plans that the player who covers sec- 
 ond base on the throw should start out towards 
 the field, so as to create the impression that he 
 intends fielding deep. The other player should 
 play close to the base and just prior to the de- 
 livery of the ball by the pitcher the two fielders 
 can make the change so as to complete the de- 
 ception and keep the batters guessing as to 
 what to expect next. The batter is always on 
 the lookout as to who will cover the base, and 
 the repeated change of this play should be made 
 which will mislead the batter. 
 
 A second baseman should be well equipped 
 in every respect for his position. He should 
 have a series of signals with the catcher, so 
 that in the event of the base-runner taking a 
 big lead, it will be possible to catch him nap- 
 ping. As players are given to taking all kinds 
 of chances when on base this opportunity often 
 presents itself. It is also necessary for the 
 pitcher to know when this play is to be made, 
 so that he will pitch the ball where the batter 
 cannot possibly hit it. 
 
 The object of all fielders is to mislead the 
 batter and base-runners as to their actual in- 
 tentions. To throw the runner ofif and cloak 
 the real object of the play the second baseman 
 
 63 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 should pay no apparent attention to the runner 
 until the ball is actually on its way from the 
 catcher's hand. This offers the opportunity. 
 With the eyes of the runner and the coaches on 
 the ball the fielder should make his run for the 
 base. In so doing he should move quickly and 
 surely and be sure that he does not overrun 
 the base. 
 
 When the ball is hit to second base the player 
 should always run in to meet the ball, so that 
 in case of a fumble he will be in a position to 
 recover the ball in time and save himself an 
 error. An exception, however, should be made 
 on all hard hits, as in such a case there would 
 be no necessitv to run in after the ball. 
 
 As is well known, the second baseman is 
 compelled to handle a great many fly-balls. 
 Many of these are of the most difficult char- 
 acter. In some cases he must travel far out 
 into the territory of the centre and right field, 
 and at others he must run in almost to the 
 pitcher. In all of these cases there is always 
 the danger of a collision. To avoid this he 
 should call out loudly to the nearest fielder 
 that he ''will take the ball." The player is al- 
 ways in the best position to judge whether he 
 can get the ball, and on no account should he 
 call to any other player by name. The two 
 men who start after the ball are in the best po- 
 sition to decide for themselves, and the first 
 man calling ''I will take it'' should be the one 
 to do so. It is unnecessary for the other player 
 to make any reply. In all games it is under- 
 
 64 
 
Second Base 
 
 stood that a player is reasonably sure of reach- 
 ing the ball before he shouts to his fellow field- 
 er. Unless this is done both players may stop 
 running, each relying on the other, and, as a 
 result, the ball will drop safe between the pair. 
 
 It is surprising how often the captain on a 
 ball field is blamed for errors of omission and 
 commission. In nine cases out of ten the 
 spectators will throw the onus of blame on 
 the shoulders of the captain without any ap- 
 parent reason. This, on the face of it, is un- 
 fair to the captain, unless he be an actual par- 
 ticipant in the misplay. It is often noticed that 
 whenever a ball should happen to drop between 
 two players the captain is accused of some 
 form of neglect in permitting it. With a per- 
 fect understanding between the tw^o fielders, 
 however, this should not happen, and if by 
 chance it should be so, it is manifestly unjust 
 to blame the captain for it. 
 
 This is in line with the advisability on the 
 part of two players running after the same ball 
 for one to call out loudly, ''I have got it!" It 
 must be apparent to everyone that if a player 
 is really anxious to make the put-out he will 
 call out to avoid the possibility of an error or 
 of a collision, which often results in failure to 
 do so. 
 
 An experienced fielder can tell almost to a 
 certainty in time to call whether he can reach 
 the hit or not, and no matter how difficult the 
 catch may be, he should unhesitatingly make 
 the attempt. It does not follow that, should he 
 
 4 ^5 
 
How lo Play Baseball 
 
 find he is unable to reach the ball, he should 
 continue to run for it with the risk of colliding 
 with another player. At any rate, he should 
 start after the ball, and if nobody else makes 
 an attempt he should continue until he reaches 
 it and returns it to the part of the diamond 
 where it will do the most good. 
 
 Unless absolutely confident of being able to 
 reach the ball, the player should not call out 
 that the ball is his. On all difficult plays it is 
 advisable to wait until he is near the ball before 
 calling, thus giving some other player a chance 
 to call who could make the play much easier. 
 
 A strict observance of this rule will reduce 
 the chances of collisions between fielders to a 
 minimum and avoid many stupid plays where 
 two fielders allow a ball to drop between them 
 untouched through a failure to call out in time 
 to warn the other player. 
 
 66 
 
SHORTSTOP 
 
 THE position of shortstop 
 should be filled by an excep- 
 tionally active player. This 
 means a man who is not only 
 speedy on his feet, but who 
 can start quickly and stop 
 promptly. He must also be 
 a strong thrower. This lat- 
 ter point is a very valuable 
 one, inasmuch as the strong- 
 er he is in throwing the ball 
 the deeper field he can play. 
 A shortstop must cover a 
 deal of territory, and while 
 his position does not place him in charge of 
 a base, he must always be on the lookout to 
 cover the second or third bag in case of neces- 
 sity. When fielding to the right, he not only 
 hcc3 the longest throw of any of the infielders, 
 but must throw quickly and accurately. It is 
 well for the shortstop to get properly settled 
 and steadied after taking the ball. This will 
 enable a player not only to put all his speed 
 in the throw, but will aid him materially in 
 sending the ball accurately into the hands of 
 the player for whom it is intended. 
 
 No player, no matter how good he may be, 
 is able to throw a ball accurately everv time 
 
 67 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 he tries, and In view of this it is advisable for 
 the shortstop to throw the ball as quickly as 
 possible, so that should the ball go wide of the 
 baseman to whom it is thrown he would have 
 ample time to step out after it and get back to 
 his position in time to reach the batter before 
 the latter reaches his base. Since the institu- 
 tion of the "run-and-hit'' game the position of 
 shortstop has become much harder to fill. Many 
 players in the major Leagues are very success- 
 ful at this kind of play, and it requires all the 
 attention and ingenuity of a shortstop to meet 
 the requirements of this play, which has be- 
 come so successful. With a man on first and 
 the shortstop covering second on the throw 
 from the catcher, the batter will often attempt 
 to hit to the territory left vacant by the short- 
 stop, and it is for plays of this character that 
 the fielder must be on his guard. In these cases 
 he will often be compelled to take the ball on a 
 dead run, and it thus requires a very quick 
 man to recover himself in time to throw the ball 
 to first base in time to secure the put-out. Nor 
 is this all. The batters watch the fielders just 
 as much as the men covering the bases, and 
 the outfield watch every movement of the bat- 
 ter, and they are not slow to take advantage of 
 any opening that may present itself. 
 
 When covering the shortstop position the 
 fielder, with a runner on first and a base hit 
 made to right field, must watch the runner leav- 
 ing first base, as he will invariably try to reach 
 the third bag on the hit, while the batter will 
 
 68 
 
Shortstop 
 
 often make the attempt to turn the single into 
 a two-bagger by keeping on to second base 
 instead of resting at first. The throw is al- 
 ways made to third base to catch the leading 
 man, and it is here where considerable judg- 
 ment must be exercised and the shortstop 
 guided by the conditions. Should, in the opin- 
 ion of the shortstop, the throw fail to catch the 
 man at third, he should, instead of backing up 
 the third baseman, advance to the front of that 
 fielder and take the throw on the line between 
 the two bases, and while the leading runner 
 may reach third safely, this play will often re- 
 sult in catching the man who batted the ball at 
 second. 
 
 In deciding upon the necessity of this play 
 it is advisable to gauge the ability of the run- 
 ner as well as the batter, and the play should 
 be decided upon as soon as first base is occu- 
 pied ; all, then, that will be necessary will be to 
 decide how hard the ball has been hit. Should 
 it be that the fielder can handle the ball quickly, 
 the shortstop should be at once prepared to 
 back up the throw at third base. Should, how- 
 ever, the ball be hit slowly to outfield, it is ad- 
 visable to try and catch the man at second. A 
 long single is often turned into a double and 
 at times to a triple by the failure of the short- 
 stop to determine upon his play. 
 
 The shortstop position offers many oppor- 
 tunities for the player to distinguish himself, 
 provided he is quick at starting and is good 
 at handling fly balls, and it is here the good 
 
 69 
 
How lo Play Baseball 
 
 player proves his worth over an inferior one, as 
 he will succeed in not only making very many 
 brilliant stops and plays, but will often suc- 
 ceed in taking fly balls where a slower man 
 would not be able to cover the ground in time 
 to reach the ball in the air. It must not be 
 forgotten that a player must be as certain as 
 possible in all his movements. He should be 
 careful not to attempt to throw the ball until 
 he is perfectly ready to do so. Many misplays 
 are made through over-anxiety, and players are 
 anxious to get the ball to the bases or home 
 plate before they have a proper hold on it, and 
 as a result a wild throw or fumble follows. 
 
 Many base-ball games are lost through the 
 inability of the shortstop to reach the line be- 
 tween the left fielder and third baseman, so as 
 to make the catch. Many flies drop into this 
 territory, and to reach them the fielder often is 
 compelled to travel quite a distance. It is the 
 determined efforts of the shortstop to make 
 these plays that stamp him an unusually strong 
 man for a team, and will often succeed in help- 
 ing his club out of many dangerous predica- 
 ments. 
 
 On all balls thrown from left field to second 
 base he should cover that position, allowing the 
 second baseman to do the backing up. In this 
 instance it is much easier and, for that matter, 
 safer for the shortstop to take the throw than 
 the second baseman. A shortstop is always 
 called upon to take part in the play when a run- 
 ner is caught between the bases. He should al- 
 
 70 
 
Shortstop 
 
 ternate with the baseman in running down the 
 player between the bases, and the shortstop 
 must be prepared for this whether the attempt 
 is made by the. runner to go from first to sec- 
 ond or second to third. Preservation of energy 
 is desirable. It is bad policy to make any more 
 throws than possible when a player is caught 
 between the bases, and, in addition, it mini- 
 mizes the chances of losing the man. The 
 proper way is to start on a dead run. This 
 sends the runner at full speed. The ball is 
 then thrown quickly to the fielder in front of 
 the runner. The man receiving the ball can 
 start to run as soon as the throw is made. By 
 so doing nine times out of ten he will be able 
 to catch his man. It often occurs that sev- 
 eral players will attempt to get into a play of 
 this kind. This is wrong. Three, and at the 
 outside four, is sufficient, as a greater number 
 will get into each other's way, thus blocking a 
 play and handicapping the other players. One 
 thing in particular should be avoided, that is, 
 permitting the play to take place in the vicinity 
 of the base nearest the home plate. Should the 
 ball be dropped there is very little opportunity 
 of recovering it in time to catch the runner at 
 the advanced base ; but force him to return to 
 that from which he started, and thus rob him 
 of the base he tried to win. 
 
 It must not be supposed that the shortstop 
 position differs in any material respect to those 
 of first, second and third bases. While it is 
 true the shortstop has no particular base to 
 
 71 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 cover, yet he must be prepared to cover either 
 second or third, as occasion requires. In view 
 of this it is essential that he should know 
 thoroughly the system of signals between the 
 catcher and first and second baseman, so that 
 in the event of the ball being thrown to either 
 base he will be able to back up the play without 
 waiting to see in what direction the sphere is to 
 be thrown. In this way he is in a position to 
 save what would often prove a wild throw. 
 
 It is advisable for him to have a series of 
 signals that will work to advantage in catching 
 a runner off second base. These should be 
 known by the pitcher as well as the catcher. 
 In this case the throw can be made direct to 
 him without any consideration for the second 
 baseman. Owing to the distance of the second 
 baseman and shortstop, runners will take great- 
 er liberties when on second base than on any 
 other base. Where they may take two yards 
 from first or third, they will risk twice that 
 distance when on second, hence the necessity 
 of having a special set of signals with the pitch- 
 er and catcher. 
 
 On all long hits to centre and left field he 
 should play well out in the field, taking the 
 throw, which is often necessary to do to hasten 
 it to the home plate or one of the bases. In 
 fact, he is what might be termed a utility man. 
 His province is to help every player when the 
 opportunity presents itself, and as he has no 
 base to cover, he is in a better position to do so 
 than any other player- 
 
 72 
 
THIRD BASE 
 
 IN previous chapters the diffi- 
 culties attending the play 
 ing of different infield posi 
 tions have been pointed 
 out ; the advantages of cer- 
 tain plays and the most ef- 
 fective means of filling the 
 infield positions fully ex- 
 plained. The third base has 
 always been considered as 
 the most difficult position 
 on the diamond to play. 
 And while it is true that 
 there are so many obstacles 
 to overcome in covering third base, it is doubt- 
 ful whether any other position in the infield can 
 be so well simplified by first-class men. This 
 is true also with the other positions. It is a 
 well-known and acknowledged fact that a fin- 
 ished artist and accomplished professional man 
 or a well-trained mechanic can, by care and 
 attention, make his work much lighter than 
 it otherwise would be. 
 
 Nearly every club in the major Leagues to- 
 day is careful in the selection of a third base- 
 man. The player at once learns who are the 
 hunters on the different clubs, and what play- 
 ers make a practice of hitting the ball into 
 
 73 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 his territory. When he has thoroughly mas- 
 tered these points, he should watch every move 
 the batters may make, so as to find a cue in 
 anticipating the batter's intention. As it has 
 been pointed out before, all batters have their 
 peculiarities, and by carefully v^atching these 
 batters a third baseman may not only save him- 
 self a lot of trouble, but is often able to rob a 
 batter of what otherwise might be a safe hit. 
 
 With a man on first base and no one out, he 
 should always be prepared for a bunt, except 
 in the case where more than one run is needed. 
 In this latter case, it largely depends upon how 
 good a hunter is at the bat, and whether or 
 not he is a fast runner. 
 
 To the third baseman, the hardest problem 
 that he has to contend with is a batter who has 
 the art of bunting down fine and who is a 
 speedy runner. This class of batsmen are in- 
 variably among the best of the team and need 
 more watching than any other. Not only can 
 they place the ball with wonderful precision 
 and regularity, but they will often take desper- 
 ate chances and succeed in making a safe hit 
 where, under other conditions, a put-out might 
 be effected. It is not infrequent that these bat- 
 ters will make a fake attempt to bunt. By this 
 means they may succeed in inducing the third 
 baseman to play in exceptionally close : and 
 then, instead of bunting, hit the ball as hard as 
 possible in the direction of the third baseman. 
 Should this happen, the odds are largely 
 against the fielder reaching the ball, as the 
 
 74 
 
Third Base 
 
 Speed with which it leaves the bat is such as to 
 render it impossible for the third baseman to 
 cover much territory. And even if he should 
 succeed in reaching the ball it is problematic 
 whether the speed it is traveling will enable 
 him to hold it safely after it touches his hands. 
 
 The most successful third baseman is the 
 one that can be depended upon to call the turn 
 upon the batter's intention ; or, in other words, 
 anticipate his play. It can be easily under- 
 stood that to do this the fielder must be a keen 
 observer and a wide-awake man. A batter 
 may smash the ball to the far outfield, or he 
 may conclude to drop it right in front of the 
 plate. It is the province of the player on third 
 base to watch for the different moods and in- 
 tentions of the batters. If the fielder is alive 
 and up-to-date, he can pretend to field deep, as 
 though expecting a hard drive, and just as the 
 pitcher is preparing to deliver the ball he should 
 start to run in fast. This will often throw the 
 batter off his guard and cause him to change 
 his mind about his play. It will be noticed 
 that a careful batter will always show a whole- 
 some respect for a player of this nature. 
 
 He should take all the slow hits, and thus 
 reHeve the shortstop, who, owing to the neces- 
 sity of his playing deep, is unable to reach the 
 slow balls in time to catch the runner at first. 
 This renders a complete understanding between 
 the third baseman and the shortstop necessary. 
 Each player should know just exactly what the 
 
 75 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 other intends, and thus play a better game to- 
 gether. 
 
 The third baseman should exercise great 
 care when handhng balls to his left, so as not 
 to conflict with the shortstop. He should not 
 attempt to take any ball that could be handled 
 cleanly by the shortstop, as in this case he 
 would not be in a position for a quick and ac- 
 curate throw. It is well in this case for the 
 shortstop, as soon as he sees he can handle the 
 ball better and cleaner, to shout to the third 
 baseman : "Let it go !" or words to that effect. 
 It often happens that a player covering the 
 third bag will go after balls that are not prop- 
 erly in his territory. This he should avoid, un- 
 less he is absolutely sure of safe fielding and 
 a quick return. 
 
 Not only must the third baseman watch the 
 work of the batters, but he must devote con- 
 siderable attention to the runners and keep a 
 watchful eye on the bases. Many runners are 
 caught napping through the shrewd playing of 
 the men covering the bases. It is customary 
 for players on third to take a deal of leeway 
 and play far off. The third baseman should 
 watch for these plays and sign the catcher for 
 all throws to catch the runner off his base. 
 
 A third baseman must pass through a fire of 
 severe criticism, and must have an unusual 
 amount of experience to cover the position sat- 
 isfactorily. As he faces the hardest kind of 
 hits, it requires skill and courage of no ordi- 
 nary ability to face the hard drives which are 
 
 76 
 
Third Base 
 
 sent in his territory, and unless a young player 
 possesses these attributes it would be better for 
 him to try for a less difficult position. 
 
 It is but a short distance from third base to 
 the home plate, and unless the third baseman is 
 watchful a runner may steal home. This espe- 
 cially is the case when the score is close and 
 one run is needed to tie or win the game. All 
 players take desperate chances, but in this case 
 will go to greater extremes than when on first 
 or second bases. Hence will be readily under- 
 stood the importance of the third baseman's 
 position. There are some rules, however, that 
 would not apply in every case. All players 
 are seen at their best under unexpected or par- 
 ticularly difficult conditions. While the general 
 rule applies in these cases, it must be left to 
 the discretion of the fielder as to what he. 
 should do. To those thoroughly grounded in 
 the principles of the game this is not a very 
 difficult matter, but to those whose experience 
 is limited the solving of a problem of play is 
 at times difficult, but a player should do his 
 best under all conditions. No man can be suc- 
 cessful at all times ; and should errors result 
 from lack of judgment it should only prove an 
 incentive to the player to do better next time. 
 
 77 
 
OUT-FIELDING 
 
 A successful outfielder must be 
 a fast runner and possessed 
 of a good, strong arm. Un- 
 less a young player can lay 
 claim to these two desirable 
 elements in an outfielder's 
 make-up he can definitely 
 satisfy himself that he can- 
 not fill a position in the out- 
 field. Of course, it is neces- 
 sary for a player to have 
 other attributes, but these 
 two are indispensable, and 
 « so much so that no player 
 has ever made a success without them. When 
 the young player finds he does not possess 
 these qualities the sooner he tries some other 
 part of the field the better it will be for him, 
 as well as his team. 
 
 Plenty of practice is needed by outfi.eld as- 
 pirants to develop all the qualities of a player. 
 It is surprising how many base-ball players 
 who originally started in the game as pitchers, 
 but were unable to satisfactorily field their po- 
 sitions, have become really great outfielders. By 
 continual practice a player is able to judge the 
 hardest kind of flies and drives. There is a 
 great deal in good judgment, both in the di- 
 
 79 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 rection of a fly and the erratic bounding of a 
 ball. The position of the sun, state of the at- 
 mosphere and nature of the background, all 
 have more or less influence on the fielder, while 
 one of the principal difficulties to contend with 
 is the wind, which may change the direction of 
 the ball many yards. 
 
 There is a big advantage to be gained by all 
 outfielders in starting after the ball quickly. 
 The sound of the bat and ball meeting should 
 be the sign to get into motion. No matter in 
 what direction the ball is hit, always start off, 
 no matter if the ball is taken by another out- 
 fielder. In this way the player will soon ac- 
 quire the ability that must belong to all first- 
 class fielders, viz. : to judge the distance the 
 ball will travel by the sound of the bat connect- 
 ing with the ball. Use is second nature, and 
 in this case it is essentially true. By carefully 
 watching the batsmen and judging the length 
 and direction of hits an outfielder will eventu- 
 ally become expert in this particular, and will 
 often reach a ball which otherwise would be 
 good for two or three bases. 
 
 While good fielding is an actual part of an 
 outfielder's stock in trade, it is expected that he 
 should be more than an ordinary batsman. This 
 is shown by the number of outfielders who 
 head the batting list in both Leagues. It is 
 seldom an outfielder is engaged by any of the 
 major clubs by reason of his clever fielding, as 
 the outfield does not ofifer the possibilities of 
 brilliant plays that associate themselves with 
 
 80 
 
Out-ficIding 
 
 the infield. Before offering an outfielder a con- 
 tract the manager of a team will satisfy him- 
 self that the player is an exceptional batsman. 
 On the other hand, an outfielder must be able 
 to handle safely and return quickly fly balls. No 
 team can possibly win on fielding alone. This 
 may keep down the score of the opponents, but 
 something must be done to secure runs to win, 
 and, therefore, it is necessary to have some 
 good batters on the team ; and as the outfield- 
 ers have less chance to distinguish themselves 
 than the infielders it is necessary to fill the out- 
 field positions with good batsmen and take 
 chances on the quality of the players' fielding. 
 After catching a fly the outfielder should lose 
 no time in returning the ball to the infield. 
 Many players have a bad habit of holding the 
 ball when men are on bases. Many bases are 
 stolen in this way, and frequently runs are 
 scored. It is poor ball playing, and players 
 who have this fault should get rid of it as soon 
 as possible. There is really only one way to 
 play base-ball, and that is to play it properly ac- 
 cording to all recognized rules. When an out- 
 fielder secures the ball he should, as soon as 
 possible, return it to the infield. Should there 
 be a man on first base the ball should be thrown 
 to second from all parts of the outfield, but 
 with a man on second the ball should be thrown 
 to the third baseman. This applies to the cen- 
 tre and left fielder, but the right fielder should 
 line the ball straight for second base unless he 
 has to go close to the foul line or near centre 
 
 8i 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 field to secure the ball. Then it should be fielded 
 to third. 
 
 It is impossible for the captain to judge 
 which of the outfielders should take the ball 
 when it falls between two players. In addi- 
 tion, the noise from the grandstand and bleach- 
 ers is so great that his voice would be lost in 
 the great noise. When more than one player 
 is after the same ball the one who feels certain 
 of reaching the ball safely should call out as 
 loud as possible that he ''will take it.'' A clear 
 understanding should exist on that point, and 
 every member on the team should rigidly ad- 
 here to it. It will be found to work to better 
 advantage when the two players running after 
 the ball call out rather than any other player. 
 
 From a fielding standpoint, the outfielder 
 must show good judgment of balls hit in the 
 air, no matter whether they are long flies or 
 speedy liners. The most reUable outfielders, 
 both past and present, acquired remarkable 
 skill in this respect, and from the moment the 
 ball is hit they can judge the distance it will 
 travel. This is noticeable when a long fly is 
 hit to the outfield. After the ball leaves the 
 bat the outfielder in whose direction the ball is 
 hit will turn his back on the ball and run many 
 yards before turning around to face the ball. 
 Then he will turn suddenly and pull down the 
 ball. This is one of the most severe tasks for 
 an outfielder, and the success of it stamps him 
 as a player of no mean ability. It is this and 
 
 82 
 
Out-fielding 
 
 Other similar work that develops star players on 
 the ball field. 
 
 It is impossible for a player to continually 
 keep his eye on the ball and reach a given point 
 in time to catch it. He must run backwards or 
 sidewise, and in this case will, in four out of 
 five times, trip up. In the case of running in 
 for a ball he should start quickly, run a few 
 yards and stop for a brief space, then run in 
 and meet the ball. He should be careful not 
 to overrun the mark, as this shows on the face 
 of the play poor judgment. It is easier to run 
 in than run out, and while the outfielder may 
 not make as many grand-stand plays by fol- 
 lowing these instructions his work will be 
 doubly effective, and his fielding average will 
 show a much greater percentage at the end of 
 the season than if he played to the spectators 
 instead of his club. 
 
 GENERAL ADVICE TO OUT-FIELDERS 
 
 A great deal might be said about the ad- 
 vantages of playing, but many of the plays 
 cannot be anticipated, and the fielder must use 
 his ovv^n discretion. There are, however, certain 
 plays and the method of making them that are 
 controlled by recognized rules, which, if prop- 
 erly observed, will prove successful and effi- 
 cient. In fielding ground balls the outfielder 
 should run in quickly to meet them, taking as 
 
 83 
 
Out-fielding 
 
 much care as possible to reach the ball when it 
 is off the ground on a short bound, so that in 
 case of a fumble the player will have ample 
 time to. head off the runner from making an 
 extra base. 
 
 On all balls hit to either field the player 
 should start to back up the play, in order to 
 recover the ball should it succeed in getting 
 away from the first fielder. This rule should 
 be rigidly observed, as it will often stop the 
 runners from advancing a base. In addition, 
 when a fielder knows he will be backed up he 
 will have greater confidence when fielding the 
 ball. All players are more or less nervous, and 
 all are, or should be, inspired with the desire 
 to do their very best to win, but where the 
 player feels that he is left entirely alone to his 
 own resources he is very apt not to be seen at 
 his best. 
 
 The most glaring fault noticeable among the 
 outfielders at present is the failure to back each 
 other up. No matter how^ brilliant a player 
 may be he will do better work when he feels 
 he is being properly backed up. The fault is 
 due to a habit born of confidence in the player 
 who is out in the field ; but it is a weakness, 
 and should be overcome. While self-reliance is 
 a splendid trait, support is desirable in base- 
 ball for the success of combined or individual 
 playing. 
 
 84 
 
BASE RUNNING 
 
 THERE are many things con- 
 nected with base-ball which 
 are little known, except to 
 the leading players — base 
 running, coaching, manage- 
 ment and various other de- 
 partments which are essen- 
 tial in the success of a team. 
 Perhaps the most import- 
 ant department of the game 
 is base running. It looks 
 easy for a player to circle 
 the bases, but it has been 
 reduced to such a stage of 
 excellence that the better and finer points are 
 often lost to the general public. It is a daily 
 occurrence for players to win games through 
 superior base running, and the art is almost 
 as requisite as batting. It is often a hard mat- 
 ter to fool and deceive the old-timers in the in- 
 field, but the up-to-date players are inventing 
 new plays every year, and it is necessary for 
 the infielders to watch closely for tricks. 
 
 There is little doubt that the most intellec- 
 tual, as well as most interesting, department in 
 the game is base running. It requires the most 
 skill, it calls into play the quickest and keen- 
 est perception and soundest of judgment, and 
 
 85 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 demands agility as well as speed. It is the 
 especial field for the display of daring, cour- 
 age and enthusiasm. 
 
 The first qualification that is necessary in a 
 base runner is the ability to start quickly. While 
 the distance from base to base is but 90 feet, 
 a fraction of a second means in many cases a 
 stolen base or a put-out, as the case may be. 
 If the runner is successful in getting a quick 
 start, the catcher will be the first to notice it, 
 and as he realizes that it will be necessary for 
 him to handle the ball expeditiously, he will 
 often throw wild in his hurry. Should, how- 
 ever, he see the base runner is a slow runner he 
 will have plenty of time to steady himself be- 
 fore making the throw, and will in the ma- 
 jority of cases succeed in catching his man. 
 
 The advantages of a quick start in base run- 
 ning cannot be overestimated. To be able to 
 do so means not only quick actions of the mus- 
 cles, but the united action of the body and 
 brain. The coacher is put on the line for the 
 purpose of watching a favorable opening, but 
 the runner must be alive to all openings with- 
 out depending upon the coacher for advice 
 and instructions. The player on the coaching 
 line is often blamed for a miserable exhibition 
 of base running done by a player who was un- 
 able to grasp the situation until called upon l)v 
 the coacher to do so. The latter may do In'^ 
 work thoroughly and effectively, but there is 
 no reason why the base runner should not use 
 his eyes and ears and not wait for the coacher 
 
 ^6 
 
Base Running 
 
 to advise him. By waiting for the word and 
 not acting for himself the base runner fre- 
 quently loses valuable time, and should he be 
 caught off the base the coacher is invariably 
 censured for the play, where the runner, had 
 he been paying the proper amount of attention 
 to his work would have succeeded in reaching 
 the base in safety. By waiting to be told what 
 to do he probably loses a couple of seconds 
 and misses his base by a close margin, which 
 he would not have done had he started at the 
 proper time and used his brains. 
 
 A player should, when on bases, pay strict 
 attention to the watching of an opportunity to 
 get the right start, and when once his mind is 
 made up he should lose no time in getting 
 away. The player who is alive to every situa- 
 tion and does not need to be told when to start 
 will seldom be caught. There should be no 
 question about a player's intention. He should 
 make up his mind quickly and act promptly. 
 Of course, there are conditions which will 
 arise which cannot possibly be foreseen. These 
 must be left to the runner's best judgment, and 
 he should act accordingly ; but whete a straight 
 play is contemplated there should be no hesi- 
 tation, and no change of plans made. 
 
 Base runners adopt many different methods 
 to secure a long start when on the bases. It 
 often happens that the player who takes a big 
 lead will continually be forced back to the base 
 by the pitcher, who will throw time and time 
 again to tire the runner out. When it is nec@s- 
 
 87 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 sary for a player to slide back to save a put- 
 out the wear and tear on his system is such 
 that when he actually starts for the next base 
 he has lost much of his speed, and is generally 
 put out. There is a right and a wrong way 
 to steal a base, and the most universal, that 
 adopted by all the best base runners, is to keep 
 close to the base, standing quietly and appar- 
 ently carelessly, as though paying no attention 
 to the doings of the game. The pitcher will 
 frequently glance over his shoulder to watch 
 the base, and, seeing the runner in this posi- 
 tion, takes a great deal for granted, and feel- 
 ing satisfied the player will not attempt to steal 
 a base on him, becomes careless. This is the 
 opportunity looked for, and the player should 
 at once prepare himself to start promptly, and 
 success will, in the majority of cases, follow 
 the play. 
 
 This part of base running is not followed 
 close enough. The general impression pre- 
 vails that to get a couple of yards' start is the 
 most desirable way of accomplishing the ob- 
 ject. This is wrong, and in the double desire to 
 steal the base and protect himself the player 
 often loses many advantages, which otherwise 
 he would be able to avail himself of. It often 
 happens that a slow runner will be more suc- 
 cessful in stealing a base than a much faster 
 runner. This is due entirely to superior judg- 
 ment rather than speed. The slow runner real- 
 izes that he must outwit the pitcher if he wants 
 to steal, while the speedier player will take for 
 
 88 
 
Base Running^ 
 
 granted that his speed will carry him through. 
 This is a grave mistake, and is made by many. 
 With a good system between the pitcher and 
 catcher and both working well together, it is 
 almost impossible to steal a base, except in the 
 case of a wild throw, and these are becoming 
 less frequent each year. This makes it dou- 
 bly necessary for the base runners to watch 
 the pitcher when they are in the act of stealing 
 a base. 
 
 ?9 
 
BASE SLIDING 
 
 M 
 
 DOLAN 
 
 ERE speed will not make a 
 good base runner, but all 
 other things being equal, the 
 fastest runner will be the 
 most successful on the bases. 
 Too much attention cannot 
 be paid to sprinting. When 
 training in the spring the 
 player, instead of jogging a 
 mile or two to improve his 
 wind, should practice sprint- 
 ing. Wind is an absolute 
 necessity in base running. 
 If a player is short-winded 
 he will tire perceptibly by the time he reaches 
 third base, provided he clears two or more 
 bases at the same time. The majority 
 of players in spring training work more 
 with the view to reducing superfluous 
 flesh than improving their speed and 
 strengthening the wind. It is a good thing to 
 do plenty of road work. It hardens the mus- 
 cles, and it should be kept up for a time, but 
 when the muscles are sufficiently hardened the 
 player should confine himself to sprinting — not 
 long sprints, but twenty or thirty yards. Fif- 
 teen minutes' practice of this work will make 
 a great improvement in a player, and enable 
 
 91 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 him to travel much faster than he otherwise 
 would do. 
 
 Base sliding is an art acquired by but a few. 
 A straight dive for the base is easy of accoi^i- 
 plishment, but it is the object of all good base 
 sliders to fool the fielder and prevent a put out. 
 A player who can slide well will often save 
 himself from being put out by the baseman. It 
 often happens that a player in trying to reach 
 his base will find the ball perhaps ten feet 
 ahead of him. In this case, instead of diving 
 straight for the bag or resigning himself to his 
 fate, he will dive for the base, but throw his 
 body on one side out of the range of the base- 
 man's reach, thus avoiding being touched with 
 the ball. To the spectators who invariably 
 watch the ball and not the player, the latter is 
 thought to be out, and when the umpire calls 
 *'safe," the onlookers will often send up a howl 
 of protest and derision. The player who has 
 been fooled by the runner will often enter a 
 protest and assert he touched his man. On the 
 other hand, the umpire will frequently err and 
 call a runner out when he is not touched. 
 
 This happens when the slide is so perfect 
 and such a clever piece of work that its ac- 
 complishment deceives the umpire as well as 
 the spectators. Then the runner is heard from, 
 but the umpire gives him but little satisfaction, 
 and the runner is declared out. 
 
 There are many ways used in base sliding. 
 Those most successfully made are with head or 
 feet first. The player who slides to base with 
 
 92 
 
Base Sliding 
 
 his feet foremost is the most dangerous, and 
 as a result less liable to be touched by the 
 fielder. He is consequently the most successful 
 in base stealing. All ball players wear spikes 
 in their shoes, and occasionally a fielder is ac- 
 cidentally spiked. As a rule these injuries are 
 really serious, and often result in a player being 
 laid off for several weeks. After being spiked 
 once the player is doubly carefully not to feel 
 the spikes on his limbs or feet a second time. 
 In the case of the player who slides feet fore- 
 most the fielder understands he is doubly lia- 
 ble to injury, and will not take the same des- 
 perate chances he would if the player should 
 dive head first. In close decisions this is more 
 than ever the case. A player is easily blocked 
 off who slides with his head foremost. If the 
 ball is ahead of the runner the baseman's task 
 is comparatively easy. When the baseman 
 knows the runner will surely slide head fore- 
 most he will have more confidence in making 
 the put-out. 
 
 A player, however, should not confine him- 
 self to any particular style of sliding, but should 
 change frequently so as to keep the baseman 
 guessing w^hat to expect, and this will prove a 
 great advantage to the runner. After starting, 
 the runner should pay no attention to anything 
 but the base ahead of him. That is his objec- 
 tive point, and his thoughts should be centred 
 on how to reach it safely. Many players have 
 a bad habit of watching the ball. This lessens 
 the speed of the runner and prevents him from 
 
 93 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 making the slide at the right distance. 
 
 The necessity of watching the base and not 
 the ball cannot be too strongly impressed on 
 the base runners. There exists no need to turn 
 the head to watch the direction in which the 
 ball will be thrown. By keeping his eye fixed 
 on the base to which he is moving, the runner 
 wall be able to see the baseman who is to handle 
 the ball. He can thus tell whether the ball will 
 be high or low or right or left of the base. 
 This will give the base runner the opportunity 
 to decide upon the style of slide he will make. 
 The decision must be arrived at promptly and 
 executed unhesitatingly. A change in the run- 
 ner's intention will result in bad execution of 
 the play. 
 
 There is always a certain amount of danger 
 to the player who slides. Bruises, sprains and 
 abrasions will frequently result. Protection 
 from a possibility of these injuries is necessary. 
 The base runner who slides should protect him- 
 self by w^earing good,. heavy pads, so that when 
 he is making a desperate slide, which is often 
 necessary, he will not bruise himself when com- 
 ing into contact with the hard, rough ground. 
 There are many kinds of pads used. The best, 
 and that used by the majority of first-class 
 players, is a towel rolled up and pinned to the 
 pants. With a few exceptions all players slide 
 diflferently, and the padding can be adjusted to 
 suit the player. It should be placed where it 
 will do the most good. 
 
 In former years the suits were made with 
 
 94 
 
Base Sliding 
 
 padding over the hips, knees and legs, but this 
 is not done now. The players, when sending 
 their measurements to the m.anager of the 
 rlub, will invariably insert a memorandum 
 that no padding is wanted in the pants. This 
 enables the player to arrange the padding to 
 suit him_self. 
 
 The points that have been mentioned in con- 
 nection with base running and sliding may be 
 term_ed mechanical aids to the accomplishment 
 of the ends. There are more important factors 
 which must be considered and closely followed. 
 Like all sports, business or machinery, it is the 
 various component parts that must be so welded 
 together as to complete the cycle. There is no 
 department in the national game in which in- 
 telligence plays so important a part. No mat- 
 ter how clever a player m_ay be as a starter, or 
 runner, or slider, these advantages will be 
 found of little value unless properly directed 
 by a quick perception and sound judgment. 
 
 In fact, it is not unusual that the three ac- 
 complishments, unless attended by good judg- 
 ment, will lead the player into difficulties which 
 will often result in nullifying the effect of the 
 play, which would otherwise be crowned with 
 success. 
 
 In order to know and judge when a fair op- 
 portunity presents itself, the player must be 
 thoroughly familiar with the chances of the 
 play, and experience alone can give a player 
 this. Close attention to all departments of this 
 branch of the game is an absolute necessity, A 
 
 95 
 
How ta Play Baseball 
 
 player who is observant and alive to all pos- 
 sibilities of the game will find many oppor- 
 tunities where a point may be gained, where 
 another player of less ability would overlook 
 such an opening. The latter will thereby lose 
 many points for his team by not being able to 
 grasp the situation when it presents itself, and 
 take fUll advantage of it. Many players feel 
 satisfied when reaching first base, and will 
 quietly await the favorable opportunity to ad- 
 vance. These m.en are never stars. It is the 
 runner who can not only reach the initial bag, 
 but who can take full advantage of it, that is 
 oi great value to a team.. 
 
 Reputation in base running is a valuable as- 
 set for any player to possess. He will be able 
 to keep both catcher and pitcher on the qui 
 vive and bother the basemen very much. Young 
 players desiring to become proficient in base 
 running and sliding would do well to watch- 
 closely the work of those players who are well 
 known as expert base runners, every move he 
 may make, every effort to deceive the players 
 should be given strict attention, and every ac- 
 tion after he reaches first base should not be 
 allowed to escape observation. It is seldom an 
 expert expends energy unnecessarily. He will 
 nearly always have an object in view, and 
 much valuable information can be gathered 
 by careful observation. 
 
 The world at large must have a leader. Art, 
 science, business, politics, statesmancraft, as 
 well as sports and pastimes, recognize one or 
 
 96 
 
Base Sliding 
 
 more leaders. In the majority of instances the 
 leader will be followed and copied. This same 
 ruling applies to base-ball. By following the 
 work of a leader in base running and sliding 
 the player can in time equal his work and often 
 excel it. 
 
 There are certain stages in a game when it 
 is advisable not to attempt to steal a base. When 
 a number of runs are needed to tie the score 
 or win the game, no attempt should be made. 
 There are two strong reasons against it. First, 
 a player has no right to take chances in a case 
 of this kind, as it would not do his side much 
 good and might possibly work material harm ; 
 and, second, the liability of injuries is so great 
 that it may deprive his club of his services 
 should he meet with an accident. A player 
 should always consider his club before his own 
 individual playing, and in so doing should 
 weigh the chances of incapacity before taking 
 them. 
 
 Many players insist upon running bases reck- 
 lessly when the score is so one-sided that it 
 cannot possibly do their club any good. This is 
 to figure at the end of the season as one of the 
 leading base runners. This man according to 
 individual records is superior to those players 
 who have less stolen bases to their credit, but 
 the latter have a far better team record by rea- 
 son of the fact that they did not take any 
 chances unless the conditions required them to 
 do so. 
 
 Base running offers varied opportunity for 
 
 97 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 the players to show their true worth as base- 
 ball players, and the ability of the runners to 
 take advantage of any carelessness or errors on 
 the part of their opponents. In all games where 
 the batting is light it wnll be found good policy 
 to take chances on the bases. No runs can pos- 
 sibly be made unless the team is batting, and 
 the only chance of making runs will come from 
 the ability of the men on the bases. All teams 
 have off batting days. It is but natural that 
 m.en should not feel the sam_e all the time, and 
 then conditions change the gam_e. It has often 
 been noticed the slum_ps in batting, even with 
 the greatest batters in the two big leagues, and 
 it is when such a condition of affairs exists that 
 the m.en on bases should help out the batting by 
 taking unusual chances. 
 
 Although it is advisable to take big risks in 
 light batting games, no attempt to steal bases 
 should be m.ade unless a good start can be ob- 
 tained. With two men out and a player on 
 first the captain will instruct the base runner to 
 steal, forcing him to take a chance, even though 
 a poor start be obtained. This is a grave mis- 
 take, inasmuch as the fielders at this particular 
 time are especially alive to such a play, and 
 will watch closely for it. The pitcher will keep 
 the ball wide, so as to enable the catcher to 
 handle it promptly and throw it to the base in 
 time to catch the runner. 
 
 The best rule to follow is to wait until the 
 pitcher is compelled to put the ball directly 
 over the plate. After working a couple of balls 
 
 98 
 
Base Sliding 
 
 to the batter he will put the next one over the 
 plate, and will take a little more time to be cer- 
 tain that it will be called a strike. This will 
 give the runner an opportunity to obtain a bet- 
 ter start, and unless the catcher is an unusually 
 strong thrower, he will be able to add a stolen 
 base to his credit. 
 
 Base running should not be attempted unless 
 the runner secures a good start, and in this re- 
 spect he must use judgment. A player should 
 run on every hit made, no matter whether the 
 ball goes to the infield or outfield. Many games 
 have been lost through failure and neglect to 
 observe this rule. Many players, when the ball 
 is hit to the infield, jump at the conclusion that 
 it will be fielded cleanly, and will loaf in the 
 play, or make no attempt to advance a base. 
 He will often find the ball fumbled by the 
 fielder, and will then start for his next base. 
 He finds, to his chagrin, that he has missed his 
 opportunity, and that, had he started at the 
 time the ball was hit, he would have reached 
 the base in safety, but owing to his blunder he 
 is put out. Plays of this kind not only rob the 
 player of a base which should be credited to 
 him, but it frequently causes a loss of the game 
 itself, where by good playing he might have 
 won it. 
 
 No excuse can be offered for the player wfitf 
 fails to run out his hit, no matter whether safe^ 
 or not. It is a cardinal principle of the game, 
 and should be followed out to the letter. No 
 player can anticipate the action of a fielder. 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 There is not a player on the diamond who is 
 infallible, and with the liabilities of errors no 
 player has the right or license to assume any- 
 thing. It is especially incumbent on the part 
 of every player to attempt to steal bases when 
 the pitcher is doing good work, and the player's 
 team making a poor showing at the bat. It is 
 in this and similar instances where desperate 
 chances should be taken by the runners on the 
 bases. The more bases stolen, the greater the 
 likelihood of rattling the pitcher and demoral- 
 izing the fielders. Once the pitcher lets up in 
 his speed, runs will come easy, and whenever 
 the catcher should have an off day or throw 
 poorly, it is the duty of the base runners to 
 keep continually at their base stealing. The 
 batters can afford to have strikes called on them 
 if their clubmates are advancing by stolen 
 bases. The object of base-ball is to secure as 
 many runs as possible. It matters little in the 
 ultimate result whether these come from errors, 
 stolen bases or hits, provided the necessary 
 number of runs to win the game are scored. 
 
 When a pitcher is being hit freely, base run- 
 ners should not take any chances on the bases, 
 as the batting should bring in a sufficient num- 
 ber of runs to wan the game, and repeated at- 
 tempts to steal will result in put outs, which 
 otherwise would not follow. 
 
 Signals should be used when players are on 
 first or second, so that the former will know 
 when the latter contemplates a steal. In this 
 way a double steal is often effected, whereas 
 
 ioo 
 
Base Sliding 
 
 if only the player on second makes the attempt 
 no great advantage is gained unless there is 
 no one out. Should the player be unsuccessful 
 in his attempt he will place his team at great 
 disadvantage. Had the man on first started 
 at the same time he would have reached sec- 
 ond, and the disadvantage would not be so 
 great. The player on second should give the 
 runner on first the sign that he intends to steal. 
 This will enable the man on first to prepare 
 for a double steal. It is practically impossible 
 to make a double play in this case, and in the 
 event of the first runner being caught at third 
 there will be very little harm done, as the sec- 
 ond base will still be occupied. 
 
 With one man out it is always good policy 
 to take chances in stealing third base, though, 
 as it has already been pointed out, before at- 
 tempting to steal, the player should be certain 
 of a good start. He could^then score on a long 
 fly to the outfield. 
 
 In a close game, where hitting is light, a 
 player should take more than ordinary chances 
 on the bases. A wild throw or a dropped ball 
 by a baseman will give the runner the chance 
 he may be watching for. No play can be cut 
 and dried on the diamond, and the runners 
 must be prepared for any emergency, ready to 
 take advantage of any weakness on the part of 
 their opponents, and sacrifice individual efforts 
 for team work. 
 
 lOI 
 
COACHING 
 
 A COMMON error is being 
 daily committed by club 
 managers in overlooking 
 what is undoubtedly one of 
 the most im-portant branches 
 of the gam.e, and one that 
 should receive the utmost at- 
 tention. Not only are man- 
 agers themselves overlook- 
 ing the coaching, but the 
 players are neglecting this 
 feature of the national gam.e. 
 To the casual observer the 
 importance of wise and ac- 
 tive coaching is apparent, and yet this fact 
 seems to be entirely overlooked by those per- 
 sons most concerned in the national game. 
 
 During the past few years coaching rules 
 have been greatly improved, and players no 
 longer can talk to anyone but the base runner, 
 and those players who not only are on the 
 bench, but on the coaching line, are no longer 
 permitted to hurl epithets at the pitcher in 
 order to rattle him, as was the case a few years 
 ago. Coaching is now conducted on lilies 
 which admit of no infraction. Systematic and 
 rigid, they are applied in such a way as to in- 
 sure the greatest good for the game. Many 
 
 103 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 players have figured prominently as adepts in 
 coaching. Under the new rules the players 
 have little opportunity of distinguishing them- 
 selves, as the principal work consists of close 
 attention to every play, and their remarks are 
 confined exclusively to the base runners. 
 
 Good, lively coaching is still admired by all 
 the followers of base-ball, and this fact is an im- 
 portant one to the players, who like to be en- 
 couraged in all their work. Coaching will 
 often make an ordinary game full of interesting 
 features and incidents. A dual contest, whether 
 between individuals or clubs, is always ad- 
 rr.ired, and the base-ball spectators enjoy the 
 sight of the rival clubs striving with vigor and 
 enthusiasm in an intelligent and determined 
 manner as if the winning of the game was of 
 the utmost moment to each, and where the play- 
 ers concentrate their entire beings and ambi- 
 tion on the contest. 
 
 When a man on the coaching line is attending 
 to his duties properly he will keep his fellow- 
 players up to concert pitch in the most persist- 
 ent manner. This can be accomplished by en- 
 couraging the players without any unnecessary 
 howling. Many good coachers think howling 
 and extraordinary gesticulations necessary to 
 success on the coaching lines. This is a great 
 mistake, as nothing disgusts the spectators so 
 much as to hear a player shouting at the top of 
 his voice. Spectators, however, do not win ball 
 games, and while little consideration would be 
 given them in an effort to win a game, still the 
 
 104 
 
Coaching 
 
 shouting does not accomplish much with the 
 player on the bases. It is a useless expenditure 
 of energy, and often results in placing the 
 coacher in a ridiculous position, which is in no 
 way beneficial to the player on his team. 
 
 The player who possesses brains and good 
 sound judgment and is a keen observer of all 
 points of the game is the best man for the 
 coaching line. He knows just what to expect 
 of each batter, and the base running ability of 
 every man on his team. Should he be stationed 
 at third base, which is the most important posi- 
 tion, he must be especially alert and active. It 
 is upon his judgment that many games are won 
 and lost. He must be able to measure the dis- 
 tance quickly and decide whether the man on 
 third base should be held or make an effort to 
 reach home. 
 
 It is often necessary to take big chances. 
 This is especially true when the batting is light 
 or a weak batsman is at the bat and a single run 
 needed to tie the score or win the game, as it 
 is mainly upon the coacher's judgment that the 
 play is made. It is here the worth of a coacher 
 is shown, and he can often change the result 
 of a game by his clever work. 
 
 To be a successful coacher, a player must 
 possess nerve. Brains are a necessary adjunct 
 to the other requisite qualities, but these must 
 be associated and go hand in hand with nerve. 
 When the game is close and may be decided by 
 a single run, the coacher must often exhibit an 
 extraordinary amount of nerve, as he must 
 
 105 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 necessarily expose himself to the possibilities 
 of censure of the experts, critics and spectators. 
 These self-constituted judges often unjustly 
 condemn coachers for sending players home, 
 when the play fails. As long as the runner 
 crosses the home plate safely, it is all right, 
 and the coacher is lauded to the skies for his 
 exhibition of good judgment ; but let a player 
 get caught at the home plate on a close decision, 
 and the spectators will hurl all sorts of de- 
 risive epithets and names at the offender. 
 
 A player on the coaching lines always has 
 his hands full if he pays the proper amount 
 of attention to his duties. Any neglect or er- 
 rors may result in disastrous effects to his club, 
 and possibly hurt the player's reputation. It 
 is a grave mistake to suppose any player can 
 coach. Just as much, if not more, experience 
 is needed as in any other position on the field. 
 It is not infrequently seen that players who 
 have been before the public for years as good 
 professional base-ball players will be guilty of 
 the most egregious blunders when on the 
 coaching lines. Instead of acting with prompt- 
 ness and decision, they will vacillate and after 
 starting the runner on his homeward journey, 
 will often stop him, showing a carelessness and 
 indifference that cannot be too strongly con- 
 demned by all lovers of the game. 
 
 When the player on the coaching line plans 
 to send the runner home from third he should, 
 as the baserunner approaches third, start for 
 the home plate himself, and at the same time 
 
 io6 
 
Coaching 
 
 wave his hand to the runner; this. will indicate 
 the play expected. A coacher should carefully 
 avoid moving in the direction of third base, 
 unless it be for the purpose of holding the run- 
 ner there. This is a long-standing recognized 
 rule and followed by all the leading players. 
 Players running the bases are prepared for this 
 style of coaching. If the player on the coach- 
 ing line approaches the third base the runner 
 takes it as an indication that he is to stop there, 
 but otherwise he will continue on towards the 
 home plate. The failure to observe this rule 
 often results in a put out for the runner through 
 overrunning the base or attempting too much. 
 On all • balls hit to the outfield the coaches 
 should instruct the runner to round third base. 
 This is done to enable the runner to continue on 
 to the home plate in the event of the ball not 
 being handled properly. This is another case 
 where there should be no hesitation. Should 
 "the player jump at the conclusion that the ball 
 has been handled safely he may find himself 
 greatly in error. As before pointed out, the 
 best players on the diamond are liable to com- 
 mit an error and the base runner should be 
 prepared for this emergency and take full ad- 
 vantage of it. This same rule should be fol- 
 lowed on all balls thrown by the infield to first 
 base. In this way the very best results can be 
 obtained at the minimum risks. It is the prov- 
 ince of the base runner to watch, and take in- 
 structions from the coacher, and the two should 
 work together on all plays. 
 
 107 
 

 How to Play Baseball 
 
 Young and inexperienced players should not 
 be sent to coach on the first base line. While 
 the first base is not as important to coach as 
 the third, yet the responsibilities are unusually 
 great and the coacher should be an old and 
 tried player, fully alive to all the tricks in the 
 game. At both positions good judgment is 
 requisite. When the ball is hit over the third 
 base the coacher at first must decide whether 
 the man on first should be sent to second. No 
 tirhe must be lost. Instructions must be given 
 to runners, and those unhesitatingly. 
 
 An inexperienced player will make many 
 mistakes, not of the heart, but of the head. 
 Lack of knowledge of the fine points of the 
 game is responsible for these. Overanxiety is 
 another handicap under which all young play- 
 ers suffer. It is a proper thing to go out after 
 every game and do everything possible to win 
 it ; but there are many tricks a young player 
 must be familiar with before he can be trusted 
 with so important a position. 
 
 It is customary for the managers and cap- 
 tains to use those players who are not taking 
 actual part in the game. This is done to save the 
 regular players as much as possible between 
 the innings. They like to give their players 
 all the rest possible and use the men on the 
 bench for coaching. This is all right in the 
 case of those players whose experience en- 
 titles them to the confidence shown, but the in- 
 experienced coacher will often make their work 
 harder by his mistakes, and it will be found 
 
 io8 
 
Coaching 
 
 profitable in the long run to use the experienced 
 players, as they really feel little or no ill-effects 
 from their additional labors. 
 
 The necessity of familiarizing themselves 
 with every branch of the game, so that in the 
 event of being selected to fill a position on the 
 coaching line they will be properly qualified 
 to do so, cannot be too strongly impressed on 
 the young player's mind. They should not 
 labor under the delusion that because a player 
 can keep the audience in good humor by hu- 
 morous remarks that he is a good coacher. As 
 an end man on a minstrel show he might be a 
 success, and he is tolerated by an indulgent 
 crowd, but when his real worth and work are 
 compared with that of a quiet, effective player, 
 his true value as a coacher can be correctly 
 gauged. A good coacher should be well in- 
 formed. He should know exactly what to ex- 
 pect from the batter. He should observe 
 whether or not the batter had been batting the 
 pitcher successfully. This will enable him to 
 judge as to the expediency of sending the man 
 off the base quickly. It is the inexperienced 
 player who fails in these essentials. He does 
 not consider those points which go to making 
 a player invaluable to his team. He uses the 
 same judgment, whether one or a dozen runs 
 are needed by his side, and does not think any 
 more than ordinary brain work necessary. 
 
 109 
 
How lo Play Baseball 
 
 Managers and captains should always re- 
 member the objective point for the best coacher 
 is at third base. By keeping a good live, clever 
 player here many games will be won, which 
 otherwise would be lost. 
 
 f m 
 
SCIENTIFIC BUNTING 
 
 SUCCESSFUL hitting at op- 
 portune times is an art 
 worthy of the highest culti- 
 vation. It is not given to 
 every base-ball player to be 
 able to judge accurately 
 just when and where to 
 place a ball that will result 
 in the most benefit for his 
 side. There are many play- 
 
 ^'■f, ^^^^fe* ^^^ ^^^ ^^^' ^^^' nineteen 
 \i t. ., "y^f^^^^^ ^ out of twenty times to hit 
 
 successfully when the run- 
 ner is stealing. This is due 
 to the lack of proper training and the absence 
 of those qualities that stamp a man as a su- 
 perior player. The same applies to sacrifice hit- 
 ting. Many of the very best players now in 
 the game cannot sacrifice when called upon to 
 do so. This is especially true of the player 
 who is known as a slugger. 
 
 In order to make team work a success all 
 players should have a clear and distinct un- 
 derstanding among themselves. The batter 
 should know when an attempt is to be made to 
 steal. There should be an understanding 
 whether it is intended for the batter to help 
 out the runner by trying to hit the ball or 
 
 III 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 permit the runner to go through the play 
 without any assistance in the shape of a hit. 
 
 With a fast runner on first, a good single will 
 often land the player on third, especially if he 
 gets a good start on the play. This play can 
 often be made by bunting towards first or third 
 base. Left-hand players are usually the best 
 hunters. This is due to the fact that, being 
 on the near side of the home-plate, they have 
 less distance to travel to reach the initial bag. 
 Fultz, of the Athletics, is one of the best right- 
 handed hunters in the country, and by his 
 clever work at the bat he has rendered inval- 
 uable assistance to his club and has helped to 
 win many games that would have been lost with 
 a less clever man at the bat. Not only is such 
 a man valuable as an individual to a club, but 
 his work in this direction is an example to the 
 other members, and an indirect result is accom- 
 plished, in addition to a direct one. 
 
 11^ 
 
VALUE OF TEAM WORK 
 
 TEAM work is the foundation 
 of success in base-ball. Like 
 all big enterprises a com- 
 bination of interests out- 
 weighs individuality. No 
 club can possibly expect to 
 stand high in the season's 
 race for the pennant unless 
 there is a complete under- 
 standing among all the play- 
 ers. A few years ago this 
 branch of the game was not 
 encouraged as it now is. It 
 used to be the custom for 
 players to pay more attention to their individ- 
 ual efforts than to the team work of the nine. 
 This has all changed. There are still a few 
 players whose desire to outshine their club- 
 mates results in lessening the work of the club 
 as a whole. In all the major league clubs a 
 system has been adopted whereby the best 
 individual efforts of the players are so utilized 
 as to give the best results to the club. 
 
 There is no general system in use. Every 
 club manager has his own ideas as to the most 
 effective method of getting team work. Each 
 play is made according to the ideas of the cap- 
 tain or manager. It is better to permit every 
 
 113 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 club to follow its own plans. If a general rec- 
 ognized set of cut and dried rules was adopted, 
 much of the interest now shown in the game 
 would be missing. It is the systems now being 
 worked that keep alive that spirit of rivalry, 
 and promote that element of uncertainty that 
 appeals to the spectators and keeps alive the 
 interest in the game. 
 L The Chicago White Stockings, with the 
 greatest of all generals, A. C. Anson, at their 
 head, was the first club to introduce team work, 
 as it is now understood. Anson was the Na- 
 poleon of the diamond. Not a trick or play 
 escaped his observant eye, while he was al- 
 ways studying some new style of play to bene- 
 fit the game. To the younger element Anson 
 is but a name to be conjured with, but to those 
 who followed the game a decade ago, he was, 
 and is, recognized as the greatest field general 
 that ever commanded a base-ball nine. 
 
 The value of team work has never been bet- 
 ter illustrated than by the Chicago team. The 
 infield comprised Anson, Pfeffer, Williamson 
 and Burns, and the outfield was made up of 
 Kelly, Gore and Dalrymple, while his batteries 
 included such able exponents of the game as 
 Corcoran, Goldsmith and "Silver" Flint. With 
 such a galaxy of stars and all playing as a unit 
 the team had no trouble in winning the cham- 
 pionship. Each player knew exactly what was 
 expected of him, and he did it unhesitatingly. 
 Every player was able to turn a trick, not only 
 at bat, but also in the field, while on the bases 
 
 114 
 
Value of Team Work 
 
 there was not a single minute that they did not 
 keep their opponents guessing and on the anx- 
 ious bench. It was remarkable how many close 
 games the team won, and nearly all these suc- 
 cesses were the result of clean-cut, hard-earned 
 te;am work victories. It was this unity of ac- 
 tion that enabled them to win more than one 
 pennant during the time this great team was 
 kept intact. 
 
 "Mike" Kelly was an invaluable assistant to 
 Anson. He was the originator of more plays 
 than any man who is connected with the game 
 at the present day. What made Kelly famous 
 was the desperate chances he would take at 
 critical stages of the game. There was not a 
 trick he would not resort to, nor a daring play 
 he would not attempt to pull his team out of a 
 hole. When catching, Kelly was the shrewd- 
 est, cleverest player that ever stood behind the 
 bat. There was not a trick in the game he was 
 not master of. One of his cleanest tricks was, 
 with a runner on first he would drop the ball 
 and allow it to roll a few feet away. By so 
 doing he would entice the runner to start for 
 second. He would then immediately recover 
 the ball and catch his man easily. 
 
 The moral efifect of the work of one man on 
 the whole team cannot be fully estimated or ap- 
 preciated. By virtue of his marked ability he 
 sets up a standard which is aimed at by the 
 other members of the team. This was the 
 case with Mike Kelly, whose work on the Chi- 
 cago team made him the bright particular star 
 
 "5 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 of that organization during his connection with 
 it. He was always executing new plays and 
 surprising his opponents by some remarkably 
 original piece of work. Among the tricks he 
 frequently used was one which required more 
 than the ordinary amount of nerve and good 
 judgment. With a runner on second, he would 
 signal the outfielder to come in to short as soon 
 as the ball was pitched. Then, making a feint 
 to throw to second, he would start the runner 
 back. The ball would then be thrown high 
 over the baseman's head and the player would 
 start for third, where he would find the ball 
 waiting for him. The outfielder, taking the ball 
 on the bound, would have no difficulty in catch- 
 ing the runner at the third base. 
 
 Kelly had few equals at the bat. He was a 
 remarkably gifted man and was able to put 
 the ball in almost any part of the field he wished 
 to. With a runner on first base and starting 
 for second, he would invariably succeed in 
 placing the ball in that part of the field which 
 Avould enable the runner to reach second safely. 
 
 The famous catcher was at his best on the 
 bases. Many of the young players at that time 
 tell interesting stories of the different methods 
 Kelly used to deceive them. There were few 
 pitchers in the League that could keep him 
 from getting a running start. He could size 
 up a pitcher and pick out the proper ball to 
 start on, while his sliding to bases has never 
 been duplicated by any player on the diamond. 
 Often the ball would be 20 feet ahead of him. 
 
 116 
 
Value of Team Work 
 
 The fielder would be standing on the line, and 
 it would appear to be a sure put out, but by a 
 quick slide and throwing the bady far out from 
 the fielder, the latter would be so taken by sur- 
 prise that he would miss Kelly nine out of ten 
 times. 
 
 It often happens that two players will figure 
 in some especial play just as an individual will 
 make his name famous by some remarkably 
 clever piece of strategy. One of these plays 
 was executed by Williamson and Burns, of the 
 Chicago team, and was worked most success- 
 fully while fielding with one of the opposing 
 side out and a player on second. If the ball 
 was hit between second and short the runner 
 would start for the third bag. Burns would 
 start running as though he intended going 
 after the ball, but as soon as the runner passed 
 him he would start back for third. William- 
 son would take the ball and throw it to Burns, 
 who would be waiting for it on the outside of 
 the base. He would then block off the run- 
 ner. The latter would naturally make an ef- 
 fort to return to the base which he had just 
 left after being made acquainted with the play 
 by the coacher. This play cut ofif many runs. 
 To enumerate all the clever plays successfully 
 practised by the members of this team would 
 be to tell the history of the Chicago Club at 
 this period of its existence, but it was such 
 plays as these that made Chicago champions 
 for many years. 
 
 The plays were not always executed v/ith 
 
 117 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 systematic regularity. Such would have failed 
 in its objects. They were varied, and every 
 effort made to cloak the real intentions of the 
 players. To be successful a player must be 
 original. It is not meant that a player should 
 try all kinds of experiments. He should thor- 
 oughly weigh the advantages and possible dis- 
 advantages of any play before putting it into 
 execution. After being satisfied with the effi- 
 cacy of the play the originator should so frame 
 his plans to prevent as far as possible any fail- 
 ure. 
 
 The introduction of team play in the Na- 
 tional League did not extend rapidly. There 
 was too much conservatism in the old players, 
 and as a result the Chicago team carried things 
 pretty much its own way. It was not until 
 1894 that any material improvement in general 
 team play was noticeable. In the fall of 1892, 
 Edward Hanlon, present manager of the 
 Brooklyn National League team, joined the 
 Baltimore team. When he first became asso- 
 ciated with the Southern club it was at the tail 
 end of the League. The following year found 
 the club in an improved position in the race. 
 He was not satisfied with the make-up of the 
 team, and began to cast his lines for players 
 that w^ould carry out his ideas of team work. 
 At this time he had fully reaHzed the value of 
 team work as a factor in base-ball, and he 
 should be given unstinted credit for the matur- 
 insf and perfecting of those ideas which to-day 
 are the basis of the work of every big team in 
 
 118 
 
Value of Team Work 
 
 the country. 
 
 Hanlon's trades in 1893 gave him a formid- 
 able aggregation of players in the following 
 years. His knowledge of the game and pe- 
 culiar ability to discern the good qualities of 
 young players enabled him to add to his team 
 such men as Kelly, McGraw, Jennings, Keeler, 
 Doyle and Robinson. These and others had 
 more than ordinary intelligence and ability, and 
 Hanlon had but to instruct them in his style 
 of play to bring the team to that state of per 
 fection that stamped Hanlon as one of the best 
 base-ball generals of the time. It was Han- 
 Ion's idea to keep his opponents guessing as 
 to what his men would do when at bat. In 
 this he succeeded better than he expected, and 
 for several years had the other clubs in the 
 National- League on the anxious bench. 
 
 Manager Hanlon did not bring his team to 
 a state of perfection without an infinite amount 
 of trouble. He did not confine himself to any 
 particular style of play, but varied it according 
 to the team against whom his men might be 
 playing. The run-and-hit game so successfully 
 introduced by Hanlon was followed with suc- 
 cess not only when a player was on first base, 
 but also with a runner on second, and in this 
 way the other players were kept guessing what 
 to expect. 
 
 Such work was certain to have its eflfect on 
 other teams, the players of which were not 
 coached as well as that of Baltimore, and as a 
 result the other teams became demoralized, and 
 
 119 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 made victory an easy matter for Hanlon^s men 
 In every city visited by the Baltimoreans a 
 good impression prevailed. The aggressive 
 playing of Hanlon's men caught the crowd, and 
 loud were the complaints against the local 
 management on the score that the members of 
 the home team did not play the game as it 
 should be. The success of Baltimore created 
 the desire to see the other teams follow in the 
 same lines and play the same kind of snappy, 
 aggressive game. 
 
 Many clubs tried the experiment, but with 
 little success. There was an absence of the 
 brainy element which made it so successful 
 with the Baltimore Club. The players failed 
 to grasp the full advantages, while the play 
 itself was executed in such a half-hearted man- 
 ner that it could not but fail in its purpose. 
 In addition to this, the absence of speedy run- 
 ners badly handicapped the other clubs, who 
 were thus comnelled to stand back and watch 
 the work of Baltimore with envy. 
 
 i20 
 
BARNEY DREYFUS 
 
 Well Known Pittsburg Baseball Man 
 
RUN-AND-HIT GAME 
 
 THE run-and-hit game can be 
 worked successfully with a 
 team of fast players, provid- 
 ed they are cool-headed and 
 intelligent. It does not fol- 
 low that because a player 
 may be fast on the bases that 
 this style of play can be 
 made effective. On the con- 
 trary, a deal of judgment is 
 necessary. The right ball 
 must be selected before the 
 player can attempt to run. 
 There must be a reasonable 
 amount of certainty that the ball which the 
 player intends starting on will go over the 
 plate. Pitchers at the present day are watch- 
 ing for all kinds of plays, and in this respect 
 they look out for the bases with greater care 
 than formerly. 
 
 It frequently happens that the runner will 
 start when the pitcher has one or two strikes 
 called on the batter and no balls. This should 
 not be, and demonstrates a lack of judgment, 
 as the pitcher will, as a rule, keep the ball wide, 
 so as to enable his catcher to throw out the 
 runner. 
 
 In the series between the Philadelphia Amer- 
 
 121 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 ican League Club and Cleveland no trouble 
 was experienced in heading off this play, as 
 the runners were reckless and frequently at- 
 tempted this play. The local team's catchers 
 would watch for this play, signal for a wide 
 ball and catch the runner without any trouble. 
 
 Players should act in an apparently careless 
 and indifferent manner when on the bases. He 
 would then often deceive the battery and gain 
 many points for his team. 
 
 In nearly every American League club there 
 are players who work the run-and-hit style of 
 play to a degree of perfection that is really 
 surprising. Two of the most successful play- 
 ers are Lave Cross and Harry Davis, of the 
 Philadelphia team. The former is one of the 
 shrewdest players on the diamond, and has the 
 instinct of guessing just the right ball to start 
 on, and Davis seems to enjoy the distinctive 
 ability to hit successfully with the player run- 
 ning. This is a great advantage to the team, 
 and increases his value as a ball player. 
 
 With the present composition of the differ- 
 ent clubs in the American League, Detroit and 
 Chicago lead the other organizations in play- 
 ing the most scientific game. The players on 
 these two teams are very fast, and know the 
 game thoroughly. They will keep their oppo- 
 nents guessing continually as to what to look 
 for when next at bat. They will often hit the 
 ball hard when it would appear as though a 
 sacrifice hit would be the best play, and bunt- 
 ing when least expected. It is by these means 
 
 122 
 
Run-and-Hit Game 
 
 that many games are won that otherwise would 
 be lost. 
 
 There are many different styles of team play, 
 and club managers have their own ideas as to 
 what particular style is best fitted for the 
 players. The Baltimore style of play is far 
 preferable to all others when the club is made 
 up of fast sprinters and players of nerve and 
 good judgment. 
 
 There is always danger in trying to force a 
 player to do certain work he is entirely un- 
 fitted for, and it often results in spoiling many 
 good players. It is advisable to allow the play- 
 ers to discover their own particular adaptabil- 
 ity to any special style of playing. When they 
 have tried many styles they will find they can 
 do one special style better than another. They 
 should then bend all their energies in this 
 direction toward making a feature of it. All 
 ball players have not become famous through 
 following the same style of play, and the his- 
 tory of the game in America shows that those 
 names that are now household words, carried 
 with them at the time a particular value in a 
 special style of playing. 
 
 123 
 
EFFECTS OF GENERALSHIP 
 
 MAUL 
 
 UNDER the leadership of 
 Charles Comiskey, the St. 
 Louis Browns captured the 
 pennant of the American 
 Association four years in 
 succession. The work of 
 this team was most brilliant, 
 and would compare favor- 
 ably with any team in the 
 country during the past de- 
 cade. The team was com- 
 posed of many brainy play- 
 ers, while Captain Comiskey 
 was at his best at this time, 
 and as a player of first base was not surpassed 
 by anybody. This was due in a large measure 
 not only to the striking personality of the 
 leader of the team, but to the work of the 
 players themselves in following directions 
 given, with the object of accomplishing the 
 greatest amount of good. 
 
 Comiskey was easily the best first baseman 
 of his day, and with his ability in this direc- 
 tion he added a generalship of field work which 
 placed him in a niche in the base-ball world 
 which was far more prominent than any other 
 player of his time. And there are many 
 points which he brought out while playing that 
 
WILEY PIATT 
 
DAVID FULTZ 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 position which could be copied to-day with 
 beneficial results to the majority of the players 
 covering the initial bag. Comiskey had no set 
 plans for playing the initial sack. His sole 
 desire when in the field was how to accomplish 
 the best results. Unlike many of the present 
 first basemen, with a runner on first, Com- 
 iskey would often play off the base, faking a 
 position about thirty feet back of the bag and 
 gradually going further each time the runner 
 would look in his direction. This had the 
 effect of inducing the runner to take greater 
 liberties. On the next move the runner 
 would invariably glance around to find out 
 where Comiskey was standing. The pitcher, 
 acting under instructions from his captain, 
 would then start. for the first bag, and would 
 often beat the runner by a good margin. 
 
 This play, while frequently effective, could 
 not be tried very often, nor did Comiskey at- 
 tempt it too much. He would work it when 
 it was least expected, and it helped in many 
 instances to win games for the Browns. 
 
 ia6 
 
COMBINATION OF TEAM 
 WORK 
 
 MANY instances might be 
 quoted showing how a club 
 with ordinarily slow men 
 has been able by combina- 
 tion or team work to beat 
 out other teams in the major 
 leagues. The Detroit team, 
 which won the championship 
 in 1887, was the last team 
 to win the pennant with a 
 team of slow men. With the 
 exception of Hanlon, the 
 club roster did not show the 
 name of a single player who 
 could be regarded as more than average in base 
 running. The only exception might, perhaps, 
 be Sam Thompson, whose all-around work 
 stamped him one of the leading base-ball play- 
 ere of his time. The team was made up of 
 a batting aggregation that was formidable. 
 Brouthers, Dunlap, White and Rowe consti- 
 ti.ted the infield. Hanlon, Thompson and 
 Richardson filled the outfield. Bennett and 
 Ganzell were the best of the catchers, while 
 Getzein and Twitchell were easily the best of 
 the pitching staff. 
 
 127 
 
 "^ 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 Bennett, as a catcher, was in a class by him- 
 self. He had no superior behind the bat, and it 
 v^-^s next to impossible for a player to steal a 
 base when he wore the mask and pad. The 
 bulk of the catching fell upon Bennett during 
 the season that Detroit w^on the championship. 
 HI3 hands were badly bruised, but he refused 
 to leave the game for a single day, when his 
 services were needed, until his club had won 
 the championship. Game after game he caught 
 with a finger out of joint, caused by the mem- 
 ber coming into conflict w^ith a foul tip. Mike 
 Kelly, the famous Chicago and Boston 
 catcher, once said of Bennett that ''he (Ben- 
 nett) would throw a finger over the grand 
 stand and not notice it." This is but one illus- 
 tration of the nerve and backbone of this 
 player, and demonstrated what grit and deter- 
 mination will do towards winning games. 
 
 There was nothing remarkable about the 
 work of the Detroit team in particular. It was 
 that system of adaptability which enabled them 
 to be prepared and take advantage of every 
 opening left by their opponents. Hanlon was 
 the only member of the team that really 
 showed up-to-date playing. He was very fast 
 on bases, always near the top of the list in 
 base running, and in addition was an expert 
 bunter. It was these qualities which enabled 
 him to shine as a bright particular star and 
 inspire confidence and court imitation from the 
 other members of his team. 
 
 128 
 
RUBE WADDELL 
 Pitcher, Athletics 
 
DARING BASE RUNNING AS 
 A MEANS OF SUCCESS 
 
 IT IS not unusual for ball 
 players to advance the claim 
 that they cannot play as 
 good a game in one city as 
 they can in another, or their 
 work is better against cer- 
 tain teams, while with oth- 
 ers they appear at a disad- 
 vantage. Again, players 
 have frequently complained 
 that a hoodoo hovers about 
 them, or other superstitious 
 ideas. Many of the major 
 League players also feel 
 they can put up a specially good game against 
 certain clubs. Bill Lange, of the Chicago Club, 
 had this feeHng when he played against Pitts- 
 burg. He always seemed to be able to suc- 
 cessfully make any play he undertook, and 
 w^as feared by the entire Pittsburg team. 
 
 One of the most remarkable feats ever per- 
 formed on the ball field was effected at Pitts- 
 burg. After reaching first base, Lange took 
 a good lead, as was customary. The pitcher 
 threw to first to catch the player off base. He 
 threw a trifle wide and the ball rolled a few 
 
 129 
 
How to Tfsy Baseball 
 
 feet from the base. The distance was far 
 from great, and not one player in a hundred 
 would have been desperate enough to take his 
 foot off the first bag. Lange started for sec- 
 ond. The ball again went a little wide of the 
 mark. It struck the second baseman's hand 
 and rolled toward shortstop. Lange did not 
 stop, but kept on to third. The shortstop 
 hustled for the ball to head Lange off at third 
 base. The runner did not dally at third, but 
 continued the circuit, and came straight for 
 the plate. The ball was thrown to Denny 
 Lyons, w^ho was covering third base. He 
 turned to put the ball on Lange, whom he ex- 
 pected to catch at third. 
 
 His surprise was great when he saw his 
 runner making for home and only a few yards 
 from it. Before the ball reached the catcher's 
 hands, Lange had scored the run, and not only 
 did he bring in the run, but, what was of 
 greater importance, won the game on that run. 
 The play, in my estimation, was the most dar- 
 ing and remarkable ever witnessed on the ball 
 field. 
 
 170 
 
BRAINS A PRIMARY FACTOR 
 
 IT HAS been repeatedly point 
 ed out that brains have been 
 the primary factor in any 
 base-ball club's success. The 
 instances are many where 
 this is a fact. The Boston 
 team, under the manage- 
 ment of Selee and captaincy 
 of Duffy, won the cham- 
 pionship mainly through 
 clever team work. In this 
 year, particularly, the team 
 was made up of brainy play- 
 ers, whose ability to turn 
 tricks at unexpected times made them famous. 
 In addition, the majority of the men on the 
 team were very fast and able to take advantage 
 of an openmg. 
 
 One of the neatest and cleverest, as well as 
 one of the most original plays of recent years 
 was put into operation by Tenney, the first 
 baseman, and he worked it frequently with 
 great success. With a runner on first and no 
 one out, the batter would be sent up to sacri- 
 fice. The moment the ball was pitched Ten- 
 ney would start in towards the batter, taking 
 the ball and throwing to second base, thus 
 forcing the runner out. The ball would be 
 
 131 
 
BILL DOUGLASS 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 returned to first base in time to complete a 
 double play. One great advantage Tenney had 
 in the play was that he was left-handed and 
 w^as in much better position to handle the ball 
 than a right-handed player would have been. 
 This and other similar plays emphasizes the 
 fact that such players, posesssing brains, in- 
 genuity and originality, are necessary to any 
 team to be a success. Players should not con- 
 fine their work to the two hours they appear 
 on the ball field, but should endeavor to formu- 
 late some new ideas when oflf the diamond 
 which can be put into execution. These plays 
 should be of such a nature as to completely 
 surprise the opposing players, who will not 
 be looking for such an event. 
 
 Long, the shortstop, is, perhaps, the most 
 nervy player in the profession. He will take 
 more desperate chances than any other player 
 on the field to-day. His ability as a thrower 
 stamps him as a bright particular star on the 
 team he represents. He is of great help to his 
 team, and the catcher, knowing the ability of 
 such a player, will have more confidence and 
 do much better work. If the rest of the play- 
 ers on a team w^ould emulate this kind of ex- 
 ample, a great improvement would be notice- 
 able in their team play and general all-around 
 work. 
 
 32 
 
The History 
 
 of 
 
 Base-Ball 
 
 BASE-BALL, according to the 
 most reliable and authentic 
 records,, is seventy years old. 
 The first record of any club 
 is that of the old Olympic 
 Town Ball Club, of Phila- 
 delphia, Pa., which began 
 playing in 1833. The game 
 was then an American modi- 
 fication of the old English 
 game of rounders, which 
 was played as far back as 
 the seventeenth century. 
 It is stated by New Eng- 
 landers that town ball was played in Connecti- 
 cut and Massachusetts a decade and more be- 
 fore the Philadelphians adopted it. The Olym- 
 pic Club, of Philadelphia, played town ball 
 from 1833 to 1859, when the latter phase of 
 base-ball, known as the ''New York game," 
 came into vogue. We well remember seeing 
 the Olympic Club playing ''New York'' base- 
 
 133 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 ball on their grounds back of the Fairmount 
 Reservoir in the Quaker City in i860, when the 
 noted veteran Philadelphia artist, Mr. F. DeB. 
 Richards, was a conspicuous member of the 
 club's nine, together with the late Bomeister 
 brothers and Messrs. Anspach, Croasdale, 
 Paul, Dr. Neil, Thatcher, Whitman, Tabben, 
 Barclay, Fisler and others w^e cannot now call 
 to mind. 
 
 The old game of town ball as played during 
 the decade of the 30's was known in the New 
 England States as the ''Massachusetts game," 
 in contradistinction to the form of playing base- 
 ball afterwards known as the "New^ York 
 game," the latter coming into vogue in the de- 
 cade of the 50's. This latter phase of base-ball 
 was Americanized town ball, just as the latter 
 was an iVmerican improvement of rounders. 
 The familiar game of those days, known as 
 ''one-old-cat,'' was simply the preliminary field 
 exercise w^ith a bat and ball which w^as engaged 
 in each practice day before the regular base- 
 ball games began, and it was played as practice 
 before a sufficient number of members of the 
 club had arrived on the ground to play the 
 regular game. It should be borne in mind that 
 the basis of the old English game of rounders 
 was the use of a bat and a ball in a 2'ame which 
 was played on a square infield having four 
 bases, besides an extra place for the batsman to 
 stand when batting, and this was also the the- 
 ory of American town ball. Moreover, even in 
 the American game of the old Knickerbocker 
 
 134 
 
The History of Baseball 
 
 Glub, of New York, with its diamond field in 
 place of the square field of town ball, the old 
 rounders rule of throwing base-runners out by 
 hitting them with the ball while running be- 
 tween bases, was in vogue up to the time of 
 the organization of the first national base-ball 
 association in 1858 ; therefore, there is no 
 doubt whatever as to base-ball having originat- 
 ed from the two-centuries-old English game of 
 rounders. But that fact does not deprive our 
 present game of its legitimate title to the name 
 American. The fact is, there is but one solitary 
 field sport now known to Americans that can 
 justly claim to be in every respect an Ameri- 
 can game, and that is the old Indian game of 
 lacrosse, played by the aborigines long before 
 Columbus discovered America ; and in but one 
 feature does lacrosse resemble base-ball, and 
 that is that a bat — the crosse stick — and ball is 
 used in the game. 
 
 THE EVOLUTION OF OUR NATIONAL GAME 
 
 The birth of our national game of base-ball 
 may be justly said to be dated from the year 
 the first national association of base-ball play- 
 ers was organized, viz., on March 10, 1858, for 
 then it was that the first regular printed code of 
 playing rules of the game was adopted by a 
 base-ball association. Prior to that year base- 
 ball in the Metropolis had been played under 
 
 135 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 the rules of the Knickerbocker Club, but the 
 association rules which went into operation in 
 1858 w^re those of the regularly appointed 
 committee of rules of the national association. 
 Of course, this latter code of rules was a great 
 improvement over that of the old Knicker- 
 bocker Club ; but it was nevertheless crude and 
 incomplete in many respects, as will be seen at 
 a glance at some of the features of the associa- 
 tion code itself. For instance, the regulation 
 ball of 1858 weighed 6^ ounces, was io}i 
 inches in circumference, and was composed of 
 2y2 ounces of rubber covered by yarn and 
 leather, a ball altogether too heavy, large and 
 elastic for first-class play. The bat was any 
 length the player chose to use. In the delivery 
 of the ball to the bat the pitcher was allowed to 
 take any number of preliminary steps he chose 
 while standing behind a line twelve feet in 
 length. Then, too, he could only send in the 
 ball by a square pitch or toss, and not by any 
 kind of throw. In addition, the batsman could 
 be put out on any fair hit or foul ball that was 
 caught on the first bound. There was no rule 
 to punish wild pitching, and the rule governing 
 called strikes was such as to allow the batsman 
 almost entire freedom from outs on strikes. 
 We saw one batsman in a game between the 
 Mutuals and Atlantic Clubs in the 6o's allow 
 over fifty balls to pass him before he struck at 
 a single ball, no strikes being called even then. 
 From this old code of rules one can readily see 
 how great the improvement made in the game 
 
 136 
 
JACK BARRY 
 
The History of Baseball 
 
 has been since the days of the first national as- 
 sociation. 
 
 The first year of the decade of the 6o's may 
 be said to be that of the christening of the na- 
 tional game. From the year of the organiza- 
 tion of the national association, base-ball pro- 
 gressed rapidly in public favor; but in i860 a 
 regular furore for the game set in. Clubs mul- 
 tiplied and the game began to be patronized by 
 hundreds where dozens only had previously 
 congregated as spectators of the games. 
 
 THE FIRST BASE-BALL TOUR 
 
 ^It was in June, i860, that the noted Excelsior 
 Club, of Brooklyn, made the first base-ball tour 
 known in the history of the game. This club, 
 with its team of players, left Brooklyn for Al- 
 bany on June 30, and began their series of 
 games by defeating the Champion Club, of Al- 
 bany, on July 2, by a score of 24 to 6. On July 
 3 they had the Victory Club, of Troy, as their 
 opponents, and the Excelsiors won again by 13 
 to 7. Then they went to Bufifalo, and on July 
 5 they defeated the noted Niagaras, of that 
 city, by the remarkable score of 50 to 19, the 
 highest score recorded in a match up to that 
 date. TOf course, this succession of victories 
 gave the Excelsiors a reputation which greatly 
 added to the furore for the game the tour had 
 occasioned. Returning from Buffalo they stop- 
 
 137 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 ped en route at Rochester, where, on July 7, 
 they defeated the Flour City nine by 21 to i, 
 and on July 8, the Live Oaks, of the same city, 
 by 2"] to 9. From Rochester they went to New- 
 burgh, and there played the last game of the 
 tour, with the result of a victory over the Hud- 
 son River Club, of the latter city, by a score of 
 59 to 14. At each city on their tour the Excel- 
 siors were treated with the utmost hospitality, 
 and the enthusiasm for the game which their 
 trip occasioned advanced it in popularity by 
 years. The trip was made at the expense of 
 the club, most of the club members being 
 wealthy, all the games being played on free 
 grounds, no gate money contests being known 
 in those early amateur days; in fact, profes- 
 sional ball playing in all of its different phases 
 was prohibited by the laws of the national as- 
 sociation of the period. 
 
 Encouraged by the grand success of their 
 tour through Western New York, the Excel- 
 siors in search of new base-ball worlds to con- 
 quer took a short Southern trip through Mary- 
 land and Pennsylvania the same month, and on 
 July 22 they played a picked nine at Baltimore, 
 whom they defeated by 51 to 6, and followed it 
 up by defeating a picked nine in Philadelphia 
 on July 27 by 15 to 4. Before going on this 
 Southern trip, however, the Excelsiors had 
 begun a series of best two games out of three 
 with the old Atlantic nine, of Brooklyn, and 
 won the first game by the score of 23 to 4, and 
 it was the prestige of this victory which gave 
 
 138 
 
The History of Baseball 
 
 their nine such attractive advertising for their 
 visit to Baltimore and Philadelphia. The 
 proselyting work done by the Excelsior Club 
 on those two notable tours, in July, i860, had a 
 great effect in extending the popularity of the 
 game, and this was plainly shown in the in- 
 creasing membership of the national associa- 
 tion at the next annual convention. 
 
 The most important series of matches played 
 in New York in i85o was that between the Ex- 
 celsior and Atlantic nines for the championship 
 of the Manhattan district nominally, but in 
 reality for the championship of the base-ball 
 world of the period. The first game was play- 
 ed — as previously recorded — on July 19, with 
 the result of a one-sided victory for the Excel- 
 siors by the score of 23 to 4. The game took 
 place on the old Excelsior grounds, foot of 
 Court street, South Brooklyn, and it attracted 
 a crowd of more than 2000 people, a large as- 
 semblage for those days. 
 
 It was not until the loth of August that the 
 return game was played, and that took place on 
 the old Atlantic grounds, at Putnam and Marcy 
 avenues, Brooklyn, fronting Johnny Wild's 
 hotel, and here another crowd of spectators 
 was gathered — not so large as before — who 
 were entirely unsuspicious of what a surprise 
 party was in store for them. Like the first 
 game, the contest opened with a one-sided 
 score, the third inning ending: with a total of 
 8 to o in favor of the Excelsiors. At the end 
 of the sixth inning the figures had been chang- 
 
 139 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 ed to 12 to 6, with the Excelsiors still leading. 
 It was in the seventh inning, however, that the 
 Atlantics worked in their surprise party, for 
 then it was that they began to punish Creigh- 
 ton's pitching, and the result was that the in- 
 ning ended with the score of 15 to 12 in favor 
 of the Atlantics. Russell was sent in to pitch 
 in place of Creighton, and that ended the At- 
 lantic's scoring. The Excelsiors got in two 
 more runs in the next two innings, but the game 
 ended with the Atlantics in the van by the 
 score of 15 to 14. There was a time of great 
 rejoicing at the Atlantic's headquarters that 
 night in consequence of their exceptional vic- 
 tory. The two clubs were now even, game and 
 game, and, as under the rules, the third con- 
 test had to take place on a neutral field, the new 
 grounds of the Putnam Club, located at Putnam 
 and Howard avenues, near Broadway, were 
 selected for the test game, and on August 23 it 
 took place there, but the result was anything 
 but satisfactory to either side. Unfortunately, 
 the rough element prevailed in the large crowd 
 of spectators gathered on the occasion, and a 
 lot of betting was engaged in and partisan feel- 
 ing ran high. Moreover, that nuisance of pro- 
 fessional base-ball of the present day, kicking, 
 w^as exhibited on this occasion for the first time 
 in amateur base-ball history, and the result was 
 that the game ended in a row. 
 
 The contest began in favor of the Excelsiors 
 by 5 to 4, and at the end of the fourth inning the 
 score stood 8 to 4 in their favor. From this 
 
 140 
 
The History of Baseball 
 
 time on the roughs in the crowd, who had bet 
 on the Atlantics, began a crusade of black- 
 guardism against the Excelsiors, and to such 
 an extent had it proceeded that Captain James 
 Leggett in the sixth inning, indignant at the 
 insults his team had been subjected to, called 
 his men off the field and left the ground in an 
 omnibus. Before leaving, Leggett said to 
 Mattie O'Brien : 
 
 ''Here's the ball, Mattie; you can keep it/' 
 Mattie replied : ''Will you call it a draw, 
 Joe?" 
 
 Joe said : "All right, Mattie, let it be so," 
 and thus ended the last game the two clubs 
 ever played together. When the sixth inning 
 had ended the score stood 8 to 6 in favor of 
 the Excelsiors. The series, on account of the 
 calling of this game, therefore did not settle 
 the championship question. 
 
 THE BASE BALL TOUR OF 1867 
 
 The most important base-ball tour known to 
 the game up to the decade of the 70's was that 
 made through the Western States by the Na- 
 tional Club, of Washington, in July, 1867, when 
 that club visited no less than a half-dozen 
 States and traveled nearly 3000 miles, playing 
 matches in six different cities. During their 
 tour they played nine matches and won all but 
 one, and thereby hangs a tale. After defeating 
 
 141 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 the clubs of Columbus, Cincinnati, Louisville, 
 Indianapolis and St. Louis, they met the Forest 
 City Club, of Rockford, III, at Dexter Park, 
 Chicago, and though the Forest City nine had 
 previously been twice defeated by the Excel- 
 siors, of Chicago, on this special occasion they 
 came out victorious in their game with the Na- 
 tionals, to the great joy of the Rockfords and 
 to the surprise of the Chicago Excelsiors. In 
 view of this victory over the Nationals by the 
 club the Excelsiors had just defeated in tvvo 
 games, the Chicago nine felt sanguine of tak- 
 ing the Nationals into camp the next day. Of 
 course, the largest crowd of spectators ever 
 before seen at a match in Chicago thronged 
 Dexter Park when the Nationals lined up 
 against the Illinois champions. The Nationals 
 were disgusted at their defeat by a "country 
 nine,'' and that, too, at the hands of a pitcher 
 just eighteen years old, as A. G. Spalding, of 
 the Forest City nine, was at that time, and they 
 vowed to avenge themselves on the Excelsiors, 
 and they did, for they whipped the Chicago 
 champions by the one-sided score of 49 to 4. 
 A more disappointed crowd never left a ball 
 field than the Excelsiors and the local throng 
 of rooters who had backed them up. A crowd 
 of St. Louis betting men who had seen the Na- 
 tionals play at St. Louis had followed them 
 to Chicago, and they took in all the bets that 
 the Chicagoans ofifered on the Excelsiors, and 
 consequently reaped a harvest on the occasion. 
 In their game at Indianapolis the Nationals 
 
 142 
 
BILLY HALLMAN 
 
The History of Baseball 
 
 made the remarkable record of 15 home runs, 
 and one of the hits, made by George Wright, 
 sent the ball a distance of more than 600 feet. 
 
 THE GREAT RECORD OF THE CINCINNATI 
 RED STOCKINGS IN 1869 
 
 We now come to the third noteworthy tour 
 of the decade of the 6o's, and that was the 
 journeying of the celebrated Cincinnati Red 
 Stockings in 1869 through the covmtry-at- 
 large, from New England to the Pacific Coast 
 and from the Lakes to the Gulf. In fact, the 
 Cincinnati's season of 1869 was a season of 
 tours. After beating all the prominent clubs 
 of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, they went East 
 and defeated every club in the Atlantic States, 
 namely, in Troy, Albany, Boston, New York, 
 Philadelphia, Baltim.ore and Washington, in- 
 cluding the Mutuals, Atlantics, Eckfords and 
 Athletics. Then they went West to St. Louis 
 and also to San Francisco, and ended the sea- 
 son of 1869 without the loss of a single game, 
 thereby becoming the legitimate champions of 
 the base-ball world of that period. The Cin- 
 cinnatis visited New Orleans in 1870, winning 
 games there with the Pelican, Southern Atlan- 
 tic, Lone Star and Robert E. Lee nines of that 
 city. In May they defeated every club they 
 played with in Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio. 
 iThen they went East again, and from June i 
 
 H3 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 to June 14 they defeated every team they played 
 with, including all the Boston clubs and the 
 Mutuals, of New York, the latter by 16 to 3. 
 But they met with a defeat at the hands of the 
 Atlantic Club, of Brooklyn, by 8 to 7 in an 
 eleven-inning game, and this was the first de- 
 feat the Cincinnatis had sustained since Sep- 
 tember, 1868. From April 21 to November 5, 
 1870, the Cincinnatis played 74 games and lost 
 but 6, but two of them were with the profes- 
 sional team of Chicago, and that lost them the 
 nominal cham.pionship of 1870, though in every 
 other respect they had equaled their leading 
 opponents that year. 
 
 Going over the records of the prominent pro- 
 fessional clubs of the country of 1870, w^hich 
 included the Eastern teams of New York, 
 Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Troy and Washington, 
 and the Western teams of Cincinnati, Chicago, 
 Cleveland and Rockford, we find the record of 
 victories and defeats of those clubs, together 
 with the percentage of each club's victories for 
 1870, to be as follows : 
 
 Chicago, of Chicago 
 
 Cincinnati, of Cincinnati. . 
 
 Mutual, of New York 
 
 Athletic, of Philadelphia . . 
 Forest City, of Rockford. 
 Atlantic, of Brooklyn .... 
 Forest City, of Cleveland. 
 
 Haymakers, of Troy 
 
 Olympic, of Washington. 
 
 on. 
 
 Lost. 
 
 P.C. 
 
 6s 
 
 5 
 
 .929 
 
 68 
 
 6 
 
 .919 
 
 68 
 
 17 
 
 .800 
 
 37 
 
 10 
 
 •787 
 
 44 
 
 12 
 
 .786 
 
 41 
 
 16 
 
 .719 
 
 26 
 
 II 
 
 •703 
 
 32 
 
 14 
 
 .696 
 
 29 
 
 19 
 
 .604 
 
 144 
 
The History of Baseball 
 
 Uliion, of Morrisania 20 18 .526 
 
 Eckford, of Brooklyn 12 15 .444 
 
 The contest for championship honors in 1870 
 — it was merely a nominal title — lay between 
 the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the Chicago 
 White Stockings, the Atlantics, of Brooklyn ; 
 the Mutuals, of New York, and the Athletics, 
 of Philadelphia. There were several other 
 clubs in the field that year, but they stood no 
 show in the arena with the above five. 
 
 It will be seen from the preceding chapters 
 of early base-ball history that the decade of the 
 6o's stands forth as the most brilliant known to 
 the game. 
 
 PROFESSIONAL BASE-BALL CLUB 
 
 Professional base-ball playing may be said to 
 have begun its history in 1868, when the first 
 team of regularly paid base-ball players took 
 the field against all comers under the auspices 
 of the Cincinnati Base-ball and Cricket Club of 
 that year, and under the team management of 
 the late Harry Wright. For some years prior 
 to that semi-professionalism on the co-opera- 
 tive plan had existed in New York and in the 
 large Atlantic cities ; but the Cincinnati Red 
 Stockings of 1868 were the first team of regu- 
 larly paid players to appear in the base-ball 
 arena. It was from the closing month of the 
 season of 1868 to the month of June, 1870, that 
 
 145 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 the Cincinnati Club's Red Stockings nine es- 
 tablished a record of continuous victories that 
 has not since been equaled, viz., that of not los- 
 ing a single game from their September cam- 
 paign of 1868, through the whole season of 
 1869, and through that of 1870, up to the mid- 
 dle of the June campaign of that year. The 
 team of players who made this unequaled rec- 
 ord were as follows : 
 
 Asa Brainard, pitcher ; Douglas AUison, 
 catcher ; Charles H. Gould, first base ; Charles 
 J. Sweasy, second base ; Fred. A. Waterman, 
 third base ; George Wright, shortstop ; Andrew 
 A. Leonard, left field; Cal. A. McVey, right 
 field ; Harry Wright, centre field. Harry 
 Wright was the manager, captain and change 
 pitcher of the team. 
 
 THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION 
 
 The first professional association of base-ball 
 clubs was organized in New York in 1871, and 
 was known as the National Association of Pro- 
 fessional Base-ball Players, and the professional 
 clubs which comprised its first membership 
 were the clubs of Boston, New York, Brook- 
 lyn, Philadelphia and Troy in the East, and of 
 Chicago, Cleveland, Rockford and Fort Wayne 
 in the West, wuth the Olympics, of Washing- 
 ton, as an intermediate city. The Athletics 
 represented Philadelphia ; the Mutuals, New 
 
 146 
 
The History of Baseball 
 
 York ; the Eckfords, Brooklyn ; the Haymak- 
 ers, Troy, and the Kekiongas, Fort Wayne. 
 Only eight of the ten clubs finished the season, 
 and the rules of the Association's champion- 
 ship code were only partially observed. 
 
 The Kekionga team, of Fort Wayne, play- 
 ed no legal game after July, and their games 
 were thrown out ; the Eckford Club did not be- 
 gin to play in the race until August, and their 
 games, too, were not counted. As a matter of 
 interesting reference we give the names of the 
 players of the teams which entered the pennant 
 race of 1871 : 
 
 Philadelphia (Athletics) — Malone, catcher; 
 McBride, pitcher ; Fisler, first base ; Reach, 
 second base ; Meyerle, third base ; Radclifif, 
 shortstop ; Cuthbert, left field ; Sensenderfer, 
 centre field ; Heubell, right field. 
 
 Boston — McVey, catcher ; Spalding, pitcher ; 
 Gould, first base ; Barnes, second base ; Shaf- 
 fer, third base ; George Wright, shortstop ; 
 Cone, left field ; H. Wright, centre field ; Bird- 
 sail, right field ; Jackson, substitute. 
 
 Chicago — Hodes, catcher; Zettlein,. pitcher ; 
 McAtee, first base ; Wood, second base ; Pink- 
 ham, third base ; Dufify, shortstop ; Treacy, left 
 field ; M. King, centre field ; Simmons, right 
 field. 
 
 Troy (Haymakers) — McGeary, catcher; Mc- 
 MulHn, pitcher ; Flynn, first base ; Craver, sec- 
 ond base ; Bellan, third base ; Flowers, short- 
 stop; S. King, left field; Yorke, centre field; 
 Pike, right field. 
 
 147 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 New York (Mtttuals)— C. Mills, catcher; 
 Wolters, pitcher; Start, first base; Ferguson, 
 second base ; Smith, third base ; Pearce, short- 
 stop ; Hatfield, left field ; Eggler, centre field ; 
 Patterson, right field. 
 
 Washington (Olympics) — D. AlHson, catch- 
 er ; Brainard, pitcher ; E. Mills, first base ; 
 Sweasy, second base; Waterman, third base; 
 Force, shortstop ; Leonard, left field ; George 
 Hall, centre field ; Berthrong, right field. 
 
 Rockford (Forest City) — Hastings, catcher; 
 Fisher, pitcher ; Mack, first base ; Addy, sec- 
 ond base; Anson, third base; Fulmer, short- 
 stop ; Ham, left field ; Bird, centre field ; Stires, 
 right field. 
 
 Brooklyn (Eckfords) — Hicks, catcher; Mar- 
 tin, pitcher ; A. Allison, first base ; Swandell, 
 second base ; Nelson, third base ; Holdsworth, 
 shortstop ; Gedney, left field ; Shelly, centre 
 field ; Chapman, right field ; W. Allison, substi- 
 tute. 
 
 The Atlantics, of Brooklyn, played in only 
 21 games in 1871, of which they lost 8, while 
 the Eckfords played 60, of which they won 37. 
 
 In 1872 eleven clubs entered for the Associa- 
 tion championship, the cities represented being 
 Boston, New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia. 
 Baltimore, Washington, Troy and Mansfield, 
 Conn., in the East, and Chicago and Cleveland 
 in the West. Washington entered tw^o teams 
 at the beginning of the season, but one with- 
 drew. 
 
 In 1873 nine clubs entered for the Associa- 
 
 148 
 
The History of J3aseball 
 
 tion champiotiship, but only eight were ac- 
 corded a position in the record at the close of 
 the campaign. The Maryland Club, of Balti- 
 more, after losing five games, retired from the 
 arena. In 1873 a rival club to the Athletics, of 
 Philadelphia, entered the field, it being the 
 Philadelphias, and they not only outplayed their 
 local opponents, but would probably have 
 won the pennant but for some questionable 
 methods employed toward the finish. They 
 led the Athletics in the race by a percentage of 
 victories of .679 to .549. In that year Tim 
 Murnane played first base and Anson shortstop 
 for the Athletics. A new aspirant from New 
 Jersey entered the Hsts in 1873, the Resolutes, 
 of Elizabeth, which nine included : D. AUison, 
 catcher, Wolters, pitcher ; Mike Campbell, 
 first base ; Laughlin, second base ; Swandell, 
 third base ; Jack Farrell, shortstop ; Fleet, left 
 field; Austin, centre field, and High Campbell, 
 right field. 
 
 No more striking evidence of the unsatis- 
 factory working of affairs under the old Asso- 
 ciation's management can be presented than 
 that shown by the championship record of 
 1874. Eight clubs entered the lists that year, 
 one only of which represented the West, viz., 
 Chicago. The other cities that had teams were 
 Boston, New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, 
 Baltimore and Hartford, two clubs entering 
 from Philadelphia. At the close of the cham- 
 pionship season, when the Association's com- 
 mittee examined the records, it was found that 
 
 149 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 out of 232 games scheduled to be played, only 
 185 legally counted in the decisive record, 96 
 games of the schedule being left unplayed. 
 
 The professional season of 1875 saw the 
 management of the aitairs of the Association 
 culminate in a manner so damaging to the wel- 
 fare of the fraternity at large as to lead to a 
 movement for reform measures, which finally 
 gave the death blow to the old Association, and 
 its place w^as taken by a new organization, the 
 main object of which was the substitution of a 
 professional league governed by clubs for an 
 association controlled chiefly by players. In 
 1875 sundry evils in the professional system of 
 the period had grow^n to such an extent that 
 they threatened its future existence. Contract 
 breaking, "revolving,'' the failure to meet en- 
 gagements, and, what was worse than all, pool 
 and gam.bling influences, led to the develop- 
 ment of a degree of dishonesty in the ranks 
 which brought professional ball playing down 
 to the level of the turf contests of the period. 
 It was under this condition of afifairs that the 
 season of 1875 terminated, and then was com- 
 menced the reform movement which led to the 
 establishment of the ''National League of Pro- 
 fessional Base-ball Clubs," in 1876, and this it 
 was that saved the life of the professional sys- 
 tem of ball playing. 
 
 In 1875 thirteen clubs entered the lists for 
 the Professional Association championship, 
 representing seven Eastern and three Western 
 cities — New York, Boston, Brooklyn, Wash- 
 
 150 
 
The History of Baseball 
 
 ington, Hartford and New Haven, each enter- 
 ing one club from the East, Chicago and Keo- 
 kuk, la., one each from the West, and Phila- 
 delphia entering three clubs and St. Louis two. 
 Such an arrangement in itself was a barrier to 
 success in the season's campaign, and the final 
 result proved it, as only eleven of the thirteen 
 clubs played out their quota of games. Phila- 
 delphia entered the old Athletics, the Philadel- 
 phias and the new Centennial Club, the St. 
 Louis Club and the Red Stockings, of St. 
 Louis, being the two clubs from the latter city. 
 Bankruptcy attended the closing up of the af- 
 fairs of the majority of the above clubs in 1875. 
 The most noteworthy contest of the old Asso- 
 ciation's last season was that played at Chi- 
 cago, June 19, between the Chicago White 
 Stockings and the Dark Blues, of Hartford, in 
 which the veteran pugilist, Billy McLean, of 
 Philadelphia, acted as umpire. For ten suc- 
 cessive innings not a run was scored on eitiier 
 side, but in the eleventh the Chicago won, i to 
 o. Zettlein pitched for Chicago and Arthur 
 Cummings for Hartford, the late veteran, Rob- 
 ert Ferguson, being manager and third base- 
 man of the Blues, with D. Allison, catcher ; E. 
 Mills, Burdock and Ferguson being on the 
 bases ; Carey as shortstop, and York, Remsen 
 and Bond in the outfield, the nine includinc: no 
 less than six Brooklyn players. Besides Zett- 
 lein the Chicaeo nine included Hig^ham, catch- 
 er ; Devlin, Miller and Warren on the bases ; 
 Peters as shortstop, and Glenn, Hines and 
 
 151 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 Hastings in the outfield. It is interesting to 
 note the make-up of the St. Louis Club for the 
 year that club first entered the Professional As- 
 sociation. It was as follows : Miller, catcher ; 
 Bradley, pitcher; Dehlman, first base; Battin, 
 second base ; Fleet, third base ; Dick Pearce, 
 shortstop, with Cuthbert, Pike and Chapman in 
 the outfield. Billy Barnie was catcher of the 
 Western team of Keokuk that year, with Gold- 
 en as pitcher. Matthews and Hicks were the 
 MutuaFs battery; McBride and Clapp that of 
 the Athletics ; Zettlein and Hastings for Chi- 
 cago ; Fisher and Snyder for the Philadelphias, 
 and Spalding and White for the Bostons, it 
 being the last year that the latter two played to- 
 gether in the Boston Club. 
 
 THE ADVENT OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE 
 
 The National League began its history in the 
 spring of 1876, when the Mutual Club repre- 
 sented Brooklyn, Mr. Cammeyer being vir- 
 tually its proprietor and manager; the Athlet- 
 ics, of course, represented Philadelphia. The 
 Hartford Club was a new organization, with 
 Mr. Bulkeley, ex-Governor of Connecticut, at 
 its head, and he was elected first president of 
 the newly-organized National League. At the 
 close of the season of 1876 the Athletic and 
 Mutual Clubs were expelled from the League 
 for failing to play out their full schedule of 
 
 games. 
 
 IC2 
 
The History of Baseball 
 
 In 1877 only six clubs comprised the League 
 circuit, neither Philadelphia nor Brooklyn be- 
 ing represented, as in 1876. Moreover, the 
 Cincinnati Club forfeited its membership for 
 that year, owing to non-payment of dues, and 
 its championship games were thrown out, 
 though the club played y2 games, of which it 
 w^on but 19. 
 
 In 1878 the Cincinnati Club, having squared 
 it accounts, re-entered the League, and the new 
 club from Providence became a member. The 
 St. Louis Club, as also the Hartford Club, re- 
 signed their membership, and, as Indianapolis 
 and Milwaukee were elected members of the 
 League, the circuit was again one of six clubs. 
 
 In 1879 the League's circuit was extended to 
 eight clubs, as in 1876, and it remained at this 
 number from 1879 i-^ntil 1892, when it was ex- 
 tended to twelve clubs. 
 
 In 1879 the Buffalo Club entered the League, 
 as also the Star Club, of Syracuse. The Troy 
 Club — the successor of the old Haymakers, of 
 the 6o's — also entered the ranks, thereby mak- 
 ing the circuit eight clubs, the Indianapolis 
 and Milwaukee Clubs retiring. It was in this 
 year that the uniform charge of 50 cents for 
 admission to the League games was adopted. 
 
 RECORD OF THE 80'S 
 
 We now come to the decade of the 8o's, dur- 
 ing which the National League had to fight 
 
 153 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 hard, not only to maintain its supremacy as the 
 leading professional organization of the coun- 
 try, but also to sustain the reputation for in- 
 tegrity of play in the professional ranks which 
 it had started out to enforce in 1876. It was 
 during this decade that the rival organization, 
 the American Association, sprang into ex- 
 istence, with its special point of half the price of 
 admission to its games to that charged by the 
 National League. The advent of this associa- 
 tion occurred in 1882, and two years later the 
 fundamental principle of the League, inaugu- 
 rated in the 8o's, viz., that of its reserved play- 
 ers' clause, was made war upon by the Union 
 Association, established in 1884 to fight the re- 
 serve rule. The latter association only lived a 
 season, the League proving too powerful an 
 adversary for its longer existence. 
 
 In 1880 the Syracuse Club, having forfeited 
 its membership by failing to play its quota of 
 scheduled games, the Worcester Club entered 
 the League in its place. 
 
 In 1 88 1 the Cincinnati Club's position in the 
 League was declared vacant, owing to the 
 club's non-observance of sundry League rules, 
 and the Detroit Club was given its place, the 
 other seven clubs remaining as before. It was 
 in the winter of 1880 that the National League 
 adopted the following important resolution, 
 which it has strictly observed ever since : 
 
 At a meeting of the National Leae^ue on De- 
 cember 8, 1880, on motion a preamble was read 
 to the effect that the noted quartette of Louis- 
 
 151 
 
The History of Baseball 
 
 ville players, viz., Al. ''Nichols,'' James Devlin, 
 G. W. Hall and W. Graver, having applied for 
 the removal of their disabilities, the following 
 resolution be adopted : 
 
 "Resolved, That notice is hereby served on 
 the persons named, and on their friends, de- 
 fenders and apologists, that the Board of Di- 
 rectors of the National League will never re- 
 mit the penalties inflicted upon such persons, 
 nor will they hereafter entertain any appeal 
 from them or in their behalf/' 
 
 The establishment of this fundamental prin- 
 ciple of the professional base-ball business is 
 the corner-stone of the National League build- 
 ing, and the very life of the business depends 
 upon its being sustained by future governments 
 in professional base-ball. 
 
 From 1877 thereafter to the ertd of the Na- 
 tional League's existence, no player found 
 guilty of dishonesty in the professional clubs 
 under the National Agreement, will be allowed 
 to play in any professional club. It was the 
 strict enforcement of this rule which made 
 professional base-ball the most honest field 
 sport in vogue. 
 
 It was in 1882 that the League adopted a rule 
 requiring each club to have its club colors 
 shown in the stockings of the players' uniforms. 
 The Boston nine, red stockings ; the Ghicagos, 
 white; the Glevelands, navy blue, the Troys, 
 green ; the Providence, light blue ; the Buffalos, 
 gray ; the Detroits, old gold, and the Worces- 
 ters, brown. These were the colors chosen. 
 
 155 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 In 1883 an important change in the League 
 circuit was made, the two prominent League 
 AlHance Clubs of 1882 — the New York and 
 Philadelphia Clubs — entering the League cir- 
 cuit this year, Troy and Worcester retiring. 
 The New York team was materially strength- 
 ened by accessions from the Troy Club, no- 
 tably so in the case of Ewing, Keefe, Welch, 
 Connor and Gillespie. 
 
 In 1885 the League virtually broke up the 
 Union Association of 1884 by taking its chief 
 supporter from its ranks, President Lucas, of 
 the St. Louis Club, entering the League, Cleve- 
 land being retired. A year afterward the Cleve- 
 lands joined the American Association ; but 
 two seasons in that organization sufficed, and 
 in 1889 that club returned to its old love, the 
 League. 
 
 In 1886 two changes were made in the 
 League's circuit. Providence and Buffalo retir- 
 ing and the Washington and Kansas City Clubs 
 taking their places in the League. 
 
 In 1887 St. Louis and Kansas City were re- 
 tired from the League, and Pittsburg and In- 
 dianapolis replaced them, the latter entering the 
 League for the second time. These changes, 
 together with the recruiting of the Detroit's 
 ranks with the "big four" of the period, en- 
 abled that club, after seven seasons' trial, to 
 win the pennant. 
 
 In 1888 no change was made in the League 
 circuit, the same clubs competing for the pen- 
 nant as in the previous year. 
 
 156 
 
The History of Baseball 
 
 In 1889 Cleveland resumed its old position 
 as a member of the League, Detroit retiring. 
 
 PLAYERS' LEAGUE REVOLUTION 
 
 A wonderful transformation scene occurred 
 in League history in 1890, viz., that of the 
 players' revolt. The year 1889 had closed so 
 brilliantly — that being the year of the great 
 tour of the world made by Spalding and the 
 combination of the Chicago and All-American 
 teams, which culminated in the grand banquet 
 in Delmonico's, in New York, over which the 
 Mayors of New York and Brooklyn presided — 
 that the revolution of 1890 burst upon the mag- 
 nates of the League like the sudden eruption 
 of a volcano. It proved to be just such a test 
 of the innate strength of the National League 
 as the great rebellion of the 6o's in the South- 
 ern States was of the strength of the Union 
 itself. In proportion to its size it was just as 
 costly while it lasted, but this time the League 
 mastered its adversaries in such a way that it 
 put an end forever to any future revolt of the 
 kind. The final outcome of the base-ball revo- 
 lution of 1890 was not only the utter defeat of 
 the League secessionists, but also the death of 
 the League's old rival, the American Associa- 
 tion. But further comment on the subject is 
 out of place and beyond the scope of this brief 
 statistical review of professional baseball his- 
 tory. 
 
 157 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 In 1890 the Cincinnati Club re-entered the 
 League circuit, and Brooklyn was once more 
 represented in the National League for the first 
 time since 1876, Indianapolis and Washington 
 both retiring. The demoralized condition of 
 things which prevailed in the League in 1890 
 enabled the strong team of the Brooklyn Club 
 — fresh from winning the championship of the 
 American Association in 1889 — to carry oflf 
 the honors. 
 
 It was in 1890 that the Pittsburg Club made 
 the unprecedented record in the championship 
 campaign of scoring 114 defeats. In 1891 the 
 American Association committed suicide 
 through the medium of its secession from the 
 National Agreem.ent compact, and for the time 
 being a badly demoralized condition of things 
 prevailed in the professional base-ball arena, as 
 it threatened to give a death-blow to the whole 
 professional business by destroying public faith 
 in its honesty. At this critical juncture, how- 
 ever, the National League stepped into this 
 dangerous gap for its rescue from bankruptcy, 
 and at a cost of $180,000 bought up the four 
 leading clubs of the American Association and 
 thereby extended the League's circuit and at 
 the same time ended the ten years' history of 
 the rival association, its demise being the result 
 of its breaking the National Agreement. No 
 change occurred in the circuit in i8qi, the re- 
 construction business not being completed until 
 the winter of i8q2, though the movement began 
 after the close of the campaign in 1891. 
 
 158 
 
The History of Baseball 
 
 It will be seen that the story of the progress 
 of the National League from its organization 
 in 1876 up to the period of its reconstruction in 
 1892, presents a chapter of base-ball history of 
 the deepest interest, inasmuch as it is descrip- 
 tive of the evolution of professional base-ball, 
 through the wrecking era of pool gambling — 
 which ordeal it had to withstand during the de- 
 cade of the 70's — to that harbor of safety, the 
 "National Agreement,'' in which it was anchor- 
 ed in 1885.- The League's successful resistance 
 to the greed of the "star" players of the fra- 
 ternity in 1890, and its victory in its fight with 
 the old American Association in 1891, closed its 
 checkered career up to the time of the recon- 
 struction of its circuit in 1902. 
 
 It was during this long period of its history 
 that the League found itself antagonized by the 
 worst elements of professional base-ball playing. 
 At first downright crookedness raised its hide- 
 ous head, then came that other phase of pro- 
 fessional dishonesty — contract breaking — the 
 door to which was opened by the rivalry with 
 the opposition American Association, while 
 drunkenness prevailed in the ranks to an extent 
 which made it an obstacle to the financial suc- 
 cess of base-ball. All these elements of opposi- 
 tion to playing the game in its integrity were, 
 of necessity, obliged to be met and conquered 
 by arbitrary enactments and strong coercive 
 measures, which would naturally be objection- 
 able under a better condition of things. Ex- 
 perience, in fact, taught the League that noth- 
 
 159 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 ing short of the ungloved hand would be able 
 to cope successfully against the evils that that 
 organization had to encounter during the era 
 of the rule of the ''rough" element in the pro- 
 fessional fraternity. 
 
 NEW ERA OF THE DECADE OF THE 90'S 
 
 The advent of the twelve-club circuit of the 
 National League in 1892 led to the inaugura- 
 tion of a new era in professional base-ball his- 
 tory, as it began the reign of a strong major 
 league as the leading organization in the gov- 
 ernment of the whole professional base-ball 
 fraternity. Prior to 1892 the eight clubs of the 
 National League circuit comprised the Boston, 
 New York, Brooklyn and Philadelphia Clubs, 
 representing the Eastern section, and the Chi- 
 cago, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Pittsburg 
 Clubs the Western. In 1892, however, the 
 Baltimore and Washington Clubs were added 
 to the' Eastern branch and the St. Louis and 
 Louisville Clubs to the Western, and then be- 
 gan the twelve-club pennant race in the Na- 
 tional League for that year. Then, too, a new 
 experiment in pennant racing was commenced, 
 and that was the arrangement of a double 
 schedule of games for the season, the first be- 
 ginning in April and ending in July, the sec- 
 ond season lasting from July to October, the 
 full schedule calling for the playing of 150 
 games by each club during the entire season. 
 
 160 
 
BAN JOHNSON 
 President of the American League 
 
The History of Baseball 
 
 Thus far in the history of the reconstruction 
 of the National League circuit from eight to 
 twelve clubs, the League occupied the un- 
 questioned position of a great major organ- 
 ization, all the other leagues in the arena being 
 minor leagues. But in 1899 the Western 
 League — the leader of the minor leagues — 
 began to aspire to a position of equality with 
 the existing major league, and it sought for an 
 opening in that direction in Chicago. In the 
 meantime the financial results of the National 
 League's campaign of 1899 had been so un- 
 satisfactory, largely due to the existing Span- 
 ish war of that period, that the League's legis- 
 lators deemed it necessary to take some action 
 calculated to improve matters in 1900. But 
 without looking carefully into the question of 
 the true cause of its financial losses of 1899 
 they jumped to the hasty and unwise conclu- 
 sion that the reduction of the League's circuit 
 from twelve to eight clubs would obviate the 
 difficulty, and the practical results of their de- 
 termination to try the experiment was to leave 
 the League franchises of the Baltimore, Wash- 
 ington, Cleveland and Louisville Clubs unrep- 
 resented by teams in the pennant race of 1900. 
 This premature change in the arrangement of 
 the League circuit, made two years prior to the 
 end of the ten years' compact, resulted in the 
 first place in no improvement in the financial 
 returns of 1900 or in the attractive character 
 of the pennant race of that year, while one im- 
 portant consequence was that it opened the 
 
 161 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 door to the extension of the expansion poHcy 
 of the American League, and idtimately to the 
 base-ball war inaugurated that year with its 
 costly sequence of demoralization in the ranks 
 and a return to the old contract-breaking evils 
 which characterized the rivalry between the 
 League and the American Association during 
 the decade of the 8o's. 
 
 In December, 1901, the ten years' League 
 compact ended, and a new era of National 
 League history was begun. 
 
 In recording the most important fact relat- 
 ing to professional base-ball history, since the 
 time of its organization in 1871, one has to 
 make special reference to a chapter of the ex- 
 perience which marked the decade of the 8o's, 
 during which period the American Asso- 
 ciation, starting out as a minor organization, 
 essayed to rival the National League as a 
 major league. What this would-be rivalry 
 cost the National League during the decade 
 of the 80's in the way of raising the salaries 
 of the players may be judged by the figures of 
 the salaries paid to star players the year before 
 the American Association was organized, and 
 the salaries paid in 1889, the last successful- 
 year of the old Association. Here are the 
 figures side by side : 
 
 Player. 1881 1889 
 
 M. J. Kelly $1300 $4000 
 
 H. Richardson 1250 4200 
 
 E. N. Williamson 1400 3000 
 
 D. Brouthers 875 4700 
 
 162 
 
The History of Baseball 
 
 J. H. O'Rourke 2000 3500 
 
 J. L. White 1600 3500 
 
 J. C. Rowe 1250 3500 
 
 E. Hanlon 1200 3100 
 
 G. A. Wood 875 2500 
 
 James Galvin 1200 3000 
 
 Fred Pfeffer 750 3000 
 
 William Ewing 1000 5000 
 
 J. M. Ward 1700 4250 
 
 T. J. Keefe 1500 4500 
 
 Roger Connor 900 3500 
 
 It was during the decade of the 8o's 
 that the fact was practically realized by the 
 club magnates of the period that the players 
 were reaping nearly all of the financial benefits 
 of the whole professional business, this being 
 shown by a statement published in November, 
 1889, by Messrs. Spalding, Day and Rogers, 
 in which the following paragraph appeared : 
 
 ''To correct misapprehension in the pub- 
 lic mind as to the alleged enormous profits di- 
 vided among stockholders of League clubs, it 
 may be interesting to know that during the 
 past five — and only prosperous — years, there 
 have been paid in cash dividends to stockhold- 
 ers in the eight League clubs less than $150,- 
 000, and during the same time League players 
 have received in salaries over $1,500,000. The* 
 balance of the profits of the few successful 
 clubs, together with the original capital and 
 subsequent assessments of stockholders, is rep- 
 resented entirely in grounds and improvements 
 for the permanent good of the game, costing 
 
 163 
 
How to Play Baseball 
 
 about $600,000/' 
 
 Before closing this series of chapters of pro- 
 fessional base-ball history it is necessary to 
 refer to two systems connected with the busi-. 
 ness, without which the government of the 
 fraternity at large would be helpless, and they 
 are the ''National Agreement" compact and 
 the ''Reserve Rule." Both are a necessity in 
 the business, but especially is the National 
 Agreement, which is the very basis of the 
 whole professional base-ball structure. Before 
 it was established a condition of things pre- 
 vailed in the business which, if continued an- 
 other year, would have given the death blow 
 to professional base-ball, inasmuch as pool 
 gambling, contract breaking and revolving 
 were existing abuses in the professional arena 
 up to the time of the enactment of this self 
 same "National Agreement." 
 
 NATIONAL LEAGUE'S CHAMPIONSHIP 
 RECORD 
 
 The record showing which clubs have won 
 pennant races since the organization of the 
 National League in 1876 presents a very inter- 
 esting historical table, as it contains the figures 
 of the total victories and defeats scored bv each 
 club from 1876 to 1902 inclusive, as well as the 
 percentage of victories for each season and the 
 numbers of clubs comprising the circuit each 
 
 164 
 
SCRAPPY BILL" JOYCE 
 
The History of Baseball 
 
 year, together with the names of the chib man- 
 agers of each team winning championship 
 honors. The table is as follows : 
 
 THE CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS 
 
 Years. Winners. 
 
 Won. 
 
 Lost. 
 
 P. c't. : 
 
 Managers. Clubs. 
 
 1876 Chicago . . . 
 
 , . 52 
 
 14 
 
 .788 
 
 Spalding 
 
 8 
 
 1877 Boston . . . 
 
 . 31 
 
 17 
 
 .646 
 
 H. Wright 
 
 6 
 
 1878 Boston . . . , 
 
 . . 41 
 
 19 
 
 .680 
 
 H. Wright 
 
 6 
 
 1879 Providence. 
 
 . 55 
 
 23 
 
 .705 
 
 Geo. Wright 8 
 
 1880 Chicago . . , 
 
 . . 67 
 
 17 
 
 .798 
 
 Anson 
 
 8 
 
 1881 Chicago . . , 
 
 . . 56 
 
 28 
 
 .667 
 
 Anson 
 
 8 
 
 1882 Chicago . . 
 
 . . 55 
 
 29 
 
 .655 
 
 Anson 
 
 8 
 
 1883 Boston . . . 
 
 ., 63 
 
 28 
 
 .750 
 
 Bancroft 
 
 8 
 
 1884 Providence. 
 
 . 84 
 
 35 
 
 .643 
 
 Morrill 
 
 8 
 
 1885 Chicago . . , 
 
 . . 87 
 
 25 
 
 .776 
 
 Anson 
 
 8 
 
 1886 Chicago . . . 
 
 . 90 
 
 34 
 
 .725 
 
 Anson 
 
 8 
 
 1887 Detroit . . . 
 
 .. 79 
 
 45 
 
 .637 
 
 Watkins 
 
 8 
 
 1888 New Yori^ . 
 
 ..84 
 
 47 
 
 .641 
 
 Mutrie 
 
 8 
 
 1889 New York., 
 
 . . 83 
 
 43 
 
 .659 
 
 Mutrie 
 
 8 
 
 1890 Brooklyn .. 
 
 , . 86 
 
 43 
 
 .667 
 
 McGunnigle 8 
 
 1891 Boston . . . 
 
 . 87 
 
 51 
 
 .630 
 
 Selee 
 
 8 
 
 1892 Boston . . . 
 
 ..102 
 
 48 
 
 .680 
 
 Selee 
 
 12 
 
 1893 Boston . . . 
 
 . 86 
 
 43 
 
 .667 
 
 Selee 
 
 12 
 
 1894 Baltimore.. 
 
 .. 89 
 
 39 
 
 .695 
 
 Hanlon 
 
 12 
 
 1895 Baltimore . 
 
 . 87 
 
 43 
 
 .669 
 
 Hanlon 
 
 12 
 
 1896 Baltimore . 
 
 . . 90 
 
 39 
 
 .698 
 
 Hanlon 
 
 12 
 
 1897 Boston . . . 
 
 .. 93 
 
 39 
 
 .705 
 
 Selee 
 
 12 
 
 1898 Boston 
 
 .102 
 
 47 
 
 .685 
 
 Selee 
 
 12 
 
 1899 Brooklyn . . 
 
 ..101 
 
 47 
 
 .682 
 
 Hanlon 
 
 12 
 
 1900 Brooklyn . 
 
 .. 82 
 
 54 
 
 .603 
 
 Hanlon 
 
 8 
 
 1901 Pittsburg . 
 
 . 90 
 
 49 
 
 .647 
 
 Clarke 
 
 8 
 
 1902 Pittsburg . . 
 
 .103 
 
 36 
 
 .741 
 
 Clarke 
 
 8 
 
 i6s 
 
PARTING WORDS OF ADVICE 
 
 WILL LAN(;E, the Chicago 
 player, was remarkably pro- 
 lific in his work on the dia- 
 mond. He executed many 
 remarkable plays. Catches 
 in the outfield, which ap- 
 peared to be good for home 
 runs, would be taken by him 
 with that same ease and 
 grace that might be ex- 
 pected in an ordinary fly. 
 His judgment was unerr- 
 ing. He has demonstrated 
 his value as a player many 
 times, and seemed to be able to do exactly the 
 right thing at the right time. 
 
 In the recent series of games with St. Louis, 
 some excellent playing was witnessed, but 
 there was an absence of that kind of play 
 which not only materially aids in winning 
 games, but gives satisfaction to the spectators. 
 In the run-and-hit game, the Philadelphia Club 
 gave an excellent display of sacrifice hitting, 
 and it was largely due to this fact that the 
 series was won by Philadelphia, as the teams 
 otherwise were very evenly matched. Players 
 will often find many opportunities to help their 
 club if they will only watch for them. Over- 
 
 167 
 
APR 21 1903 
 
 How to Play Baseball 
 
 anxiety is another bad fault. Patience should 
 be cultivated, and in this the local club is mak- 
 ing splendid progress. But for the fact that 
 Plank was not at his best, the entire series 
 would have been won by the Philadelphians. 
 It w^as a slugging match, with an entire 
 absence of scientific playing, which both teams 
 are capable of. 
 
 Hustings won the second game by his ex- 
 cellent pitching, aided by good fielding, while 
 in the remaining games the work of the local 
 players left little to be desired. 
 
 As it has been already pointed out, every 
 player on a team should know as far as pos- 
 sible the play of his club mates. A perfect 
 understanding should exist between the play- 
 ers, and every man should work for his team 
 and not for self. 
 
 i68 
 
M 
 
 -^7 
 
 Popular Paper Edition 
 
 25"= 
 
 Physical Culture 
 
 Heavy 
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 I 9 
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 25 
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 Self=Defense 
 
 BY 
 
 Robert Fitzsimmons 
 
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