Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-28

Then he would calmly call the attention of
the umpire to the cut and have new ball
substituted.
The umpires finally discovered the stunt,
and whenever that player, or in fact any
other member of the infeld, found objection
to ball, they made it point to substitute
a sphere equally old if not older. This final
ly broke up the practice.
IN regulating the ground rules there is often
chance to get the best of the deal, and
rival managers never fail to take advantage
Of such chance. On team in one of the
major leagues were number of left handed
hitters. Most of them were of the slugger
type, who hit the ball mile to right field.
1t was whenever there was an overflow
crowd, requiring ground rules, that the man.
ager got the best of the deal. He made it
point always to have the ropes stretched in
right field and put the overflow in that Sec
ton. A hit of two bases was always allowed
on balls hit into the crowd. It is easy to see
how the home team, with many left-handed
batters, profted by such an arrangement.
Short flies to right, which ordinarily would
have been easy outs, went for two bases.
On the other hand, the visiting teams,
which as rule had left field hitters, would
hit the ball mile in that direction, only to
see it gobbled up.
THE waste ball is a trick of the catcher to
thwart the stealing of second, third, or
home, or to break up the hit and run or
squeeze play. Any time the catcher divines
that any of these plays is to be tried he
delivered so far outside the plate that it is
practically impossible for the batter to hit
it, unless he fairly throws his bat at the ball.
Thus the catcher eliminates the batter from
the play and thereby makes it easier to in
tercept the opposition.
THROWING the abean ball" is stunt
practiced by some pitchers. The ex-
preston is used to designate fast ball that
narrowly misses the batter's head. The in
tent is to intimdate the batter and keep
him from hugging the plate. Usually the
pitcher, seeing the batter step back after he
on the outside that it is almost impossible
for the batter to hit from the point where
he is standing. The rest is easy; strike
out or pop fly usually resulting.
WHEN the bunting game first came into
vogue bat slightly fattened on one
side was used by the players. If they were
forced to shift to some other play, another
bat was thrown to them from the bench.
The rules OF course provide that the bat
must be round. Just as soon as the umpires
discovered that fat-sided bat was being
used they made careful inspection of every
bat. This practice soon went into the dis
card; for if the batter got away with per-
feet bunt by using bat slightly fattened
the umpire would not allow the play.
IN the American League the umpires have
: boy to take care Of grip that contains
the balls to be used during the game. 1t is
surprising how hard it is to get boys who
will not help the home team. Of course
there is some difference in the balls con-
tanned in the grip. Any time the home team
is at bat the boys make it point to put the
best balls into play, and when the visitors
are put up they turn in the inferior balls.
Naturally the umpires find it necessary to
get new boy about every third game.
THE fans as rule admit that the position
of the umpire is hard enough, on what is
apparent to them from the stands; but there
are really lot of things that take place with
which they are not familiar. The contest
usually resolves itself into a battle of wits,
with eighteen regular players, two wise man.
ayers, and substitutes enough to fill two
benches, against the two lonely umpires.