, 1923-05-20


the play n can't be sure the Gotham
scribe doped the case out correctly. 1t
may have been that higgins was kick
ing about something entirely different.
but the printed story of it indicates
the protest hinged entirely on the fact
a runner. thinking he was thrown out
at fret base. urned to his left after
passing the bag n before he knew he
had been declared safe, Pipp tagged
the runner on his way back to first. but
the umpire paid no attention to 1t,
w~hereupon Higgins ran out and
kicked himself off the field.
AS already stated this may not have
been the point of controversy at all.
but something radically different on
which the Yankee manager may have
had some cause for objecting. That
does not affect the statement that this
boos which was intended to uphold the
little manager was in reality a knock
Higgins Gives Wrong Impression
1t onvey the impression that Hug
gins doesn't know tho playing rules
and would lead those who do know
them to imagine that. II the Yankee
boss doesn't know any more about
running a bali team han he does about
the rules, he is a pretty punk pilot.
We are inclined to give Higgins the
benefit of the doubt and guess that the
New York scribe. being uniformed
himself, jumped at the conclusion Hug
gins was protesting because the run
ner had turned to the left and was not
called out for 1t. Gotham baseball
writer's frequently nave been employed
in the past for their ability to write
interesting yarns rather than for their
experiences in baseball lore. Such
scribes usually get their knowledge OF
the game by hearsay and tradition In
stead of by personal investigation or
studying he rule hook.
Only n Tradition.
For a good many years there has
been n tradition that a runner who
turned to the left after overrunning
first base could be put out by being
tagged before he returned to the base.
1t is only n tradition and is not based
on fact. The rule is that such a run
ner is liable to be put out If he turns
sin tho direction Of second base when
ov%errunning first. Its intent and in
depreciation are to penallze the runner
who tries to advance to second on a
hit. a tumble or a bad throw and stu
claim the right to return to first base II
AN AAA1 II AAAABg11lbAG 4 ddNdAlIGs
That's all there Is to that rule. The
major league umplres are thoroughly
conversant with it's purpose and all OF
them are instructed to interpret II that
way. 1t all depends IN whether or not
the runner shows an intent to advance
TO second II he can. How he faces
around to come bach makes no differ
enc at all. A runner who makes a
start for econd then stops Inc faces
back to his right will be called out IL
tagged. and a runner who goes over
first without making any move to ad-
vance does not forfeit his right TO re-
turn safely II he faces about to the left.
Depends on Runners Intention.
The mistaken tradition grows put OF
the fact that n good many years &
the club owners In revamping the
playing code used the words " turn to
the left in this rule. They meant
literally turn and not face about If
some one stopped you on the corner of
Van Buren, street and Wabash avenue
and asked how TO get to the Congress
hotel you probably would tell him TO
walk one block south and turn to the
left You would not expect him to face
about to the left n come back on
Wabash to where he started. You
would expect him N turn in the direc-
ton Of the Congress. That's what
tho rule makers meant but the tech
nicality sharks tried to compel every
runner to face about to the right or
else be put out.
The rule makers changed tho word
ing OF the rule the following year. But
the false tradition still lives and those
whose knowledge OF the game is super
fetal still are mlsled by It. as in the
case of the new York scribe We hope
Huggins knows better.