The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-11-10
WHEN IS INFIELDF FLY
NOT AN IkFIELD FLY?
ANSWER IS IN STORY
by FRANK c. MENKE

You may find the answer in the story
of a play which is one of the most
peculiar in baseball
On July 9th the Pirates and Giants
tussled in one of their 'croociap
tussles. Eventually the Pirates got
two men on the sacks. Then Buc-
cancer hoped to the plate and hoisted
the ball high into the air in the region
which he and the catcher were joint
ly occupying.
The wind was strong that afternoon.
First il blew the ball into foul terri
tory. then swished it back to a point
just over the fair line. 1t eddied back
and forth, as it slowly descended-and
then shot downward like a plummet
toward a spot about one foot beyond
the foul line-and into fair territory
just in front of home plate.
Frank Snyder, the catching party
for the Giants, made grab for the
ball-but it eluded him. 1t Topped
upon the landscape. Snyder hurriedly
picked it up and threw it to second
base. Rawlings stepped onto the sack
for force out and then whipped the
ball to third. besting the runner going
into the sack.
Was Double Play.
1t was double play, retiring the
side
Thereupon, the Pirates shrieked-oh
how they shrieked.
1T was an infield fly-and nobody's
out but the batter they howled at
Umpire Bill KLEIN.
TT was no such a thing" responded
Bill. 1T was a common ordinary gar
den variety of fly and the double play
stands"
The Pirates Wiped and yowled They
GRATED and debated. They grabbed the
book of rules and warbled:
Sec. 8, Rule 81: If, before two
players are out, and while first and
second base, or first, second and third
bases are occupied, the batter hit a
fair fly ball, other than a line drive,
which can be handled by an infielder,
the umpire shall declare it an infield
or an outfield fly. If it is an infield
fly, the batter is out whether the ball
is caught or not"
And then they howled at Bill:
ut was an infield fly. The catcher,
by attempting to get it, became an in
fielder. The batter was automatically
out because it was an infield fly. So
only the batter is out and not the
other two players
Umpire Says High Fly.
"Begone" said Bill, or words along
those lines. 1T was not an infield
hit. 1t was a high fly which might
either have been foul or fair Inas-
much as it wasn't an absolutely Ger
tain infield fly l can't call it that
called it an ordinary fly and the dou
BILE play stands"
Then the Pirates carried their pro
test to the prexy of the National
league. They felt certain of victory
in the matter, inasmuch as they fig
ured they clearly could show that in.
asmuch as the ball landed in fair ter
ritory in the infield, that it was an in
field fly.
Prior to Heydler's official ruling on
the matter, the writer sent a letter to
| Heydler asking him to settle the ques
| ton as to whether or not the catcher
and pitcher were to be considered as
infielders. Heydler's answer on that
point was
The term infielder' appears in only
two places in the playing rules. The
rules, therefore, do not officially spe
city who are infielders. The catcher
and pitcher make many plays, from
! the infield. In my judgment, and in
order that the playing rules may be
intelligently applied, the pitcher and
catcher must be considered as infield
ers'
Heydler's Ruling.
| That ruling of Heydler's made it ap
| pear that he would decide against
KLEIN in the disputed game case-and
IN favor of the Pirates. For inasmuch
as he construed the catcher to be ar
| infielder and the catcher had made q
play on a fly which fell over the in
field, it would seem that the play was
nothing more nor less than an infielC
| fly.
But Heydler, in his ruling on thai
| game, stated:
| Umpire KLEIN ruled that the hit il
question was not an infield hit, blu
that it was difficult high fly tina
first lowered over foul ground anC
then was blown into fair territor.
where the catcher, making every eli
fort to get the ball, dropped it. The
only question to be determined here
is whether or not the ball so hit wa
an fnfield hit The umpire rulet
that it was not, and as his decision OIL
all matters of fact and judgment i
final and absolute, no appeal can b.