The sun., 1893-05-07

TIE Erect or Fstsi.s= Back the Pitcher See.
IN the Openinn Games.

A question OF deep interest to baseball
cranks is whether the rule putting back the
| pitcher FIVE feet and compelling him to de.
liver the ball from n point 20 feet @ inches dis
tant from the homo plate will result in more
batting. For some years past the pitcher has
stood 55 feet from the home base. and the In
ability Of the strongest hatsmen to do effective
stick work. coupled with tine danger to players
who were unable to avoid the swiftly thrown
balls. Influenced tho League TO change the
| pitching distance. When the pitcher stood 55
| feet from the home plate he did not throw the
ball that distance. Hc stood with one foot on the
| rear line OF the box. which marked tho NIFTY
| nve-foot boundary. and the other foot was nd-
vanced toward the homo plate In the one
Rtep allowed in delivering the ball. ana the
swing OF the arm, the pitcher overcame fully
five feet and thus cut down the actual throw
ing distance to fifty feet SO in the present
case. while the pitcher stands sixty feet from
the home plate he will. as q matter OF fact.
throw the ball only ffty-nve feet.
1t has been doubted by many that the addi-
tional flve feet would havo any appreciable
effect on tho batting. and q strong effort was
made to have the pitcher rut in tho centre OF
the diamond. where his distance from the
home base would have been U3i feet. and his
pitching distance 5S feet. The League con-
cluded that an increase OF nve feet In the dis
tance would DO sufficient and the opening
games Of the championship season seems to
indicate that the Leagues judgment In that
particular was correct While two weeks Of
the season have not yet passed. still the hit
ting has been very lively. 1t might be urged
that tho pitchers have not yet become accus-
arms are not yet In tho good shape which
essy y. with met warm b1 Es nnt
I'm, n ypf n
s ton tS'seH to do iher are best stick work and that
as the season grows older their eyes will grow
is that tho constant rains, Of the past month
have soak ed every ball field In tho country III
When tho oa sun sts gets "A chance % 10 % The srouni
and the ball rolls after, striking tho earth, tho
felder7 will have Lively III, time Of t.. foIe
crack than, heretofore and that never
after % s esvnn a the fs'aT Gat Third base and shoss
stop appear to he the objective point OF mo-
SS IL tose 81 hSsf POSITIONS s .s 'dsFt
III" nnsr r4mss hss the oo II
ping them ana recovering in time to throw
that sort in tho few games at the Polo grounds
3e neSn so e. e The
tance which the bal travels in going from the
pitchers hand 10 the plate enables the bats
thus @ m meet i mere quickly than in the past
The natural result II the case Of rGht
's the ieft With CONSTITUENT Increased @ % Work for
the short stops and third bascmsn.
The increased distance could not but hnvo
exerton with the delivery OF each ball. and rs
the game goes on the pitcher is sure to exre-
Many bntsmen who have been unaLle to hit
the bal through fear OF Icing struck By
xciGus y, nshoots VIII nov ne NM have Ell psrtSr
have the effect OF removing their timidity and
increasing their batting;
port OF added batting is the scarcity OF. Strike
outs and the large amount OF work performed
played UP to date that has not been marked by
heavy hitting on one side or the other. but all
games have been, characterized by vicious
kept the scoring down.
Nearly every ItXShsr in the LssaCneEhns been
the eects Of the % rule. s He was in p.S tie "est
S hy % s % ns New nd dPs RE
hard "@s ~ both he "f Bostons S and Estimores @
or Or % less extent and the holders % S''1r "re
That Is object fA1f amea at hS Sy those
who changed the rule. and the people will soc
occurrences this summer. and the few cranks
who admire those sort OF game will be dtsnp- |
pointed. There cannot be the slightest doubt
that as tho season advances the batting will |
incrense and that the result will he u series OF |
the most exciting games ever witnessed in a |
cham mpionship struggle. The sacrifice hit con-
tinuos to bo a bone OF contention among |
scorers. The rule is very plain and reads as
follows:
Kule G7 Section Am the fourth column shall be |
Placed sser,,cs hits which shall be credited rs
-unner \ base n ny to the otneid n ground hit,
" hich resuits nIputluy out the batsmnn. would
.esult II banded without error.
1t is ruito evident from the above that no |
matter whether tho bntBman Intentionally sac |
-iflcos himself or smashes the ball for a base |
hit. he must get n sacrifice hit. provided no |
advances a runner base
There is. however. another branch Of the
question and that Is covered by rule G5. deiin- |
ng time ut bnt. By the terms Of this rule |
player is eXompt from a IL inc at bat I'm case |
II o. sacrafce hit. purposely made to the In |
leld."
Therefore. 1t is plain that when n batsman
)urposely hits tho ball to the fnfleld. sacrifices
iimself and advances n runner. he Is not to
20 charged with timo at the bat. The eXemp-
ion from n timo at at applies only to inned
hits and the man who hits n sacrifice fly to
.he outneld. advancing u runner. will get
l...- "A. a \.