I finally began to stand on the edge of it, figuring that if I had to run for the ball I'd be quite unlikely to step into it. A fielder's position is dependent much more on holes in the ground rather than holes in the defense. The quality of play was probably around the same as any other pickup game. Some people can play, some know the rules but can't play, and some are just clueless but try hard. The French especially rarely have any idea what to do.
Baseball is full of arcane rules and strategies, which is part of what makes it so interesting.
But when you haven't grown up with it, as the French and British have not, it's a tough game to learn. As long as everyone has a sense of humor and there is still more beer in the cooler, it goes pretty well. Boy, I wish we had had an infield fly rule, though. I watched it go into his glove, then turned and dove back to second. I stood up to see the first base runner heading for my bag, then felt a tap on my back.