The Washington herald., 1914-03-17
COLLINS TALKS
ON rule BOOK
Tells of Peculiar Play During
His First Season in
Majors.
RULE CONFUSES MANY
Recalls Odd Triple Play Against
Cleveland in Which Many
Players Figured.
RULE CONFUSES MANY
ny EDDIE COLLINS.

Ny EDDIE COLLINS.
At a recent meeting Of the National
Commission held in New York, among
come OF the playing rules which were
revised and amended. the one covering
the Interpretation of the infield fly was
finally adjusted to suit the National
League. Hereafter, that league will abide
by the way the American League has
always applied this particular rule.
For the benefit of those who do not
knvw the rule, / will try to show what
IT is. When first and second bases are
occupied. or when the bases are full,
with none or one out. and a fly is hit
up which the umpire calls "infield hy,'
the base runners must hold their bases
until the ball is either caught or hits a
fielder's hands. Heretofore, the National
League Interpretation never made II
necessary for the hase runners to remain
on their respective bases: they might take
lead, and in case the ball was dropped
they would have a better chance of ad-
vancing.
will never forget the first time that
y saw this play come up. 1t was in my
first year in the league, and it showed
me up as regular bonehead. but Incl
dentally taught me a very good lesson.
We were playing in St. Louis. and there
was a Brown runner on first and second
with nobody out, when the batter knock
cd a pop fly. which locked easy for
Davis. who was playing first to gobblc
up. Right here Harry did some figuring,
but I did not knowing well that the
batter was out anyway. regardless of
whether he caught the ball or not. Davis
could afford to glance around. which he
did, and seeing that the runners were
not on their bases. he deliberately let
the ball drop. and awkYardly gave il a
kick as he attempted TO pick it up.
4 Bonehead Play.
As it happened. l was pretty well
around toward first. being on the look
out TO cover that bag in case the bat
ter hunted. so when Harry booted the
ball. as l thought, accidently, / was
near enough, SO l intercepted it and
drove back the runners as they were
about to move up a base. l patted my
self on the back, figuratively speaking,
to think that i had averted trouble, un-
II / walked over toward Davis with
the ball. when he said. You dummy
Why didn't you let that ball alone?
Neither ma. returned to his base. and
If they had ad 'anced. we'd have had a
triple play
Needless to say. I've been waiting ever
since for that same play to come up. to
square myself. but to date have never
hdd the chance
Because Jack Barry and did not
think as far in advance as did Jack
l-app in game with Washington last
year. Eddie Plank lost a hard-fought
battle with Walter Johnson. For eight
innings neither side had been able to
score. and We might have been playing
yet If il had not been for the play
refer TO. After one man had been re-
tired in the ninth. Milan singled and
- ha
strikes and two balls, Shanks at bat.
the two on bases essayed a double steal.
assuming, of course. that Lapp, the
catcher, would throw to head off the
man at third. neither Barry nor l made
move to cover second. Lapp, how
ever, had already figured it out that he
had a much better chance of catching
Gandil a slower man. by far, than the
feet-footed, elusive Milan, and as Shanks
struck out, Planks twelfth victim via
this route, Jack never hesitated. but
took a peg for second. Barry and i both |
saw his strategy, but too late. the throw !
went uninterrupted to center field. and
Milan romped home with what proved to
he the winning run.
A Peculiar stunt.
A triple play which we made against !
Cleveland last year was most peculiar. |
nearly every man on our team having !
hand in it. with Oldring. an outfielder. i
making the final put-Out Like many |
other plays that fail to be pulled OF. |
this one fell through because the minds |
of the Cleveland players involved were |
not actuated by single thought. John |
son and Chapman were on third and Sec
ond respectively, when Olsen hit to |
Barry, who fumbled. AS our infielders |
were playing back. johnson should have |
started for home as soon as the ball was |
hit. but he didn't. and that is what /
gummed the proceedings. Barry recoT- |
cred the ball quickly, but not in time |
to get Olsen at first: however. just at |
this point Johnson. realizing his own |
mistake, and attempting to atone for II. |
lit out for home base, only 10 be caught ]
in between. run down and retired
While this was going on. Olsen ran to |
second. supposing, Of course, that Chap |
man would move up a base. But /
"Chappy,'' having seen johnson get iE /
had, had refused to ventur. further; con-
sequently, when Baker threw the ball to !
me at second after tagging johnson at
third found both Olsen and Chapman
standing on the bag, and glaring at each
other in open amazement
What the are you doing here? p
said "Chappy" to Olsen, as / touched
them both with the ball. although Olsen
was the only one who could be put out
when they were both on the base.
Why, you ought to be sitting on
third" yelled back Olsen.
No sooner had he spoken the words
than Chapman made n break from his
point of safety for the next base. but
he, too. met with the fate which had
oyertakcn his two teammates-all Of
which goes to prove that experience is
the best teacher
I know that / have been waiting for
years to square myself for that bone
head enfield fy" play of mine, and I
am equally sure that Johnson will never
again tarry on third when the infieid is
playing back. nor will an Athletic
catcher find second base uncovered an
other time when our opponents try a
double steal. In order to get results,
players have got 10 think alike; the me-
chanical part OF the game is matter
Of secondary consideration.
The Vigilant Sharks. under the lead
srship Of Lee Hammerly. would like to
nook games for Sundays. The Sharks pre- {
Ter 20 Dlay suburban clubs which have