The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-06-16

| fronts the scorer OF every ball game
No matter what he does, whether he
scores chance rs an error. or gives
the batsman hit. he is sure to find
that sentiment is divided.
AS a rule the average fan Is in.
clined to favor giving errors n
against hits. He forgets that the rules
say that an error is not to be charged
where there is a hard chance even
though the fielder may have his
hands on the ball ard tha; :he scoring
rules also state that the batsman Is
to be given the credit OF doubt.
There are many difficult chances
that come more particularly to the
inheld-,s, IN which hits can properly
be given. and yet MIR Crab will ac-
toward the player, whose record
might be affected. Often bah Will
take bad bound as the third base
men or shortstop is waiting forit Yes,
that player gets his hands on the bail
but he is accepting q difiicult chance.
To charge him up with an error under
such circumstances is not only unfair
to him, as well as to the batsman, but
it is putting a premium on poor and
listless players.
Did you ever stop to figure out, Mr..
Man, you who are so merciless, that
you go to a ball game to see action;
that you want the infelders to show
ginger and 20 after the balls? Then
when they make a desperate effort
and fail. you jot down an error. be
cause the glove touched the ball.
Get out of the habit of figuring that
every time a ball is touched an error
is to be charged, but conditions must
be taken into consideration, and y,u
must remember also that it is not
proper to take the best second base.
man IN the league, for example and
decide that the other men playing the
same position can come up TO his
standard.
You have seen balls hit out past
third base, perhaps. You have seen |
them 20 hard at the third bAsemau
and at an angle that is hard to gauge. |
Those are difficult chances, yet fans |
yen their heads OFF because the scores
lO not give errors on the plays.
Just t.. jog your memory. mere are
he rules on the scoring Of bass hits
4 base hit shall be scored in the
cases:
When the ball from the bat strikes
he ground on or within the foul lines
and out of reach of the felders
When fair hit ball is partially or
wholly stopped by fielder in motion.
lut such fielder cannot recover him
self in time to field the ball TO first
before the striker reaches that base
,r to force out another base runner,
when a ball be hit with such force
o an infelder or pitcher that he can.
lot handle 1t in time to put out the
,atsman or force out base runner.
In a case Of doubt over this class OF
hts, base hit should be scored and
he fielder exempted from the charge
If an error.
When the ball is hit so slowly to-
yard fielder that he cannot handle
I in time to put out the batsman or
orce out a base runner.
Here are Tim Murnane's rules for
icoring errors:
Give the batsman the benefit of all
Ioubts, for slow bounding ball is
he most difficult to handle
| find no trouble in agreeing with
corers who have played the game,
,ut have found those who have learn
ID to score by book and observation
Iard on the players and ever anxious
o credit errors, even when difficult
lays were missed
Outfelders should never be credit
d with an error unless when they get
wo hands on the ball. AS they use
doves there should be no excuse for
nufing line drives. When the out
lelds are rough, considerable leeway
hould be given when scoring errors
m ground balls that pass the fielders
while coming in fast to get the bail
or a throw to bases.
Never give an error where a fielder
misses short pickup, as balls are
imposed to carry the distance aimed
/ and when they go low or wide the
rror must 80 r. the player who
brew the ball. Where two or more
layers get mixed up over slow
round ball, 1t should go as base hit,
he same as a ball that drops between
wo fielders.