The Washington herald., 1918-08-01
BASEBALL IS
MADE SIMPLE
An English Description Of
How Our National Pas
time Is Played.

Under the heading. Baseball
Made Simple" the London Daily
Mail prints the following story.
Comment would be superhuous:
A baseball game Is played by two
teams of nine men each. Each team
has normally nine alternate periods
of batting. called innings. during
which 1t strives to score points. The
game is won by the team which
scores the greatest number of points
in the nine innings. a point being
awarded each player who makes a
complete circuit of the four bases,
which lie at the corners of a dia-
mond of four 90-foot sides.
At the top angle OF the diamond is
a 12-inch square wooden fixture
called home base" At the angle of
the diamond on the right lies "frst
base. second" next Opposite home
basel. and opposite first base across
the diamond is third base"
A run" is scored by a batter or
striker who. after safely reaching
first base. then second. then third.
finally crosses the home plate"
without being put out" and be-
fore his side is retired.
At the commencement Of the
game one team goes to the bat"
and the other takes the field. A
member of the batting team takes
up his position by the home plate.
Fifty feet in front of him is the op-
posing teams pitcher" who corre-
spends to the bowler in cricket. The
pitcher throws the ball as hard as he
can. endeavoring to put 1t over the
plate. or home base. so cleverly that
the batter will either strike at and
miss IL or be unable TO send It far IL
he does hit 1t.
II the ball passes fairly over the
plate and between the 'batter's shoul-
der and knee, it Is called a strike"
whether or not the batter strikes at Il.
IL the pitcher throws the ball wide, or
too high. or too low it is called a
hall" Three strikes and no hit re-
tire batter. Four balls given by the
pitcher allow the batter to proceed
to first base. II the batter strikes the
ball and it is caught by a fielder be-
fore it touches the ground. the batter
is retired. II the ball is not caught
and the hit sends the ball forward in
side the general angle of the sides of
the diamond that lead from home base.
the batter must run to FIRST base and
will be fielded and thrown to the
basemen. II the ball arrives at first
base before he does. he is "out" So
with the runners progress around the
bases to home IL he is to score a
run" He must not be caught OF a
base by a fielder who hasShe ball, or
he Is ''out" or rertired.
Two runners may not occupy the
same base at the same time.
Three outs or three batters re-
tired, retire the team. which then
goes to the field. its opponents TAX
ing a turn at the batting.
The ball, hard rubber-cored horse
Undiscovered sphere nine inches In
circumference: the round. 2s-inch or
30-inch bats of basswod or hickory,
and the hardened biceps of players
who are used to throwing the ball with
rapidity, make for a
game Of real speed.
Pitchers sometimes Strike out" and
retire three players without a hit be-
ing made in that inning. Now and
again a batter makes a home run"
by striking the ball so far that he
scurries round the circuit Of the bases
and scores a run before the far-sent
ball can be fielded.
Men on the bases, waiting chances
to run while one Of their fellows is
at the bat" are watched eagerly by
the spectators, as are the fielders In
their efforts to retire or put OUT
the runner before he can pass the
second and third bases to home and
score a tally.