Evening journal., 1913-09-13
"CINCINNATI" HIT
NOT UNDERSTOOD
Ruling of Scoring Play Is Fair
to BatSman and
Fielder


NEW YORK, Sept. l3.-The Cincin-
matt base hit is a much abused and lit
tie understood stranger in baseball It's
mission was all well enough; the
trouble is that the majority of our
scorers refuse to get properly acquaint-
ed with it. A few days ago the pub
Usher of one of New York's greatest
papers asked one of his sporting writers
to explain the Cincinnati base hit The
writer hunked. He didn't understand
it himself.
That is one of the great troubles. At
the Polo grounds within the past few
weeks hits have been slipped to favor
ties where the rankest sort of errors
had been committed 1t is not charged
that any of the scorers Intentionally
favored the batter. It was case of un-
familiarity with the sense of the new
scoring rule.
Commone sense, after all, is a pretty
fair guide to a proper solution of every
problem. The Cincinnati base hit-as
the name implies - originated in the
home city of the Reds Sporting writer's
OF Garry Hermann's town believed that
under certain conditions when a batter
helped his running mate to advance
without himself being retired, he should
be credited with a base hit and not
charged with a time at bat and moth
ing to show for 1t as prevailed when the
play was formerly designated field
er's choice"
Here is the proposition pure and
simple; The old ielder's choice was lust
what the name implies. With one or
more base runners on the paths when
the ball was batted to a fielder. the lat
ter had the choice of making a plav at
any one of several bags. If a force plav
resulted, or if the batter was retired at
first base, there was no question about
the hitter being credited with a time at
bat. and nothing more. Naturally.
when there appeared time for the play it
was always policy to try to ,foTce the
man who had progressed furthest round
the bases. Often long chances would be
taken with him where an out at first
would be a dead certainty.
But if the play were made other than
at first base it always left open to ar
gument the question as to whether OF
not the batsman might have beaten the
ball to first base. 1t was maintained
by the advocates of the Cincinnati base
hit that there was no way to tell for
sure in the absence of the play at first
base whether the hitter would OF would
not have been retired. 1t was main
tanned that the runner should be given
the benefit of the doubt. Furthermore,
it was argued that the skill of base
runner in avoiding retirement in the
face of a possible force out should re-
fleet to the credit of the hatsman.
Team play is one of the most nee
essary essentials of a winning club.
Harmony between batter and base
runner must prevail at all times in
order to establish this characteristic.
In the interests of the base runner
the batter must often take chances on
hitting balls at which he would not
offer, if left to his own initiative, or
If no base runner preceded Kim.
Working in conjunction with the run
ner and having to jeopardize his
chances of hitting safely thereby, 1t
has been arranged that whatever re-
turn the base runner may give is
nothing more than fair and just TO
be credited toward the joint cause of
the two
The Cincinnati basehit was never
intended to be abused the way II has
/ been. II was not the sense of the
rule to credit the batter with a hit
every time the opposing side failed
to register an out Errors should be
figured as prominently in this play as
in any other. No one is given a base
hit If a ground ball is man-handled
The fact that the play may be made
to some other than first base does not
eliminate a fielder's liability to err,
Recently at the Polo Grounds,
double play was missed because a
fielder failed to tag second base before
making his relay. THAT shows up the
Cincinnati base hit" said an old
scribe But il didn't show up anything
of the kind The fielder who failed TO
touch second base was as guilty of an
error as If he had dropped the ball.
He should have made sure OF retiring
the furthest advanced runner. OF
course most scorers do not give an
error when an out is registered. Still,
there is an example where the com
mon sense OF the baseball rules
should make the charge of a misplay
Inevitable.
The more one considers the Gin
cinnati" base hit. the more fair it
seems A batter il not charged with
time at bat when he sacrifices or in
ltentionally advances a runner a base
to his own disadvantage. Why should
he be charged with a time at bat and
not given a hit when he not only ad-
vances one or more runners, but like
wise reaches first base safely him
self? Certainly he has done more for
the. common cause than the fellow who
is lucky enough to drop a bunt into
the inheld. II stands 70 reason, also
that his bat has been Of more service
than that of the man who scores a
runner from third as the result OF q
long fly.
PRINCETON SQUAD SHAPES UP.