The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1912-01-11
"SUNN FIELD Is HARD
One Of the Greatest Problems in.
Baseball. .
Some Clubs In Trying to Protect
Players Expose Fans In the Stands
Left Field In Cleveland 10
Hardest Of Them All.

faF0eSt OF lnem All.
The hardest position to play in the
outfield is the sun" field, and that Is
not always the same field, nor are
all Of them equally difficult.
Sun" field, by the way, is the ball
players name for the field into which
the afternoon sun shines OF a direct
or almost direct line with the home
plate. so that the majority of flies
hit to that fielder come to him out OF
a blazing background.
At the Polo grounds the left field
Is the sun" field, although center
field is bothered at certain seasons,
At American league park the sun in.
terferes with the right fielder.
What is admitted by all to be the
worst in the major leagues is left
field in Cleveland, although left field
at the Polo grounds in New York is
>"pretty fierce"
The st. Louis American league
grounds have everything else beaten,
for both right and center fields are
bad "sun" fields whenever the. wealth
er is clear. Sometimes even the left
fielder there is handicapped, too.
The fan probably wonders why ball
parks are not planned so that there
will be no sun" field. That can be
done easily enough by making a con.
siderable part of the spectators face
the sun, and not only face 1t, but sit
in it most Of the game, and that is
not comfortable on a hot afternoon.
Detroit and Brooklyn have plants
laid out that way and the first base
side of the covered stands is no more
comfortable than open bleachers in
July or August.
Detroit's new plant, now being
built, is arranged the other way, be-
cause the comfort of the fans is more
important to the revenue of the game
than the convenience of the outtield.
ers.
It is better to have a fly misjudged
occasionally even at the cost of a
game than to have a large section OF
the grandstand Stunned by persons
unless the place is crowded.
Aside from this sun feature, n
would think the outtield positions
were alike and equally difficult to
play. That is far from the truth.
Each position has its peculiarities,
and a man who has played n out
field position for a number of years
often may be at sea for a while in
any other field.
The greatest difference is between
center field and either of the other
two positions. AS a rule long flies or
drives that go to the center fielder
are hit almost squarely by the bats
man, and consequently have little
English to make them curve.
The majority of flies hit to right or
left field, however, will curve in their
flight, and the fielder must remember
instinctively to allow for this curve
when running to get under the ball.
The fly which a right handed bats
man hits into right field will curve
in the opposite direction to the fly
which a left handed batsman hits into
left field. but when a man changes
from right to left field he takes the
curve instinct along with him and
merely has to remember which field
he is in.
The center fielder who changes to
right or left field must acquire the
habit of expecting every fly to curve,
unless it is a straight liner pulled
squarely by the batsman.
There is not as much difference be.
tween outfield positions as there is
on the infield, but there is enough SO
that a player is left in his so-called
natural position unless it is neces-
sary to change him.
The physical requirements in the
outfield are speed. accuracy in 1udg.
ing flies and surety of catch. The
mental requirements are much the
same as in any other department.
The outtielder must study the bats
man and learn in which direction Ger.
tain men usually hit certain kinds OF
pitching. /.
Knowing the catchers' signs, so
that he will know just what is being
pitched each time, is of great help to
the wise" %outfieider in guessing the
direction a ball will take the instant
he hears the crack of the bat.
Any one who has watched the out.
field of a good team on the defense
has seen great expanses of ground
left unguarded at times and may have
wondered at 1t.
There's a reason" always, and 1t
is simply the fielder or the captain
has figured out by the same law of
averages which governs insurance
premiums that the man at the bat is
almost certain not to hit the ball into
the territory left uncovered.
KnnWled1a of what tn do NTH TIA