The Washington herald., 1910-12-04

A low ball was above his knees and be-
low his waist. The last year that this
rule existed was in 1857.
The Pitcher.
The box" was stationed forty-hve feet
distant from the home plate by the
earliest code and remained there until
II was moved to fifty feet in 1850 Again.
IN 1894, 1t was moved back to a distance
OF 90 IL feet from home, where It has
since remained.
The American Association rules OF 1854
allowed batter hit by pitched ball to
take his base. but the league rules did
not provide for this until the next year
IN 1897 four strikes were out I'm both
Dig leagues, and player taking his base
on balls was credited with a base hit
The Catcher.
No protective covering of any sort was
worn by the early catchers, and those
who caught the swift pitchers of those
days yet bear abundant testimony to the
frightful punishment they took. At first
a glove was worn by some catchers, but
Il was calculated TO afford only slight
protection. as 1t had the fingers removed
and was only plain kid walking glove.
The nrst form OF adequate protection
was the catcher's mask. which was in
troduced in 1876 or 1877 by Cant Thayer,
or the Harvard team, for his catcher,
Tying. He wanted Tying TO play up close
to the bat on the third strike and at
other crises of the game. so he made him
mask out of a fencers mask. IL
worked so well that Il was not long be-
fore II came into general use. IL was a
common thing before this for a catcher
TO have his teeth knocked out, as men
Ike old Silver" Flint and others could
bear witness. and piece OF rubber was
used as a tooth protector.
The padded chest protector soon follow
ed the mask. IL is said that Art Irwin
was the introducer OF the padded field
ing glove. He mad broken two fingers
while playing for Providence, and as
there was no one 10 take his place, he
took glove several sizes too large for
him and padded IT, This supplied such
protection, and enabled him TO do such
phenomenal stopping at short that il was
soon popular. The shin guard used by
catchers was introduced and first worn
by Roger Bresnahan. The Idea came. Of
course from the leggings used In cricket
The Field.
In 1864. in consequence OF the abolition
OF the catching rule.
tenth man was employed on the field
lie was called the fright short" and oc-
cupied place between the first and sec
ond baseman as an extra shortstop. This
was again tried in 1874. but though it was
claimed that scores were lower and field
ing snappier, the innovation did not sur
vive the season
When "a survey is taken of the changes
that have been made and have received
a permanent place among the rules year
after year. there are two IMPRESSIVE
things that are very evident. The first is
the remarkable resemblance that the
game OF to-day bears 10 the game that
was first shown about siXty-hve years
ago TO the body OF business men who
were seeking recreation on a vacant lot
in New York City not far from where the
Murray Hill Hotel now stands. The most
that can be said OF the variations or i'm
provements that have been made in the
years that have since transpired is that
there has been a little clearer definition
Of some things and a heavy penalizinc
for bad plays. The other thing that
strikes one is the complete failure that
has attended so many of the suggestions
toward an Improvement Of the game.
There has been at times the necessity
for sort of compensation between the
opposing forces. such as between the
batter and the pitcher This has been
regulated by moving the pitcher back.
and some compensations have been pro
vlded in other directions. But the great
thing that has been leaTued-and the
learning Of il has had A most saIutarv
effect upon rule makers-is that the
game of baseball, as II stands to-day is
one Of the most delicately adjusted
schemes that human ingenuity has de-
vised- So true is this that when a sug-
gestion OF change is acted upon the re-
suit Is awaited by all with anxiety. for.
like lightning. no one knows where its
effects may be seen.