The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-04-21
SPORTING NEWS OF THE DAY, GATH
HERE SYSTEM EMPLOYED BY THE FORMER 7 Ct
CUBS FOR WINNING FLAGS "


The real baseball the kind staged
every day by the big league teams,
seen by the fans and not understood,
~ fully explained by Hugh Fullerton,
writihE on THE Inside Game for the
American Magazine for May Fuller
ton has the science of the game work
I'd out mo series OF mathematical
problems.
The study of geomCtrical baseball
rs interesting in itself Fullerton
writes Every ball player knows
there are five inheld grooves and four
outfield grooves where any ball hit
with moderate force VIII be- safe un-
less marvellous stop intervenes.
1t is certain that the first base
groOYe is foot and a half wide at
first base. and wdens gradually
through the outheld. There is a space
: IL feet wide between the territories
covered by the first and second base.
men through which the ball ought TO
be able TO escape. as neither man can
move fast enough 10 reach It.
There is gap in the defense di-
rectly over second base IL feet
wide which Is safe territory unless
the pitcher at the risk OF his life
blocks the ball as it tries TO pass him.
The gap between the shOrtstop
and the third baseman Is IL feet
wide. a foot wider than that between
the first and second baSemen. because
the ball goes faster in that direction,
and the space between the third base
mans extreme limit of finger reach
and the foul line is a foot and half
The science OF defensive work
which enables four men 10 cover $50
feet or ground is the most tascinat-
ing part OF modern baseball II has
become SO intricate and involved that
SPECTATOR AT -Eanle- or -haSGhalt
between two highly developed teams
really does not see the game at all
He sees the plays. the stops. the
throws. the catches. Inside baseball Is
merely the art OF getting the hits that
he couldn't have got anyhow.
Fullerton illustrates the point by
the following description of how the
Cubs get them where they ought TO
be safe:
Pat Moran stoops behind the bat
ter and hides his right hand back Of
uAN INIT III iNNhAhsiNlit HAANtN'f
shakes his head afiirmatively Johnny
Evers stoops, pats his hand in the
dust. touches II 10 his knees, and
rests II upon his hip. Jimmy Sheck-
ard trots 20 feet across left field
angling in towards the diamond.
Steinfeldt creeps slowly TO his left.
Tinker moves towards second base.
and Evers takes four or five steps
back and edges toward Chance who
has backed up five feet
"Reulbach pitches fast, high bail
over the outer corner OF tho plate.
Mike Mitchell hits IT, The ball seems
sure hit-going towards right field.
Evers runs easily over. stops the ball.
losses II 10 Chance and Mitchell Is
out.
The ball was hit in the groove di-
rectly ut the l2foot gap the
geOmetrician will say is vacant, yet
Eyers helded IT, Now this is what
happened:
when Moran knelt. Evers saw that
Moran had signaled Reulbach to pitch
fast ball high and outside. He rub
bed his hand in the dirt. signaling
Tinker, who patted his right hand up-
on his glove. replying he understood.
Then EVers rested his hand upon MS
hip. signaling Sheckard, the outiield
captain. what ball waste be pitched.
Sheckard crept toward the spot where
Mitchell would hit that ball % out OF
100 times
While Reulbachs arm was swing
ing, every man on the team was NOV
Ing toward right feld-in full motion
before Mitchell hit the ball.
The gaps at first base. between
first base and second. over second
base and between third and short.
were closed Theoretically, while the
gap between Steinfeldt and the third
base line was opened up p feet.
THE ball If hit on the ground had
no place TO go except into some IN
felders hands. unless Rculbach blum
dered and Mitchell pulled the ball