Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-30

each size. one side goes out in the fleld
| and the other side is at bat. When there
are three out, them
Il thought YOU said nine were out, :
broke in Parker
No. there are only three put out
guess YOU We're thinking about what l
said that one team of nine players taxes
position in the field to catch the ball.
Does II take nine men to catch a
BALI" asked Parker
No, only one" said Hal. but they
have a man in each of the locations
where the ball is likely to he hit"
The people in the seats in front turned
around to look at Parker to see who il
might be. They wanted to see what 2
! fellow looked like who was as ignorant
of the great American game as he seem
ed TO be. Just then the game began, the
umpire said: Play ball"' and, after Hal
| had told him that the umpire was the
judge of play Hal and Parker directed
their attention TO the diamond. Presently
the pitcher threw the ball Ross was at
bat. 1t was a ball and Ross didn't strike
at it.
why didn't he hit it, said Parker
1T wasn't the right kind of ball to
strike at, replied Hal
DO they use different kinds of ballso'
asked Parker.
NO. they use the same ball all the
time Hal saw that he would have to
explain about balls and strikes.
You see. batter can get three strikes
or four balls. If he gets four balls he
runs to the base If he gets three strikes
he's out.
why don't he always take four balls?''
We'll. you see. the pitcher fools him
THE pitcher tries to make the batter
think balls are strikes and strikes are
balls"
Doesn't the batter know the differ
ence?'
Not until the umpire tells what it is
Sometimes even the pitcher doesn't know
If it is ball or strike until the umpire
says what it is explained Hal He was
thinking of the many times umpres
called balls when the pitcher thought they
were over the plate.
Then what's tine use of having bat
ter?' asked Parker. bringing his logic
into play. why don't the batters stand
up in line behind the umpire and let him
tell each one in his turn if it's ball or a
strike"
Before he could answer. however, Ross
had hit the next ball. The umpire called
Foul BALI" and the Chadwick shortstop,
third baseman and catcher were all run
ming to make the catch. as it was high
foul over toward the third base stands.
What are they all running for?" asked
Parker.
ITO catch the ball. answered Hal.
Il thought you said it only took one
man to catch a ball.
Again Hal tried to explain.
You see when batter hits the ball the
fielders try to stop ii and throw 1t to the
base ahead of the runner. II the ball gets
there before the batter he's out. If he
gets there first he is still in the game.
The player who gets the base is credited
with an assist. a putout if he catches
the ball before it hits the ground.
But why doesn't the batter run if he
hit the ball?''
Foul ball." said Hal "A foul bali. that
is. ball which strikes the ground outside
of those. white lines pointing to the foul
lines left and right doesn't count as hit.
For a hit a ball must be fair, which
means striking inside those lines. A foul
ball counts as a strike. but If it is caught
it's out
Il see" said Parker.
The game had meantime proceeded.
Ross had three balls and two strikes. The
pitcher sent up the deciding one. Four
balls, take your base" called the umpire.
Ross walked down to first.
why doesn't he rum" asked Parker.
"He doesn't have to rum" replied Hal.
But you said If he got four balls he
could run to base This showed Hal
that Parker was absorbing the points and
he took some encouragement
They usually let them walk on four
balls, as he can take his base on walk
by the time the pitcher is ready again. :
he replied. BY this time Ross had
reached first and was standing there with
one foot on the bag.
why doesn't he take the base II IL
hiS?" was the next question.
HE doesn't really take the base," ex-
planned Hal.
He is simply entitled to go to it and
be ready to run to second base.
He saw that he would have to be very
careful in his choice of words If he was
to teach Parker much of the game.
Everson was next at bat He hit the
first ball for long fly to left and started
on slow trot toward first, while ROSS
remained at the bag.
.tWhy doesn't the fellow on first rum
asked Parker.
He is waiting to see If the ball is
caught said Hal.
Cant he run unless the ball is
caught" Parker went on.
Not on a fly. He has TO wait until
the ball is caught. After fly is caught
he can run to the next base" The fielder
muffed the ball and Ross ran like the
wind to second. Everson reaching first
easily.
Il thought you said he couldn't run
until the ball was caught. That fellow
out there missed it," came from Parker.
Il ought to have told you at first that
if d fielder muffs a fly ball everybody
runs except in the case of a FOUL, eX-
planned Hal.
Yes. but there are only two of them
running Parker replied.
Hal laughed. Everybody near them
to the game. They were calling Parker
1.-The rube" One freshman said: Get a
book of rules. Rube, and learn it by
heart before the next game.
The game proceeded for some time,
and Hal did the best he could to answer
the many questions Parker put TO him.
He had his own troubles when it came
to explaining the hit and run play
the double steal and the squeeze
play" especially the latter. Some one in
the stand said when Ty was on third
base and iris at bat with one out:
They're going to work the squeeze"
They did work it, and successfully, as
sometimes happens. and the fans yelled
Did you notice that squeeze"
Il didn't see anybody get squeezed,
sad Parker. Who was it,
Why said Hal. .Ty was on third and
Iris squeezed him in"
Did he hurt him. asked Parker
The crowd around them yelled. Hal
knew it was almost as hard To describe
the squeeze play as to justify it but he
did his best and Parker said finally he
understood 1t all right, but it is doubtful
il he really did.
(To Be Continued Tomorrow