The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-11

best play. according to all baseball an |
thorities, is to sacrifice. Chance, how
ever. figured he could advance the run
ners without the loss of a man, and
at the expense of only one strike. By
close calculations he concluded the dan
ger of having the runner thrown out al
third was only little greater than hav
ino him caught bv failure to bunt, OF
forced out at third The batter was
ordered to pretend to bunt, miss the
ball purposely and shove his body over
the plate so as TO interfere slightly with
the catcher's vision. The third base
man, expecting a buut, comes forward
rapidly. leaving the base unguarded.
The runners, who have been signaled,
start to run as the pitcher winds up.
and the leading runner is expected TO
slide safe back to third base before
the third baseman can get back to the
base and catch the throw As the third
baseman is compelled 10 run backwards.
in order TO watch the catcher throw,
he must touch blndly at the rnnner. and
the chances of muff are largely in
creased. The best way TO defeat the
play, it soon was learned, is for the
shortstop to cover third base and take
the throw
The 'tbluff bunt'' also, is used to
assistance is unfair, as II consists of
hampering the activities Of the catcher.
How much the battcrs can help base
| runners In that way without being cen
sured or punished by the umpire Is "A
| matter of much study. a slight motion
| of the batter s body may interfere with
| the catcher S throw Just enough 10
cause il to 90 wild. interfere with the
view of the catcher or umpire and pre-
vent the catcher from touching base
runners who are scoring in close plays
at the plate. The umpire has great
difficulty IN deciding whether the in
| reference was enough to warrant pun
ishment. as the batter all the time is
pretending to be striving desperately to
avoid doing the thing he is trying to
accomplish.
There was an odd plav introduced on
the Polo grounds in 1908 which was the
result of tanning match the pre-.
vi6us evening. Bresnahau and several
of the Chicago players were discussing
plays and ar"uin~ the chances of one
umpire seeing everything that takes
place, all concediug it To be impossi-
Bile. A reporter who was present sug
gested that, when the ono umpire was
behind the plate and either a bunt or
hit-and run was attempted, the umpire
always ran down into the diamond. in
front of the play, in order TO see a
play either at first or second base. and
that the catcher could, therefore, stop
trip or interfere with the batter with
out the slightest danger of being seen
Later in the evening the reporter, meet
ing King. asked his opinion of the pos
sibility of such a play.
The following day, early in the game
Chicago had a runner on first base auc
the batter tried to sacrifice. Brespahar
cut in ahead of the runner, bumped
him off his feet, and after the Other
runner had been forced At second, the
luckless batter was doubled at frst
base. Two. innings later King die
the same thing 10 New York batter
tripping him so he was thrown out or
a hit that probably would have beer
safe. Twice after that the catcher!
took advantage of the umpire and in
terfcred with batters until the crowC
was roaring with indignation. Thu
play had one result-there wer TIVE
umpires on the field the following day