Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-20
Inquisitive Fans.

Sporting EQltOr STAR.
In order to settle some bets, Kindly
answer the following: % What is the
age of Acosta of the Washionton Amer
leans; (2) What is the age Of Rath
who was with the Boston Americans
part of this season;s(3) Hasn't Zim-
fined and put out of the game more
than any other player for the last three
seasons? A RABID FAN.
(1) Eighteen; (2) Twenty-Five; (3)
Yes.
Sporting Editor Star:
Please give in next Sundays pink
averages of Players Pick, Rondeau
and Meusel. Also the number of games
won and lost by Dick Williams and
how many games each player took part
in. Hoping that this will not take up
too much space in your paper, am,
A SUBSCRIBER.
Averages of leagues in which these
men have been playing are not avail
able right now.
Sporting Editor Star:
What is the record for the least num-
Der of pitched balls in game and by
whom made? 2. What is the record for
the shortest time for a nine-inning
game and by what teams? r. w.
l. No authentic record: Christy
Mathewson was credited with making
a low mark for pitched balls with
sixty-nine balls or whereabouts and
Immediately there came food of
claims Of pitchers who had done bet
time for nine-inning game is claimed
for Atlanta and Mobile, in game
played in Atlanta September IT, 1910;
the time was thirty-two minutes.
Sporting Editor Star:
l. Pitcher. after pitc,inev two ho JIc fo
batter finds that the pitching distance
is wrong; upon investigation it is
found to be too short; what would be
the correct thing for the umpire to do
in regard to moving the pitchers slab
and how would the batter be treated in
such a case? Is there, or was there,
any difference regarding the infleld fly
in the American and National Leagues?
HARVEY.
l. It would be the duty of the UNI
pire to have the slab located properly
and if the two balls pitched were the
only ones thrown in the game would
not count them. but if the game had
been going on for any length of time
other batters before. In this case.
however. team could protest the game.
2. In the National League a runner may
leave his base on an infield fiy and in
case the ball is not caught keep on
going, but must return if the ball is
caught. In the American he holds his
base until the ball is either caught or
missed. Effort was made last winter
to reach an agreement on infleld fly
rule but without success, and is is left
as badly muddled as ever.
Sporting Editor Star:
A holds that in case of a block ball
any playing member of the team can
put ball into play by carrying it into
pitchers box; that any player in doing
so technically becomes the pitcher just
as the pitcher would become the base
man if he covered a base and retired
a runner. Is this permissible? L.E.B.
Some game authorities have held that
any player holding the ball in the
pitchers position thus technically be-
comes the pitcher and that the ball is
then in play. But while it is true that
positions can be changed at any time
and that any player may succeed the
pitcher, it is fact also that time
would have to. be called while the
change in positions was being made
and announced. SO that the more in
telligent ruling would seem to be that
the man who had pitched the ball
should be the only one recognized as
the pitcher. And if any player would
technically become the pitcher by hold
ing the ball in the pitchers box this
question would arise: Must the player
who thus technically became the pitch
er continue in the box, under section 3
of rule 33, until the man I'D to bat had
finished his time at bat?