The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-01-13
BASEBALL DIAMOND
and POSSIBILITIES
AS Brought Out by the Suggestion OF
Percy d. Haughton, President of
the Boston National Team.

New York, Jan. l3.--While there is lit
tie, II any, possibility of readjustment
OF the professional baseball diamond as
recently suggested by President Percy d.
Haughton, of the Boston National League
club, the proposed changes, as outlined
by the Harvard football coach, offer a
VIDE held for speculation as to what
would be the result ii such alterations
were made. AT the present time the
diamond proper is in reality square
measuring ninety feet to side.
The bases are considered to be ninety
feet apart and the distance from the
home plate to the second base is l27
feet 3.s inches. The pitchers slab is
not exactly halfway between the two
points but is located 80 feet O inches
from the plate and SO feet 3 3-S inches
from second base. Haughton suggests
that in order to equalize the offensive
and defensive strength of the pitcher and
batter IT might be found advisable, upon
investigation, to move first and third
bases five feet nearer the home plate
and decrease the width of the plate.
- Nii%' 'NtN uOiit III NUUlu tudllBt tut
entire aspect of the baseball diamond
which would become, roughly kite
shaped. As it is especially stipulated
that second base is not to be moved the
result would be that the distance from
first to second and from second TO third
base approximate 05 feet. These fig
ures are based upon the angles of the
base lines and do not take into consid-
Grafton the base bag proper which is fl
teen inches square and considerably
shortens the distance to be covered by
the base runner who is of course, safe
as soon as he touches the bag.
1t would shorten the distance that the
batter would have to run in order to be |
safe after hit and for the runner at
tempting to score from third. The regular
playing positions of the infielders, in all |
probability would be shifted as there |
would be an additional ten feet of fair |
field to be covered by the four players. t
The first and third basemen would be |
enabled to play closer to the plate for |
a bunt but at the same time the batter |
would have five feet less 70 run in order
to reach first safely. The pitcher would |
be able to watch runners on first and
third more closely as these bases would
be a trihe in front OF him instead of at /
right angles as they are at present.
There has been no change in the shape
or measurements of the baseball diamond
since lS45 when the rules were made to
read that the distance between first and
third bases and home plate and second
base must be AZ PAGES. There has been
discussion as 10 just what
PAGES" meant but the generally ac
cepted inference is that pace" is
equivalent to yard. In order to clear
away all doubt the rules were changed
n 1855 to read that the diamond must
be a square every side of which meas
Ted ninety feet.
Decreasing the width of the home plate
would naturally give the pitcher less lee
way for the manipulation OF his curves L
md shoots. At the present time the
,late is seventeen inches wide and if
wo or three inches were clipped from
he white rubber the hurler would have
o come nearer growing" the ball in
rider to register a CALLED strike and the
,atter would have less area to protect
While waiting for ball that suited his
dea of what he could hit safely.
Changes in the size and form Of the
ome plate have been more frequent
han alterations to the playing diamond.
'or some years previous to 1000 the
late was twelve-ineh square so placed
hat one angle pointed directly at the
itcher and the greatest width was
eventeen inches from the points that
'ould be represented by first and third
asses on the larger diamond. In 1900 the
quare plate was discarded for five
ded plate measuring seventeen inches
cross the base; s l2 inches on the sides
nd twelve inches on the two angles that .
1rm the point which still faces the
itcher as he delivers the ball.