Evening star., 1919-02-25
BASE BALL ON THE INSIDE
WITH BILLY EVANS

Often with the score a tie, or the team
come up which make it desirable that
the infieid make an effort to cut off a
run at the plate. The desire for max
ing a play at the plate is due TO the fact
that the club in the field regards that
run as a big thing in the game 1t
means that by shutting it off the score
will remain tie or will enable the team
in the field to hold the one run margin.
In a way the pulling in of the in
field resolves itself largely into TAX
ing a chance. When working the bases
l often hear a manager cussed by his
players for the attitude he assumed on
the play. If he pulled the infield in,
and the ball was hit just out of the
infelder's reach, he was blamed for
not taking a chance the other way. in
a hope of getting double play. If he
decided to keep the infeld back, and
the batter topped the ball. sending
slow grounder on which no one was
able to play. again the inflelders cuss-
ed, because a play at the plate would
have been easy, had the infieid been in.
There seems to be no set rule that
managers follow in pulling the inf1eld
in: most of them decide on what style
of play shall be used, according to the
speed of the men on the bases, and
the reputation of the batSman. not
only for speed, but hitting power, as
well. Perhaps no play offers better
chance for the second guesser than
situations in which the question of
pulling the infield in or letting it play
the regular position arise. 1t is all
gamble. If you decide to play it a
certain way and get away with it, it is
regarded as wise move If every
thing goes wrong. your scheme is
looked on as a bone"
Often people ask me why the fnfiel6
lis pulled in at certain stages They
don't seem to get the real purpose,
Where the runner from third decides
to go home on ball hit to the infield.
he is usually away to flying start
With a lead. a runner of any speed is
able to negotiate the ninety feet in
less than four seconds. If an frfielder,
hoping to make play on such run
ner, remained in his usual position ii
would take practically that much time.
In many cases, before he reached the
ball to make the throw. He would
usually be just trifie late. BY NOV
ing in fifteen or twenty feet toward
the plate, he cuts off that much of the
distance the ball would ordinarily have
to travel, and shortens up the throw.
Thus the only reason for pulling in the
infield is to make it possible to hurry
the play and improve the chances of
getting the runner.
Conditions often determine what
attitude will be taken by the team in
the field. l recall a game last sum-
mer which will bear out the above
statement. The score was a tie, one
man out and runner on third base
the last half of the ninth. The inf1eld
was pulled in for 8 play at the plate.
The next batter hit up pop fly
which was muffed by the second base
man. That put runners on third and
first. The next batter was intention
ally passed, the inf1eld meanwhile still
playing in. The intentional pass
filled the bases. The next batter was
as good hitter as the batsman who
was passed. but was rather slow of
foot. A run meant the ball game for
the team at bat, and any kind of a hit
or an error would turn the trick. The
manager of the team in the field de-