Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-20

TT is not generally understood by
laymen that a player on either
coaching line has no right, by the
rules. to coach, or to say anything
whatsoever, as long as there is no
runner on base. All that he says is
supposed to be in the nature of ad-
vice or instruction to base runners,
and as long as there are none on the
rule distinctly prohibits him from ad-
Vising his batter, addressing the UNI
pire, or quarreling with any member
Of the opposition. It's a pity that
umpires do not enforce this rule bet
ter for IT'S violation leads, in my opin-
ion, to over half of the squabbles and
fines that occur in the game.
Pitching Rules-The Position,
When he delivers the ball to the
plate the pitcher must have one foot
(the rear one) in contact with the
pitchers plate.
He must, at the instant of delivery,
be squaTely facing the batter.
He must not take more than one
forward step, and both feet must be
in front of his plate, or on a line
with its front edge. He must NOT
raise either foot until after he has
started mis- delivery.
The Balk.
Not only spectators but a great
many baseball experts are often
puzzled as to whether a given case
does or does not constitute a balk.
This is not strange, for there are
seven ways, by the rule, that a pitch
er can employ to manufacture one of
these little Oddities-SO rarely ever
observed by Southern League UNI
pires, even with good telescopes. The
trouble is that while one is deciding
in their own mind that in a certain
delivery that the pitcher illustrated
he did not violate this, that and the
other canon of good form, we forget
that very one remaining rule Of the
seven which he probably did break.
Then, too, you can not positively de-
scribe the actions one may go
through in throwing either to the
plate or to base, so specifically and
definitely but that most any two men
will see the pitchers movements in
different ways in case of an argu-
ment and will differ radically as to
whether those movements conformed
to the rules or did not. Here they are
in brtef-mull over them for your
self:
A pitcher makes a balk whenever
he starts wind-up (if he is in the
box has one foot in contact with the
plate) and doesn't throw somewhere
at the conclusion of that wfnd-up. If
he is not in the box he can whirl
his arms and bluff to throw all he
pleases.
If he throws to any base to catch
runner he must simultaneously
step out directly toward that base
with one foot. And if he starts TO
throw to the plate or to first base
he must go through with it and turn
the ball loose toward the one place
or the other. But he can bluff all he
pleases to second and third and win
not be penalized if he fails to let
the ball GO
If the pitcher delivers the ball to
the batter while not conforming ia
all of the rules regarding the posi-
ton he should take in the box. he
has, of course, committed a baIk.
And if he holds the ball so long
without delivering il somewhere. as
in the opinion of the umpire. 10 be
unnecessarily delaying the game, he
is in no. water again. And if he
makes any motion whatever that is
habitual with him in his manner Of
delivery without following that mo-
ton up with the ball he is clearly
in contempt Of court.
NOW section Z of the baIk rule saws
= that he has also committed a
FAUX PAS CFrench for foxy pass
that didn't pan out right whenever
he makes any motion to pitch while
standing in his position without hav-
ing the ball in his possession. While