Evening star., 1913-01-18
MANYFREAK STUNTS
Peculiar Plays Slipped the
Sporting Editors for Solution.
PLAYERS AND UMPIRES ERR
Men Who Are Continually Pulling
"Barrys" Don't Last Long
in the Majors.
PLAYERS AND UMPlRES ERR

Base ball abounds in peculiar plays.
writes Billy Evans in the Sporting News.
Many of the freak stunts that are slip
ped the sporting editors for solution seem
impossible, yet the writer's always swear
such mix-ups really happened. Nine
times out of ten the trouble is started
through some break on the part of the
players or umpires, rather than any con-
fusion over the rules. Minor league and
semi professional and amateur umpires
are up against a much tougher PROPOSE
ton in this respect than the major league
officials. Players are supposed to have
some base ball gray matter when they hit
the big show. Most of them have, con-
sequently freak plays are the exception
to the rule Players who are continually
pulling "Barrys" don't last very long in
the majors.
submitted to me by John J. C0rcoran of
Colorado Springs. The play was the SUBJ
Ject of considerable discussion in that
neck Of the woods. 1t reads thus:
Runner A is on second base. Batter
B hits to right field On the hit, A runs
to third, and then starts for home He
gets mixed up on the play and errone-
Ously believes the ball has struck on foul
ground. He stops running. and returns
to second base without having retouched
third The umpire declared A out for his
failure to retouch third. Was the deci-
sion of the umpire correct, or should A
nave been permitted to remain on second
base, due to the fact that he was not
forced to return to that base and there
fore not forced to retouch third upon his
return to second?"
The umpire ruled properly in declaring
A out, but did not have the correct rea-
son Tor reaching such a conclusion. He
was not out for having failed to retouch
third. as the umpire SO declared On the
contrary he was out because he had nc
right to second base, after having legally
touched third. Rule % covers this play
an Interpretation of which would gran,
A second base. until he had legal,
touched the next base in order. In thi.
case A had advanced as far as third, and
that base was the one that legally be-
lonSed to him. If while standing or
second base. he was touched with the
ball he would be out. just the same a!
If standing a foot off the base as hs
no longer had any right to that base.
The play cited is similar i'm a way to tn,
play that has been attempted severa
times in the major leagues. Year befor,
last Herman Schaefer always bringin,
up something for discussion, slipped a pla,
to the umpires much after the one men
toned Chicago was playing Washing
ton, two men were out and Schaefer wa
on hrst and Milan on third. Schaefe
stole second. hoping to draw a throw tha
might enable Milan to score The Chi
cago catcher played it safe by snappin,
the ball back to the pitcher Schaefe
had failed to draw the throw that h
hoped might permit Milan to score.
After the nifchor bod daY;xo~ol - -,
to the batter Schaefer started trouble an,
confusion by rushing back to first. as IN,
twlrler delivered the next ball to the bat
ter When the catcher returned the bal
to the pitcher Herman was back on first
Ihe pitcher threw the ball to the secont
naseman. who touched the bag, but th'
umpire said nothing. The second base
man threw the ball to the first baseman
and as he did SO Schaefer ran half wa,
back to second. The first baseman go
the ball and touched the bag. but still
no decision from the umpire. Then the,
began to run Schaefer down between tn
bases. About this time Milan made ;
dash for home. and was declared out O,
very close play
That evening and the next day the pla,
created considerable discussion, as I.
just what rights Schaefer had in tn,
case. Some contended that he had ;
right to go back if he desired, and coult
have remained on first without being pu
out Sucn, OF course. was not true. Jus
as soon as Schaefer touched second h,
became the holder of that base, first bas,
no longer had any connection with him
1t has been decided that there was moth
ing to prevent him from going back Il
first If he desired, but that standing OF
the first sack in no way exempted hin
from being put out All that was neces
sary in this case was for the pitcher Il
get between second base and Schaefer
and the rest would have been easy. Ht
could have retired him while standing or
the bag.
Hughey Duffy, who was managing the
Chicago club at that time. got lot O,
fun arguing the play. While Hughey ad
mitted that the rules really upheld
Schaefer. he contended that it would be q
good thing to call runner out under
such conditions for running contrary te
the laws of base ball.
Nervous at Start