Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1914-03-13
THIS SHOULD PROVE
SOME BASEBALL GAME
Officers Of Torpedo FlOlilla Chsl-
lenge Brothers Of Fleet.
ADMIRALS' NINE OUGHT TO WIN
Providing They Are Able To Swat The
Ball, As Each Run Made BY Them
viii be Registered As Five.

/ q
accept the challenge issued by the off,
GERS Of the Atlantic torpedo fiotilla.
Both the feet and the fotila are now
on the Southern drill grounds. with
headquarters at Guantanamo Bay.
And the contest will not be in ac-
cordance with the regulations govern
ing the great national game as it is
played in the State, for in issuing the
challenge the naval men of the flotilla
drafted a set of rules aud regulations
all their own. Here Is the def that
has been circulated in printed form
From the Atlantic Torpedo Flotilla,
TO the Rest Of the Push. Subject
Baseball.
/. Thu hotilla commander and the
offic srs Of the Atlantic Torpedo lo-
tilla present their defiant compli-
ments TO the commanders and officers
of the battleship feet, aud all other
vessels present. and challenge them
collectively to play a game Of base
ball, upon a date TO be fixed by mu-
tual agreement and approved by the
COMMUNICATIVE chief. in strict accord.
ance with the letter and spirit Of the
following Estimate of the Situation,
End in View, Doctrine and Rules:
e. To any even untechnical witne IS
of the modern game of baseball, sew.
eral undesirable features must be
painfully evident, namely, 10 state
but few-a, there are not enough
infielders TO make sure of making
even good try at stopping a hard
grounder; b, there are not enough out
field ,rs to make sure of getting at
least one where any fly is likely 20
come down; c, there is nobody back
of first or third base 20 get the nu-
merous balls that are thrown over
the basemans head; d, the pitcher
has such great adga 1tage that he is
the principal functionary. In conse-
quence the spectators (for whose
benefit the game should be played
yawn over the performance of in
shoots, outshoots, spit balls, drops,
fadeawavs, etc, Chat they must take
on faith while they long for the
worth Of their money in hits and
runs.
8. TheRfollowing rules and admo-
nitions are based upon the above
Estimate, and upon such common
sense considerations that they will
imme lately be obvious even to the
dullest intellect, particularly those
rules necessitted by the fact that
the physical capacities Of officers
are, in general, inversely as their
rank.
Rule No officer below the grade
of lieutenant will be allowed to
play on either team.
Rule 1.-THE team shall consist
of as many players as the respec-
tive team captains desire to employ,
and they may be assigned to such
stations and duties as will, in bis
opinion, best insure the accomplish
ment of the End in View.
Rule lIl-The pitcher shall he an
officer of or above the grsde of lieu
tenant commander, who has never
been pitcher on any Naval Academy,
college or high school team, and who
has not pitched in any game. except
quc it's, during the last Ave years.
Rule Iv-The batter shall be al
lowed four strikes" and balls"
shall not be limited.
Rule v After the third strike, the
pitcher shall be required 10 toss the
ball over the plate, between knee and
shoulder, provided the upmire decides
that an honest effort was made to bit
the irst three fair balls pitched.
I Rule VI--The umpire may call all
| the "balls" he wants to, but
"strikes" will be called only when
the batter actually strikes at the ball
and comes within eighteen inches Of
it.
Rule VIA "foup is not
strike, and will, therefore, not be
called strike.
Rule VIll--lf a foul tip is caught
of the bat, the batter will be called
out, in according with the traditions
of our youth.
Rule lX-If, however, foul tip
strikes the catcher in the stomach, IL
will count as a strike but IL II
bounces off his head. or off any other
solid bone, IL will count as one ball.
Rule X--If a batter, through no
fault of his own, is hit by pitched
hall, he will be given three bases; but
he need not run them. He viii be sl-
lowed such time and assistance ss
may be necessary 20 walk from the
home plate to third.
Rule XI-Every player who makes
clean two-base hit will be given q
chit emitting him to a soft drink At
the Fleet Canteen or club, and every
player who makes three-base bit
will be entitled to the same kind Of q
drink. except thai it may have a
stick in il. The bin fer all drinks
shall be paid by the opposing team.
Rule XI-ABy player who makes
home run, unassisted by errors Of
the opposing team, viii be given au-
thority to apply 70 the commander-in-
chief for twenty-four hours rough
liberty in Santiago.
Rule Each player will do his
owe base-rurning, though be msy
! walk IL rs an s1peirae