Evening journal., 1892-09-03

Eccehtricities OF the national Game.
Two Opposing Fleets of Nine Craft
Each-A Liquid Vote of Thanks.
Special Correspondence Evening Journal.
SIAscoNsET, Nantucket Island Mass.
Sept. For fifteen years there have
been bail matches in this place between
the 'Sconset and Nantucket Mines Gen
orally the 'Sconsets have been the
winners. Their players are college
students who pass their summers here
The games are witnessed with much in
terest by the summer visitors. But base
ball the old whaling captains and sail
ors here never could understand
plate and base, and 'out-field' and
''in-feld" and short stop" and run
and the many words familiar to those
who have looked upon the diamond field.
TO them are little better than so much
South Sea jargon Of which they did know
something,
The other evening. in the 'Sconset Club
house, some Of the old captains were dis
cussing the subject Captain Peleg Bun
ker entered He had been visiting some
relatives in New York and Brooklyn and
with them had seen several games of ball
played Catching on to the discussion
he said: Il know somethin' about this
base ball game now.
'How is that ?" asked Captain Jabez
Swain, putting his right hand to his ear
in acoustic style2
'Well said Captain Peleg, Perhaps
had better explain it from the begin
ming. You see there are nine craft IN
each Of the two fleets opposed to one
another, and each craft on one side tries
in turn to sail the course. The crafts in
the other feet try to cut 'thwart hawso
and heave him of his course. 1t is nine
again one all the time.
"What is the course p asked Captain
Eben Hussey.
''Oh, l forgot that said Captain
Peleg. First, the course is laid out
from the pint of departure, goin' eight
pints TO starboard six fathoms, where =
buoy is placed They then haul up from
the buoy, eight p'ints to port the same
distance, and then a second buoy is an-
chored then eight pints to port ag'in for
six fathoms and there athird buoy is put
down, from which it Is exactly eight
pints to port. to the pint of departure,
which is the landing each one makes
when he gets back from the cruise
Now, we're learning somethin, said
Captain Ichabod Coffin. Il could always
understand a sensible description, even if
there wasn't any chart handy. But
what is the meanin' of the Teller striking
with a small capstan bar at a shot when
it is fred at him p
You're Of sounpin's, said Captain
Peleg. THAT isn't a capsten bar; its a
ball club and it isn't a shot that's thrown,
but it is burned near it. for it is mighty
hard and heavy and if it hits q man in
tho diaphragm after takin' his duff, it
wouldn't make his digestion any better
That's the ball About half way be-
tween the landin' and the second buoy, a
man stands who throws the ball toward
the man who is on the landin' with the
club in his hands He tries to hit the
ball as it comes to him and to hit 1t hard.
II he does hit It and doesn't knock it out
side the sailin' course, between the land
in and the first buoy or between the
third buoy and the landin he puts his
helm hard sport, hoists all sail and
shapes his course for the first buoV. II
one Of the craft in the other feet gets the
ball before it lands on the ground and
the striker has not reached the buoy. OF
il the craft at the first buoy gets the
ball before the runner gets there, the run
ner is called "out That means that
he's laid up in ordinary and he can't
handle the club agjn until his turn
comes round.
That's plain enough, remarked Cap
tain Obed Coleman.
Then, resumed Captain Peleg "An-
other craft Of thu same fleet takes the
club aud tries to sail the course.
well, said Captain William Paddock,
second, II begin to see through it too,
But what do they mean by home
run'27
IL must explain" continued Captain
Peleg. when the craft at the landin
hits the ball and starts to sail over che
course, If he gets to the first buoy with
out bein' put out, he shapes his course
for the second Then If he secs the
course cloar he doesn't come TO anchor
he doesn't lay to and back his mainyard
but hauls up agin for the third and
and sometimes he is able to 90 off on the
port tack ag'in and get to the landin. As
/ said, when a man gets safe to the
landin' 10 is called a run" and whom he
makes the whole course without stop
ping his side logs him home run.
Now when three men on one side arc out
the whole feet is off the hooks aud gC
outside the course, and the other feet
comes into line and Z he same manRuvrC
is gone through with Recollect that
when a craft on one side starts on
cruise the whole fleet on the other sid,
tries to head him of, and so they have it
back and forth
Glow do you know which side. beatsi
asked Captain Zacheus Pitman
well, said Captain Peleg. "eacl
craft has the chance to sail the cours,
nine times, and each time is called al
innin, and whichever side makes tn,
most runs beats
"What is the man back of the landin
who has his face in limboes and
paunch net dashed to him for'ard anC
one of his hands covered with a tire,
decker mitteng"
"He is called the catcher" said Cap
tain Peleg. and as far as I understan,
it, a good deal depends upon him. Fo
instance, II ball falls near him and h,
gets it in his hippers. the striker goe
out Of commission. If he sees one of tn
feet sailing from one buoy to another III
tries to land the ball, if he gets TO-, in tn
hands Of the craft at the buoy towards
which the other craft is sailing
What is the fellow who heaves tn
ball to the man with the BARI" asked CAP
tain Shubacl Chase