Evening star., 1914-07-26
UISITIVE FANS.
Malta, Mont. July 81.

Malta, Mont, July 21.
Sporting Editor Star:
Will you please publish an answer to
the following inquiry in the Inquisitive
Fan column:
II was umpiring: batter hit ball which
struck on fair territory directly in front
Of plate. Ball bounded and hit batter on
the knee, from there landing in the
ing hit with batted ball. Was 1 right
or wrong : In making the decision
Thanking you in advance, l am,
II the ball bounded back and hit
the batter while he was standing in
the batter had started to run and the
ball struck him in fair territory you
were right.
Sporting Editor Star:
Kindly answer following: If there are
three men on bases with two out and
batter singles and the man on second
fails to touch third. do any runs count?
JOHN w. McDERMOTT.
The run would not count, because
it would be a forced play. just as If the
ball had been hit to an infielder and
second got there.
NORFOLK, Va. July 21.
Sporting Editor Star:
In next Sundays Star:
bets B that Christy Mathewson was
a big league ball player before Eddie
Plank was.
Thanking you In advance:
E. L. WILSON.
You are referred to comparison of
Mathewson's and Plank's records on page
of this sheet.
Sporting Editor Star:
To off in
following case: Runner on second. Bat
ter hits to short. who throws wild to
third. Runner fails to touch third. Third
baseman RECEIVERS ball and touches third,
then throws to second and retires man
at that base. Runner who cut third
realizes what he has done and. instead
of scoring. runs back to third and stays
there. Umpire rules him safe. If the
where 1t would be in effect. R. NJ.
Umpire was right. That rule applies
only when a runner fails to touch an
intervening" base If he had touched
home plate before touching third the rule
Sporting Editor Star:
II the bases are full and the runner on
first runs down to second base and touch
es It, does he not then occupy second
base? Can he return to first base. as a
runner from first, or can the ball be
played to home plate. or to third base,
whenever the case may De, ana WOuld
that not constitute an out for a double
play or for a single out If they fall to get
both7 This play was not from a batted
ball. but from the runner from first run
ming on to the runner on second. G. E.
If the other runners hold their bases
the only man who can be put out Is the
runner who went from first to second.
as he had no right to that base. One run
ner cannot force another off a base ex-
cept to make room for a batsnan who
becomes a base runner.
Sporting Editor Star:
One man down, runners on second and
third bases. Fly ball Is knocked to deep
center. Runner on second leaves base
before ball Is caught. Runner on third
scores before runner on second is doubled
out Does this score count?
j. H. BUTLER
Yes, If the runner who was on third
held the base until the fly was caught
before going home.
Sporting Editor Star:
A is on second base with none out. B
knocks .pop-up to the pitcher. who
catches 1t. A runs toward third base.
but starts to run back toward second
when he sees the pitcher will catch the
ball. Tho shortstop interferes and
blocks the base runner SO that he cannot
get back to second and he is thrown out
Is the runner entitled to go back to