The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-06-13
BASEBALL BOON.
4 Tight Game Between !s1a Den
A ii7 yer and Leadville'
DISPUTE OVER A BLOCK BALL
.a.v Game with No Result
a S Sup" Teams who should n1.i be In
duced to Pay Us a '
n1CpUrE OVER A BLOON Dill

81 Denver. and seIIe'
S :. Going on there between the p'n
peen Ell IeadyilIe Blues, the attend
Veis a. 81 pbich on Sunday last reache'
. noo. saturdays game was won by Tn
1'Jy,IIe,s II to 8; Sundays game d
!Ea following uOtice will show th e
lne inch confusion over, though th'
"a ,,ire finally declared it tie we re
dHlP- pm the account from the Denve'
p p'. because it mentions 50 many
ns~,, familiar in sporting circles here
an a because it treats of a point in th'
niles, which will also be OF interest L
local players: ntorost
ing and rather e1cl6hg a ua Denvel
between the Leadville blues anu peii 81 81
nine. on the Denver Base pan h Z a. in N
SUNDAY afternoon, must De9in ~ Lo
version. That is, the eHus mus W
changed. the last coming hrst:
Atfbe close of the eighth lhnins IHe
score stood nine to six IN favor Vi I1ea .,,
lille At the beginning OF the hiAt1
the Blues went to bat and were reLiTeu
in succession. leaving the score as pc
fore. This gave the Denvers chance
for victory. Drexler went to bat and
nonned out to Blake. Then Mean
draws made a short hit and secured bis
base Oscar P. Davis followed with a
base hit. sending McAndrews to second.
Sullivan came next to bat and secured
base hit which advanced McAndreWs
to third and filed the bases. Now came
Marion to the bat. After one or two
halls had been called and foul hit made,
he spnt bounder to Carr on short held,
which. Carr. as matter of course, threw
hack in the direction of home to cut on
UcApdreys. In this Carr failed by
reason of wide and high throw, the
hall escaping Hull (the catcher and
going among the dense crowd to the
right of the pitchers position, where 1t
was not secured and returned TO the
pitcher. standing in has position, until
McAndrews, Davis, Sullivan and Mar
ton had passed over the home plate,
making four runs for Denver and fixing
the score at 10 to in their favor.
Now, the question arises, was the ball
thrown by Carr, which escaped Hull
and landed in the crowd, blocked ball.
The rule SAYS, "a block is batted or
thrown ball that is stopped or handled
by any person not engaged III the
game" There is evidence that the ball
in question was stopped or handled by
a person not engaged in the game, and,
after being handled, the ball fell be-
tween the seats to the ground, when the
catcher secured it. ran back to home
plate and touched Marion between
third and home If this theory is cor
rect-and we think it is-the ball was
blocked, Marion was not out, and the
score was 10 to 9 in favor of Denver,
unless ground rule intervenes to des-
troy or modify the effects Of the blocked
bail.
Did a ground rule so intervene? The
umpire, in the written decision filed
last night-he alleging that no decision
was made on the field-says a ground
rule did intervene, which allowed
block ball to DE fielded anywhere in case
the ball so blocked went into the crowd
to the right or left of the catcher's
field. This allows the runs credited to
McAndreTs, Davis and Sullivan to
stand and puts Marion out, making the
score tie.
While the umpire may be technically
wrong, under either the block ball or
ground solution of the middle, his de-
elslon governs the making os the score,
the entry IN the schedule and all bets
and wagers depending on the game.
The decision of the umpire is given
herewith:
DENVER, June I, 1884.
To the Rocky Mountain News:
Below I give my decision on SUNDAYS
bali game:
For the benefit of those who NAV not
understand the true state of affairs
VIII make few statements. Outside nf
the printed rules and regulations
governing the game of baseball there
are others made which, though not con
tiicting with the regular rules are ne
ceSsary, las IN TINS lnstance) in case of
obstacles IN the field that can only be
overcome In this manner. These are
called special ground rules, and gov
ern the decision of the umpire when
ever there be occasion. Should a field
ed ball be handled by any but a player
us termed a "block ball, I" and the run
ner cannot be put out by any fielder I'M
u! the ball has been returned to the
pitcher, he (the pitcher being in his
proper position.
was witness (having made special
INQUIRY to an agreement entered into
oy both captains of the mines to this
effect: That. eveR in case a fielded call
gdS blocked by the crowd behind the
nome plate, such ball was not to he
termed block, but was open to he
helded anywhere. " ~
Iahng the above into consideration
IkQecide that the last runner was put
out, and the game, according to the
score, stands 8 to 8. Also, the action of
sne Denver nine in leaving the field be-
lore a decision was given was not ex-
actly the thing.
l VIII also call attention to the follow
ing rule, found in this wears guide.
=, RULE On the case of a Fsblock" if
me person not engaged in the game
should retain possession of the hail or
=shrTow or kick it beyond the reach of the
leluers, the umpire should call "rimen
and require each base runner to sfon at
s aan laSt base touched by him until the
N the box.
Very truly yours.
P. B. orKRo.
LEI Let US return to the game. Some
-,Ogo people constituted the audience.
ana, IN the main, they were generous
t s TAR in distributing applause. The
nIst inning with o. ?. Davis catcherl
Was badly played by Denver. there be.
isng SIX errors behind the bat and in the
nSld, upon which, with one fair hit
alaed, the Blues secured four runs. The
D y, innings Were well contested the