Base-ball: How to Become a Player by J.M. Ward (1888)
By Patrick Mondout
April 10, 2008
One of the earliest published primers on
the sport and the first one written by a player, John
Montgomery Ward's Base-Ball: How to Become a Player remains one
of the best books on baseball published in the 19th Century and is this
month's bonusBaseballChronology
Book of the Month.
Ward, a Hall
of Famer who was also trained as a lawyer, was just a year away from
helping form the Player's
League when the book was published in 1888. One of the first players
to write newspaper columns during his playing days, Ward challenged the
existing labor conditions in the sport in his 1887 article Is
the Base-Ball Player a Chattle? and remains one of the most
important figures in 19th Century baseball history.
The book briefly covers the history of
the game as comprehensively as had been attempted to that point and then
delves right into playing the game with chapters on each fielding position
with additional chapters on training, batting, base-running, and pitching.
To make it somewhat easier to view, we
have published it on two web pages. This is the first. A link to the
other page is at the bottom of the page.
Everything from the original book is
included and a few images have been added. As always we will point out any
obvious factual errors in the text and have corrected minor textual
errors. To avoid confusion, commentary we add to the text is enclosed by
double brackets and in color like this: [[BaseballChronology
note: This
is a sample.]]
Base-Ball:
How to Become a Player
With the Origin, History and Explanation of the Game
By John Montgomery Ward of the New York Base-Ball Club
PREFACE.
The
author ventures to present this book to the public, because he believes
there are many points in the game of base-ball which can be told only by a
player. He has given some space to a consideration of the origin and early
history of the game, because they are subjects deserving of more attention
than is generally accorded them.
His principal aim, however, has been to produce a hand-book of the
game, a picture of the play as seen by a player. In many of its branches,
base-ball is still in its infancy; even in the actual play there are yet
many unsettled points, and the opinions of experts differ upon important
questions. The author has been as accurate as the nature of the subject
would permit, and, though claiming no especial consideration for his own
opinions, he thinks they will coincide in substance with those of the more
experienced and intelligent players.
To Messrs. A. H. Wright, Henry
Chadwick, Harry Wright, and James
Whyte Davis, for materials of reference, and to Goodwin & Co., the
Scientific American, and A. J. Reach, for engravings and cuts,
acknowledgments are gratefully made.
It may or it may not be a serious reflection upon the accuracy of
history that the circumstances of the invention of the first ball are
enveloped in some doubt. Herodotus attributes it to the Lydians, but
several other writers unite in conceding to a certain beautiful lady of
Corcyra, Anagalla by name, the credit of first having made a ball for the
purpose of pastime. Several passages in Homer rather sustain this latter
view, and, therefore, with the weight of evidence, and to the glory of
woman, we, too, shall adopt this theory. Anagalla did not apply for
letters patent, but, whether from goodness of heart or inability to keep a
secret, she lost no time in making known her invention and explaining its
uses. Homer, then, relates how:
"O'er the green mead the sporting virgins play, Their shining
veils unbound; along the skies, Tost and retost, the ball incessant
flies."
And this is the first ball game on record, though it is perhaps
unnecessary to say that it was not yet base-ball.
No other single accident has ever been so productive of games as that
invention. From the day when the Phaeacian maidens started the ball
rolling down to the present time, it has been continuously in motion, and
as long as children love play and adults feel the need of exercise and
recreation, it will continue to roll. It has been known in all lands, and
at one time or another been popular with all peoples. The Greeks and the
Romans were great devotees of ball-play; China was noted for her players;
in the courts of Italy and France, we are told, it was in especial favor,
and Fitz-Stephen, writing in the 13th century, speaks of the London
schoolboys playing at "the celebrated game of ball."
For many centuries no bat was known, but in those games requiring the
ball to be struck, the hand alone was used. In France there was early
played a species of hand-ball. To protect the hands thongs were sometimes
bound about them, and this eventually furnished the idea of the racquet.
Strutt thinks a bat was first used in golf, cambuc, or bandy ball. This
was similar to the boys' game of "shinny," or, as it is now more
elegantly known, "polo," and the bat used was bent at the end,
just as now. The first straight bats were used in the old English game
called club ball. This was simply "fungo hitting," in which one
player tossed the ball in the air and hit it, as it fell, to others who
caught it, or sometimes it was pitched to him by another player.
Concerning the origin of the American game of base-ball there exists
considerable uncertainty. A correspondent of Porter's Spirit of the
Times, as far back as 1856, begins a series of letters on the game by
acknowledging his utter inability to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion
upon this point; and a writer of recent date introduces a research into
the history of the game with the frank avowal that he has only succeeded
in finding "a remarkable lack of literature on the subject."
In view of its extraordinary growth and popularity as "Our
National Game," the author deems it important that its true origin
should, if possible, be ascertained, and he has, therefore, devoted to
this inquiry more space than might at first seem necessary.
In 1856, within a dozen years from the time of the systematization of
the game, the number of clubs in the metropolitan district and the
enthusiasm attending their matches began to attract particular attention.
The fact became apparent that it was surely superseding the English game
of cricket, and the adherents of the latter game looked with ill-concealed
jealousy on the rising upstart. There were then, as now, persons who
believed that everything good and beautiful in the world must be of
English origin, and these at once felt the need of a pedigree for the new
game. Some one of them discovered that in certain features it resembled an
English game called "rounders," and immediately it was announced
to the American public that base-ball was only the English game
transposed. This theory was not admitted by the followers of the new game,
hut, unfortunately, they were not in a position to emphasize the denial.
One of the strongest advocates of the rounder theory, an Englishman-born
himself, was the writer for out-door sports on the principal metropolitan
publications. In this capacity and as the author of a number of
independent works of his own, and the writer of the "base-ball"
articles in several encyclopedias and books of sport, he has lost no
opportunity to advance his pet theory. Subsequent writers have, blindly,
it would seem, followed this lead, until now we find it asserted on every
hand as a fact established by some indisputable evidence; and yet there
has never been adduced a particle of proof to support this conclusion.
While the author of this work entertains the greatest respect for that
gentleman, both as a journalist and man, and believes that base-ball owes
to him a monument of gratitude for the brave fight he has always made
against the enemies and abuses of the game, he yet considers this point as
to the game's origin worthy of further investigation, and he still regards
it as an open question.
When was base-ball first played in America?
The first contribution which in any way refers to the antiquity of the
game is the first official report of the "National
Association" in 1858. This declares "The game of base-ball
has long been a favorite and popular recreation in this country, but it is
only within the last fifteen years that any attempt has been made to
systematize and regulate the game." The italics are inserted to call
attention to the fact that in the memory of the men of that day base-ball
had been played a long time prior to 1845, so long that the fifteen years
of systematized play was referred to by an "only."
Colonel Jas. Lee, elected an honorary member of the Knickerbocker
Club in 1846, said that he had often played the same game when a boy,
and at that time he was a man of sixty or more years. Mr. Wm. F. Ladd, my
informant, one of the original members of the Knickerbockers, says that he
never in any way doubted Colonel Lee's declaration, because he was a
gentleman eminently worthy of belief.
Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, several years since, said to the reporter of
a Boston paper that base-ball was one of the sports of his college days at
Harvard, and Dr. Holmes graduated in 1829.
Mr. Charles De
Bost, the catcher and captain of the old Knickerbockers, played
base-ball on Long Island fifty years ago, and it was the same game which
the Knickerbockers afterward played.
In the absence of any recorded proof as to the antiquity of the game,
testimony such as the foregoing becomes important, and it might be
multiplied to an unlimited extent.
Another noticeable point is the belief in the minds of the game's first
organizers that they were dealing with a purely American production, and
the firmness of this conviction is evidenced by everything they said and
did. An examination of the speeches and proceedings of the conventions, of
articles in the daily and other periodical publications, of the poetry
which the game at that early day inspired, taken in connection with the
declarations of members of the first clubs still living, will show this
vein of belief running all the way through. The idea that base-ball owed
its origin to any foreign game was not only not entertained, but
indignantly repudiated by the men of that time; and in pursuing his
investigations the writer has discovered that this feeling still exists in
a most emphatic form.
In view of the foregoing we may safely say that base-ball was played in
America as early, at least, as the beginning of this century.
It may be instructive now to inquire as to the antiquity of the
"old English game" from which baseball is said to have sprung.
Deferring for the present the consideration of its resemblance to
base-ball, what proof have we of its venerable existence? Looking,
primarily, to the first editions of old English authorities on out-door
sports, I have been unable to find any record that such a game as
"rounders" was known. I may have been unfortunate in my
searches, for, though I have exhausted every available source of
information, I have not discovered any mention of it.
The first standard English writer to speak of rounders is
"Stonehenge" in his Manual of Sports, London, 1856. Since then
almost every English work on out-door sports describes the "old English
game of rounders," and in the same connection declares it to be
the germ of the American base-ball; and yet, curiously enough, not one of
them gives us any authority even for dubbing it "old," much less
for calling it the origin of our game. But in 1856 base-ball had been
played here for many years; it had already attracted attention as the
popular sport, and by 1860 was known in slightly differing forms all over
the country. To all these later English writers, therefore, its existence
and general principles must have been familiar, and it is consequently
remarkable that, in view of their claim, they have given us no more
particulars of the game of rounders. Are we to accept this assertion
without reserve, when an investigation would seem to indicate that
baseball is really the older game? If this English game was then a common
school-boy sport, as now claimed, it seems almost incredible that it
should have escaped the notice of all the writers of the first half of the
century; and yet no sooner does base-ball become famous as the American
game than English writers discover that there is an old and popular
English game from which it is descended. Many of the games which the
earlier writers describe are extremely simple as compared with rounders,
and yet the latter game is entirely overlooked!
But upon what ground have these later writers based their assumption?
Many, doubtless, have simply followed the writings from this side of the
Atlantic; others have been misled by their ignorance of the actual age of
our game, for there are even many Americans who think base-ball was
introduced by the Knickerbocker and following clubs; a few, with the
proverbial insular idea, have concluded that base-ball must be of English
origin, if for no other reason, because it ought to be.
It is not my intention to declare the old game of rounders a myth.
There is ample living testimony to its existence as early perhaps as 1830,
but that it was a popular English game before base-ball was played here I
am not yet ready to believe. Before we accept the statement that base-hall
is "only a species of glorified rounders," we should demand some
proof that the latter is really the older game. In this connection it will
be important to remember that there were two English games called
"rounders," but entirely distinct the one from the other.
Johnson's Dictionary, edition of 1876, describes the first, and presumably
the older, as similar to "fives" or hand-ball, while the second
is the game supposed to be allied to base-ball. "Fives" is one
of the oldest of games, and if it or a similar game was called
"rounders," it will require something more than the mere
occurrence of the name in some old writing to prove that the game referred
to is the "rounders" as now played. And if this cannot be shown,
why might we not claim, with as much reason as the other theory has been
maintained, that the "old English game of rounders" is only a
poor imitation of the older American game of base-ball?
Up to this point we have waived the question of resemblance between the
two games, but let us now inquire what are the points of similarity.
Are these, after all, so striking as to warrant the assumption that one
game was derived from the other, no matter which may be shown to be the
older? In each there are "sides;" the ball is tossed to the
striker, who hits it with a bat; he is out if the ball so hit is caught;
he runs to different bases in succession and may be put out if hit by the
ball when between the bases. But with this the resemblance ceases. In
base-ball nine men constitute a side, while in rounders there may be any
number over three. In base-ball there are four bases (including the home),
and the field is a diamond. In rounders the bases are five in number and
the field a pentagon in shape. There is a fair and foul hit in base-ball,
while in rounders no such thing is known. In rounders if a ball is struck
at and missed, or if hit so that it falls back of the striker, he is out,
while in base-ball the ball must be missed three times and the third one
caught in order to retire the striker; and a foul, unless caught like any
other ball, has no effect and is simply declared "dead." In
rounders the score is reckoned by counting one for each base made, and
some of the authorities say the run is completed when the runner has
reached the base next on the left of the one started from. In base-ball
one point is scored only when the runner has made every base in succession
and returned to the one from which he started. In rounders every player on
the side must be put out before the other side can come in, while in
base-ball from time immemorial the rule has been "three out, all
out." The distinctive feature of rounders, and the one which gives it
its name, is that when all of a side except two have been retired, one of
the two remaining may call for "the rounder;" that is, he is
allowed three hits at the ball, and if in any one of these he can make the
entire round of the bases, all the players of his side are reinstated as
batters. No such feature as this was ever heard of in base-ball, yet, as
said, it is the characteristic which gives to rounders its name, and any
derivation of that game must certainly have preserved it.
If the points of resemblance were confined solely to these two games it
would prove nothing except that boys' ideas as well as men's often run in
the same channels. The very ancient game of bandy ball has its double in
an older Persian sport, and the records of literary and mechanical
invention present some curious coincidences. But, as a matter of fact,
every point common to these two, games was known and used long before in
other popular sports. That the ball was tossed to the bat to be hit was
true of a number of other games, among which were club ball, tip cat, and
cricket; in both of the latter and also in stool ball bases were run, and
in tip cat, a game of much greater antiquity than either base-ball or
rounders, the runner was out if hit by the ball when between bases. In all
of these games the striker was out if the ball when hit was caught.
Indeed, a comparison will show that there are as many features of
base-ball common to cricket or tip cat as there are to rounders.
In view, then, of these facts, that the points of similarity are not
distinctive, and that the points of difference are decidedly so, I can see
no reason in analogy to say that one game is descended from the other, no
matter which may be shown to be the older.
There was a game known in some parts of this country fifty or more
years ago called town-ball. In 1831 a club was regularly organized in
Philadelphia to play the game, and it is recorded that the first day for
practice enough members were not present to make up town-ball, and so a
game of "two-old-cat" was played. This town-ball was so nearly
like rounders that one must have been the prototype of the other, but
town- ball and base-ball were two very different games. When this same
town- ball club decided in 1860 to adopt base-ball instead, many of its
principal members resigned, so great was the enmity to the latter game.
Never, until recently, was the assertion made that base-ball was a
development of town-ball, and it could not have been done had the writers
looked up at all the historical facts.
The latest attempt to fasten an English tab on the American game is
noteworthy. Not content to stand by the theory that our game is sprung
from the English rounders, it is now intimated that baseball itself, the
same game and under the same name, is of English origin. To complete the
chain, it is now only necessary for some English writer to tell us that
"in 1845 a number of English gentlemen sojourning in New York
organized a club called the Knickbockers, and introduced to Americans the
old English game of base-ball." This new departure has not yet gained
much headway, but it must be noticed on account of the circumstances of
its appearance.
The edition of Chambers' Encyclopedia just out, in its article
on "base-ball" says that the game was
mentioned in Miss Austen's Northanger Abbey, written about 1798, and
leaves us to infer that it was the same game that we now know by that
name. It was not necessary to go into the realm of fiction to find this
ancient use of the name. A writer to the London Times in 1874 pointed out
that in 1748 the family of Frederick, Prince of Wales, were
represented as engaged in a game of base-ball. Miss Austen refers to
base-ball as played by the daughters of "Mrs. Morland," the
eldest of whom was fourteen. In Elaine's Rural Sports, London,
1852, in an introduction to ball games in general, occurs this passage:
"There are few of us of either sex but have engaged in base-ball
since our majority." Whether in all these cases the same game was
meant matters not, and it is not established by the mere identity of
names. "Base," as meaning a place of safety, dates its origin
from the game of "prisoners' base" long before anything in the
shape of base-ball or rounders; so that any game of ball in which bases
were a feature would likely be known by that name. The fact that in the
three instances in which we find the name mentioned it is always a game
for girls or women, would justify the suspicion that it was not always the
same game, and that it in any way resembled our game is not to be
imagined. Base-ball in its mildest form is essentially a robust game, and
it would require an elastic imagination to conceive of little girls
possessed of physical powers such as its play demands.
Besides, if the English base-ball of 1748, 1798, and 1852 were the same
as our base-ball we would have been informed of that fact long ago, and it
would never have been necessary to attribute the origin of our game to
rounders. And when, in 1874, the American players were introducing
base-ball to Englishmen, the patriotic Britain would not have said, as he
then did, that our game was "only rounders with the rounder left
out," but he would at once have told us that base-ball itself was an
old English game.
But this latest theory is altogether untenable and only entitled to
consideration on account of the authority under which it is put forth.
In a little book called Jolly Games for Happy Homes, London, 1875,
dedicated to "wee little babies and grown-up ladies," there is
described a game called "base-ball." It is very similar in its
essence to our game and is probably a reflection of it. It is played by a
number of girls in a garden or field. Having chosen sides, the
"leader" of the "out" side tosses the ball to one of
the "ins," who strikes it with her hand and then scampers for
the trees, posts, or other objects previously designated as bases. Having
recovered the ball, the "scouts," or those on the
"outs," give chase and try to hit the fleeing one at a time when
she is between bases. There must be some other means, not stated, for
putting out the side; the ability to throw a ball with accuracy is
vouchsafed to few girls, and if the change of innings depended upon this,
the game, like a Chinese play, would probably never end. It is described,
however, as a charming pastime, and, notwithstanding its simplicity, is
doubtless a modern English conception of our National Game.
To recapitulate briefly, the assertion that base-ball is descended from
rounders is a pure assumption, unsupported even by proof that the latter
game antedates the former and unjustified by any line of reasoning based
upon the likeness of the games. The other attempt to declare base-ball
itself an out-and-out English game is scarcely worthy of serious
consideration.
But if base-ball is neither sprung from rounders nor taken bodily from
another English game, what is its origin? I believe it to be a fruit of
the inventive genius of the American boy. Like our system of government,
it is an American evolution, and while, like that, it has doubtless been
affected by foreign associations, it is none the less distinctively our
own. Place in the hands of youth a ball and bat, and they will invent
games of ball, and that these will be affected by other familiar games and
in many respects resemble them, goes without saving.
The tradition among the earliest players of the game now living, is
that the root from which came our present base-ball was the old-time
American game of "cat-ball." This was the original American ball
game, and the time when it was not played here is beyond the memory of
living man. There were two varieties of the game, the first called
"one-old-cat," or one-cornered-cat, and the other
"two-old-cat."
In one-old-cat there were a batter, pitcher, catcher, and fielders.
There were no "sides," and generally no bases to run, but in
every other respect the game was like base-ball. The batter was out if he
missed three times and the third strike was caught, or if the ball when
hit was caught on the fly or first bound. When the striker was "put
out" the catcher went in to bat, the pitcher to catch, and the first
fielder to pitch, and so on again when the next striker was retired. The
order of succession had been established when the players went on the
field by each calling out a number, as "one," "two,"
"three," etc., one being the batter, two the catcher, three the
pitcher, four the first fielder, etc. Thus, each in order secured his turn
"at bat," the coveted position. Sometimes, when the party was
larger, more than one striker was allowed, and in that case, not only to
give the idle striker something to do, but to offer extra chances for
putting him out, one or more bases were laid out, and having hit the ball
he was forced to run to these. If he could be hit with the ball at any
time when he was between bases he was out, and he was forced to be back to
the striker's position in time to take his turn at bat. This made him take
chances in running. No count was kept of runs. Two-old-cat differed from
one-old-cat in having two batters at opposite stations, as in the old
English stool-ball and the more modern cricket, while the fielders divided
so that half faced one batter and half the other.
From one-old-cat to base-ball is a short step. It was only necessary to
choose sides, and then the count of runs made by each would form the
natural test of superiority. That base-ball actually did develop in this
way was the generally accepted theory for many years.
In 1869 an article in The Nation, from A. H. Sedgwick,
commenting upon the features of baseball arid cricket as exemplifying
national characteristics, said: "To those other objectors who would
contend that our explanation supposes a gradual modification of the
English into the American game, while it is a matter of common learning
that the latter is of no foreign origin but the lineal descendant of that
favorite of boyhood, 'two-old-cat,' we would say that, fully agreeing with
them as to the historical fact, we have always believed it to be so clear
as not to need further evidence, and that for the purposes of this article
the history of the matter is out of place."
Without going further into a consideration that might be greatly
prolonged, I reassert my belief that our national game is a home
production. In the field of out-door sports the American boy is easily
capable of devising his own amusements, and until some proof is adduced
that base-ball is not his invention I protest against this systematic
effort to rob him of his dues.
The recorded history of the game may be briefly sketched; it is not the
object here to give a succinct history:
In 1845 a number of gentlemen who had been in the habit, for several
years, of playing base-ball for recreation, determined to form themselves
into a permanent organization under the name of "The Knickerbocker
Club." They drew up a Constitution and By-laws, and scattered through
the latter are to be found the
first written rules of the game. They little thought that that
beginning would develop into the present vast system of organized
base-ball. They were guilty of no crafty changes of any foreign game;
there was no incentive for that. They recorded the rules of the game as
they remembered them from boyhood and as they found them in vogue at that
time. For six years the club played regularly at the Elysian
Field, the two nines being made up from all the members present. From
1851 other clubs began to be organized, and we find the Washington, Gotham
(into which the Washington was merged), Eagle,
Empire, Putnam,
Baltic, Union,
Mutual,
Excelsior,
Atlantic,
Eckford,
and many other clubs following in the space of a few years.
In Philadelphia town-ball was the favorite pastime and kept out
base-ball for some time, while in Boston the local "New England
game," as played by the Olympic, Elm Tree, and Green Mountain Clubs,
deferred the introduction of base-ball, or, as it was called, "the
New York game," until 1857.
Base-ball grew rapidly in favor; the field was ripe. America needed a
live out-door sport, and this game exactly suited the national
temperament. It required all the manly qualities of activity, endurance,
pluck, and skill peculiar to cricket, and was immeasurably superior to
that game in exciting features. There were dash, spirit, and variety, and
it required only a couple of hours to play a game. Developed by American
brains, it was flaw to us, and we took to it with all the enthusiasm
peculiar to our nature.
In 1857 a convention of
delegates from sixteen clubs located in and around New York and
Brooklyn was held, and a uniform set of rules drawn up to govern the play
of all the clubs.
In 1858 a second general convention was held, at which twenty-five
clubs were represented. A committee was appointed to formulate a
Constitution and By-laws for a permanent organization, and in accordance
with this "The National Association
of Baseball Players" was duly organized. The game now made rapid
strides. It was no boys' sport, for no one under twenty-one years of age
could be a delegate. Each year a committee of men having a practical
knowledge of the game revised the playing rules, so that these were always
kept abreast of the time.
During 1858 a series of three games between picked nines from New York
and Brooklyn was played on the Fashion Course, Long Island. The public
interest in these games was very great and the local feeling ran high. The
series, which terminated in favor of New York, two to one, attracted
general attention to the game.
In 1861 a similar game was played called "the silver ball
match," on account of the trophy, a silver ball, offered by the New
York Clipper. This time Brooklyn won easily, and it is said some
15,000 people were present.
At the second annual meeting of the "National Association" in
1860, seventy clubs had delegates present, representing New York,
Brooklyn, Boston, Detroit, New Haven, Newark, Troy, Albany, Buffalo, and
other cities. During this year the first extended trip was taken by the
Excelsior Club, of Brooklyn, going to Albany, Troy, Buffalo, Rochester,
and Newburgh.
All the expenses of the trip were paid from the treasury of the traveling
club, for there were no inclosed grounds in those days and no questions as
to percentage or guarantee were yet agitating the clubs and public. The
Excelsiors won every game, and their skillful display and gentlemanly
appearance did much to popularize the game in the cities visited.
Already in 1860 the game was coming to be recognized as our national
pastime, and there were clubs in all the principal cities. Philadelphia
had forsaken her town-ball, and Boston's "New England" game,
after a hard fight, gave way to the "New York" game. Washington,
Baltimore, Troy, Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, all had their
champion teams. From Detroit to New Orleans, and from Portland, Maine, to
far-off San Francisco, the grand game was the reigning out-door sport.
With the outbreak of the Civil War came a very general suspension of
play in the different cities, though the records of occasional games in
camp show that "the boys" did not entirely forget the old love.
In 1865 the friendly contests were resumed, though the call of the rolls
showed many "absent" who had never been known to miss a game.
More than one of those who went out in '61 had proven his courage on the
crimson field.
During the seasons of '65, '66, and '67 amateur base-ball, so-called,
was in the height of its glory. At the annual Convention of the National
Association in '66 a total of two hundred and two clubs from seventeen
States and the District of Columbia were represented; besides, there were
present delegates from the Northwestern and Pennsylvania Associations,
representing in addition over two hundred clubs.
In 1867 the trip of the "Nationals" of Washington was the
first visit of an Eastern club to the West, and helped greatly to spread
the reputation of the game.
For a number of years, however, certain baneful influences had crept
into the game and now began to work out their legitimate effect.
The greatest of these evils was in the amount of gambling on the
results of games. With so much money at stake, the public knew that
players would be tampered with, and when finally its suspicions were
confirmed, it refused further to patronize the game.
The construction of inclosed grounds and the charge of admission proved
another danger. No regular salaries were paid, so that the players who
were depending on a share of the "gate" arranged to win and lose
a game in order that the deciding contest might draw well.
Doubtless there were more of these things existing in the public
imagination than in actual fact, but distrust once aroused, there was no
faith left for anything or anybody.
Very early in the history of the Association the practice prevailed
among certain clubs of offering inducements to crack players in order to
secure them as members. The clubs which could afford this grew
disproportionately strong, and in the face of continual defeat the weaker
clubs were losing interest. In 1859 a rule was made forbidding the
participation in any matches of paid players, but it was so easily evaded
that it was a dead letter. In 1866 the rule was reworded, but with no
improved effect, and in 1868 the National Association decided, as the only
way out of the dilemma, to recognize the professional class of players. By
making this distinction it would no longer be considered a disgrace for an
amateur to be beaten by a professional nine.
For the professionals the change was most beneficial. It legitimized
their occupation and left them at liberty to pursue openly and honorably
what they had before been forced to follow under false colors. The proud
record of the Cincinnati "Reds" in '69 proved that professional
base-ball could be honestly and profitably conducted, and from that time
forth it was an established institution.
But with the introduction of professionalism there began a great
competition for players, and this brought in a new evil in the form of
"revolvers," or, as they were sometimes called, "shooting
stars." Players under contract with one club yielded to the
temptations of larger offers and repudiated the first agreements. It
became evident that a closer organization was necessary to deal with these
affairs.
In 1871 the professional and amateur organizations concluded to
dissolve partnership. Two distinct associations were formed, and the first
regular championship contests were engaged in by the Professional
Association. After a few years the Amateur National Association passed out
of existence.
In 1876 eight clubs of the "Professional National
Association" formed an independent body, calling themselves "The
National League," and this is the present senior base-ball
organization.
In 1881 a new body of professional clubs, The American
Association, entered the field, and is now, with the National League,
one of the controlling factors of the game.
There have been a number of other base-ball associations formed from
time to time, but, unable to compete with the larger Leagues, and
despoiled of their best players, they have been forced to withdraw. Under
a new regime there are at present quite a number of these minor
organizations, and some of them are in a most flourishing condition.
In 1882 the National League, American Association, and Northwestern
League entered into what was called the "Triparti Agreement,"
which the following year was developed into the "National
Agreement." The parties to this document, which is become the lex
suprema in base-ball affairs, are now, primarily, the National League
and the American Association. It regulates the term of players' contracts
and the period for negotiations; it provides a fine of five hundred
dollars upon the club violating, and disqualifies the player for the
ensuing season; it prescribes the formula necessary to make a
"legal" contract; the clubs of each Association are to respect
the reservations, expulsions, blacklistments, and suspensions of the clubs
of the other; it declares that no club shall pay any salary in excess of
two thousand dollars; finally, it provides for a Board of Arbitration,
consisting of three duly accredited representatives from each Association,
to convene annually, and, "in addition to all matters that may be
specially referred to them," to have "sole, exclusive, and final
jurisdiction of all disputes and complaints arising under, and all
interpretations of, this Agreement." It shall also decide all
disputes between the Associations or between club members of one
Association and club members of the other.
To this main agreement are tacked "Articles of Qualified
Admission," by which the minor base-ball associations, for a
consideration and upon certain conditions, are conceded certain privileges
and protection. These articles are an agreement between the League and
American Association, party of the first part, and the minor leagues as
party of the second part.
The most important feature of the National Agreement unquestionably is
the provision according to the club members the privilege of reserving a
stated number of players. No other club of any Association under the
Agreement dares engage any player so reserved. To this rule, more than any
other thing, does base-ball as a business owe its present substantial
standing. By preserving intact the strength of a team from year to year;
it places the business of baseball on a permanent basis and thus offers
security to the investment of capital. The greatest evil with which the
business has of recent years had to contend is the unscrupulous methods of
some of its "managers." Knowing no such thing as professional
honor, these men are ever ready to benefit themselves, regardless of the
cost to an associate club. The reserve rule itself is a usurpation of the
players' rights, but it is, perhaps, made necessary by the peculiar nature
of the base-ball business, and the player is indirectly compensated by the
improved standing of the game. I quote in this connection Mr. A. G. Mills,
ex-President of the League, and the originator of the National Agreement:
"It has been popular in days gone by to ascribe the decay and
disrepute into which the game had fallen to degeneracy on the part of the
players, and to blame them primarily for revolving and other misconduct.
Nothing could be more unjust. I have been identified with the game more
than twenty-five years—for several seasons as a player—and I know
that, with rare exceptions, those faults were directly traceable to those
who controlled the clubs. Professional players have never sought the club
manager; the club manager has invariably sought—and often tempted—the
player. The reserve rule takes the club manager by the throat and compels
him to keep his hands off his neighbor's enterprise."
It was not to be expected that club managers of the stamp above
referred to would exhibit much consideration for the rights of players. As
long as a player continued valuable he had little difficulty, but when,
for any reason, his period of usefulness to a club had passed, he was
likely to find, by sad experience, that base-ball laws were not construed
for his protection; he discovered that in base-ball, as in other affairs,
might often makes right, and it is not to be wondered at that he turned to
combination as a means of protection.
In the fall of 1885 the members of the New York team met and appointed
a committee to draft a Constitution and By-laws for an organization of
players, and during the season of 1886 the different "Chapters"
of the "National Brotherhood of Ball-Players" were instituted by
the mother New York Chapter. The objects of this Brotherhood as set forth
by the Constitution are:
"To protect and benefit its members collectively and individually;
"To promote a high standard of professional conduct;
"To foster and encourage the interests of 'The National
Game.'"
There was no spirit of antagonism to the capitalists of the game,
except in so far as the latter might at ally time attempt to disregard the
rights of any member.
In November, 1887, a committee of the Brotherhood met a committee of
the League, and a new form of players' contract was agreed upon.
Concessions were made on both sides, and the result is a more equitable
form of agreement between the club and players.
The time has not yet come to write of the effect of this new factor in
base-ball affairs. It is organized on a conservative plan, and the spirit
it has already shown has given nothing to fear to those who have the broad
interests of the game at heart. That it has within it the capacity for
great good, the writer has no manner of doubt.
And thus the erstwhile schoolboy game and the amateur pastime of later
years is being rounded out into a full-grown business. The professional
clubs of the country begin to rival in number those of the halcyon amateur
days; and yet the latter class has lost none of its love for the sport.
The only thing now lacking to forever establish base-ball as our national
sport is a more liberal encouragement of the amateur element. Professional
base-ball may have its ups and downs according as its directors may be
wise or the contrary, but the foundation upon which it all is built, its
hold upon the future, is in the amateur enthusiasm for the game. The
professional game must always be confined to the larger towns, but every
hamlet may have its amateur team, and let us see to it that their games
are encouraged.
On account of the associations by which a professional game of
base-ball was supposed to be surrounded, it was for a long time thought
not a proper sport for the patronage of ladies. Gradually, however, this
illusion has been dispelled, until now at every principal contest they are
found present in large numbers. One game is generally enough to interest
the novice; she had expected to find it so difficult to understand and she
soon discovers that she knows all about it; she is able to criticize plays
and even find fault with the umpire; she is surprised and flattered by the
wonderful grasp of her own understanding, and she begins to like the game.
As with everything else that she likes at all, she likes it with all her
might, and it is only a question of a few more games till she becomes an
enthusiast. It is a fact that the sport has no more ardent admirers than
are to be found among its lady attendants throughout the country.
Whoever has not experienced the pleasure of taking a young lady to her
first game of ball should seize the first opportunity to do so. Her
remarks about plays, her opinions of different players and the umpire, and
the questions she will ask concerning the game, are all too funny to be
missed. She is a violent partisan and at once takes strong sides, and if
her favorite team fails to bat well she characterizes the opposing pitcher
as a "horrid creature;" or when the teams have finished
practicing she wants to know, with charming ingenuousness, "which
won." But as she gets deeper into the principles of the game her
remarks become less frequent and her questions more to the point, until
her well-timed attempts to applaud good plays and the anxious look at
critical points of the game indicate that she has at last caught the idea.
Unfortunately, some men are not able to intelligibly explain the theory
of base-ball, while others are so engrossed with the game that they do not
care to be disturbed. For the benefit of those ladies whose escorts either
cannot, or will not, answer their questions, I will attempt to set forth
as clearly as possible the fundamental principles of the game.
There are always two opposing teams of nine players each, and they play
on a field laid out in the shape of a diamond, as seen in time diagram on
the following page.
At each corner of the diamond is a base, and these are known
respectively as home base, first base, second base, and third base. One of
the teams takes "the field," that is, each of its nine players
occupies one of the nine fielding positions shown in the diagram, and
known as pitcher, catcher, first base, second base, third base, short
stop, left field, center field, and right field; the other team goes to
"the bat" and tries to make "runs." A run is scored in
this way: One of the nine batting players takes his position at the home
base and endeavors to hit the ball, thrown to him by the opposing pitcher,
to some part of the field where it can neither be caught before touching
the ground, nor thrown to first base before the batter himself can run
there; if he can hit it far enough to allow him to reach not only first
base, but second or third or even home, so much the better, for when he
has made the complete circuit of the bases his side is credited with one
run. If he cannot make home on his own hit he may be helped around by the
good hits of succeeding batsmen, for each one of the nine takes his
regular turn at the bat. This batting and running goes on until three of
the batting side have been "put out," whereupon the batting side
take the field and the other team comes in to take its turn at bat and
make as many runs as possible. When three of a batting side have been
"put out," that side is said to have had its "inning,"
and each side is entitled to nine innings.
A player is "put out" in various ways, principal among which
are the following: If he strikes three times at the ball and misses it and
on the third strike the ball is caught by the catcher; a ball which passes
over the plate between the height of the knee and shoulder and not struck
at, is called a strike just as though it had been struck at and missed.
The batsman is also "out" if the ball which he hits is caught by
some fielder before touching the ground; or if, having touched the ground,
it is thrown to time first-baseman before the batter himself can reach
that base. He is out if, at any time after having hit the ball, he is
touched with it in the hands of a fielder, when no part of his person is
touching a base.
There are lines drawn from the home base through the first and
third-base corners and continued indefinitely into the field. These are
called "foul lines," and any hit ball falling outside of them
counts as nothing at all, unless, of course, it be caught before touching
the ground; in which case it puts the striker "out."
Outside of the nine players on each side there is another important
personage, known as "The Umpire." He is not placed there as a
target for the maledictions of disappointed spectators. He is of flesh and
blood, and has feelings just the same as any other human being. He is not
chosen because of his dishonesty or ignorance of the rules of the game,
neither is he an ex-horse thief nor an escaped felon; on the contrary, he
has been carefully selected by the President of the League from among a
great number of applicants on account of his supposed integrity of
character and peculiar fitness for the position; indeed, in private life
he may even pass as a gentleman.
His duties are arduous; he must decide all points of play, though
taking place on widely separated portions of the field; he determines
whether a ball has been fairly pitched over the home-base, whether a hit
is "fair" or "foul," or whether a player has been put
out in accordance with the rules. In brief, he is expected to see all
parts of the field at once and enforce all the principal and incidental
rules of the game. It would not be strange, therefore, if he made an
occasional mistake or failed to decide in a way to suit all.
I have given thus concisely, and with the use of as few technical terms
as possible, the first principles of the game. Many things are purposely
left for the novice to learn, because any attempt to go into detail would
prove confusing. For the instruction of those who wish to master the
technical terms generally used, I subjoin some definitions. They are
intended for beginners, and though not in all cases covering the entire
ground, will yet convey the idea.
DEFINITIONS.
A batsman, batter, or striker is the player who is
taking his turn at bat.
A base-runner is what the batter becomes instantly after having
hit a fair ball, though for convenience of distinction he is often still
called a batter until he has reached first base.
A fielder is any one of the nine fielding players.
A coacher is one of the batting players who takes his position
within certain prescribed limits near first or third base to direct
base-runners and to urge them along.
A fair hit is, generally speaking, a ball hit by a batsman which
falls within the foul lines.
A foul hit is one which falls without the foul lines. A base hit
is a fair hit by a batsman which can neither be caught before touching the
ground nor fielded to first base in time to put out the striker. It may be
either a two-base hit, a three-base hit, or a home run, according as two
or three or four bases have been made on the hit without an intervening
error.
An error is made when a fielder fails to make a play that he
should fairly have been expected to make.
A fly is a hit caught before touching the ground.
A muff is made when a "fly" or thrown ball, striking
fairly in the hands of a fielder, is not caught.
A grounder is a hit along the ground.
A steal is made when a base-runner gets from one base to another
without the assistance of a base hit or an error.
A wild pitch is a ball thrown by the pitcher out of the fair
reach of the catcher, and on which a base-runner gains a base.
A passed ball is a throw by the pitcher which the catcher should
stop but fails, and by his failure a base-runner gains a base.
For the purpose of distinction, the nine fielders are subdivided into
The Battery, The In-field, and The Out-field. The Battery means the
Pitcher and Catcher, the In-field includes the First, Second, and Third
Basemen, and the Short-stop; and the Outfield is composed of the Left,
Center, and Right Fielders.
As for the theory of the game, remember that there are opposing sides,
each of which has nine turns at the bat, i.e., nine innings, and the
object each inning is to score as many runs as possible. A run is scored
every time a player gets entirely around the bases, either by his own hit
alone or by the help of succeeding batters, or by the errors of the
opposing fielders, and the team making the most runs in nine innings is
declared the winner. An inning is ended when three of the batting side
have been "put out," and a player may be put out in various
ways, as before enumerated. The umpire is not trying to be unfair, he is
doing the best he can, and instead of abuse he is often deserving of
sympathy.
Some one has truthfully said, that ball players, like poets and cooks,
are born, not made, though once born, their development, like that of
their fellow-artists, may be greatly aided by judicious coaching. Of what
this training shall consist becomes then a question of much importance.
The only way to learn base-ball is to play it, and it is a trite saying
that the best practice for a ball player is base-ball itself. Still, there
are points outside of the game, such as the preliminary training, diet,
and exercise, an observance of which will be of great advantage when the
regular work is begun. The method and style of play and the points of each
position are given in the subsequent chapters, so that I shall here speak
only of those points which come up off the field and are not included in
the game proper.
But first of all, let me say, that no one will ever become an expert
ball player who is not passionately fond of the sport. Base-ball cannot be
learned as a trade. It begins with the sport of the schoolboy, and though
it may end in the professional, I am sure there is not a single one of
these who learned the game with the expectation of making it a business.
There have been years in the life of each during which he must have ate
and drank and dreamed baseball. It is not a calculation but an
inspiration.
There are many excellent books devoted exclusively to the general
subject of training, and a careful reading of one such may be of much
service in teaching the beginner the ordinary principles of self-care. It
will show him how to keep the system in good working order, what are
proper articles of diet, how to reduce weight, or what exercises are best
calculated to develop certain muscles; but for the specific purposes of a
ball player such a book is entirely wanting, for the reason that the
"condition" in which he should keep himself, and therefore the
training needful, differ from those for any other athlete. To perform some
particular feat which is to occupy but a comparatively brief space of
time, as to run, row, wrestle, or the like, a man will do better to be
thoroughly "fit." But if the period of exertion is to extend
over some length of time, as is the case with the ball player, working for
six months at a stretch, his system will not stand the strain of too much
training. Working solely on bone and muscle day after day, his nervous
system will give way. He will grow weak, or as it is technically known,
"go stale." This over-training is a mistake oftenest made by the
young and highly ambitious player, though doubtless many of the instances
of "loss of speed" by pitchers and "off streaks" by
older players are really attributable to this cause.
The "condition" in which a ball player should keep himself is
such that his stomach and liver are in good order, his daily habits
regular, his muscles free and firm, and his "wind" strong enough
to allow him to run the circuit of the bases without inconvenience. He
must not attempt to keep in what is known as "fine" condition.
He should observe good hours, and take at least eight hours sleep nightly;
and he may eat generously of wholesome food, except at noon, when he
should take only a light lunch. There are many players who eat so heartily
just before the game that they are sleepy and dull the entire afternoon.
The traveling professional player needs to pay particular attention to the
kind and quality of his food. The sudden changes of climate, water, and
cooking are very trying, and unless he takes great care he will not get
through a season without some trouble. Especially should he avoid under or
over ripe fruit, for it is likely that many of the prevalent cases of
cholera morbus are due to indiscretions in this particular.
If he finds it necessary to take some light stimulant, let it be done
with the evening meal. Never take any liquor at any other time: I do not
favor the indiscriminate use of any drink, but, on the contrary, oppose it
as a most harmful practice; I do believe, however, that a glass of ale,
beer, or claret with one's meal is in some cases beneficial. A thin,
nervous person, worn out with the excitement and fatigue of the day, will
find it a genuine tonic; it will soothe and quiet his nerves and send him
earlier to bed and asleep. The "beefy" individual, with plenty
of reserve force, needs no stimulant, and should never touch liquor at any
time. If taken at all, it should be solely as a tonic and never as a
social beverage.
The force of the above applies with special emphasis to the young
professional player. Knowing so well the numberless temptations by which
he is surrounded, I caution him particularly against indiscriminate
drinking. In no profession in life are good habits more essential to
success than in baseball. It is the first thing concerning which the wise
manager inquires, and if the player's record in this respect is found good
it is the most hopeful indication of his future success. Keep away from
saloons.
The amount of work necessary to keep a player in the proper form must
be determined in each particular case by the individual himself. If he is
inclined to be thin a very little will be enough, and he should not begin
too early in the spring; while if prone to stoutness he may require a
great deal, and should begin earlier. It is scarcely necessary to say that
all exercise should be begun by easy stages. Commencing with walks in the
open air and the use of light pulley weights or clubs or bells, the
quantity of exercise may be gradually increased. Never, however, indulge
in heavy work or feats of strength. Such exercise is not good for any one,
but especially is it dangerous for ball players. They do not want
strength, but agility and suppleness; besides, the straining of some small
muscle or tendon may incapacitate one for the entire season, or even
permanently. Right here is the objection to turning loose a party of ball
players in a gymnasium, for spring practice. The temptation to try feats
of strength is always present, and more than likely some one will be
injured.
The best preliminary practice for a ball player, outside of actual
practice at the game, is to be had in a hand-ball court. The game itself
is interesting, and one will work up a perspiration without noticing the
exertion; it loosens the muscles, quickens the eye, hardens the hands, and
teaches the body to act quickly with the mind; it affords every movement
of the ball field except batting, there is little danger from accident,
and the amount of exercise can be easily regulated. Two weeks in a
hand-ball court will put a team in better condition to begin a season than
any Southern trip, and in the end be less expensive to the club.
But whatever preliminary work is found advisable or necessary to adopt,
the player should be particular in the following: Having determined the
amount of exercise best suited to his temperament, he should observe
regular habits, keep the stomach, liver, and skin healthy, attend
carefully to the quality of food taken, and if he takes any stimulant at
all let it be with the evening meal.
Of all the players on a base-ball nine, the pitcher is the one to whom
attaches the greatest importance. He is the attacking force of the nine,
the positive pole of the battery, the central figure, around which the
others are grouped. From the formation of the first written code of rules
in 1845 down to the present time, this pre-eminence has been maintained,
and though the amendments of succeeding years have caused it to vary from
time to time, its relative importance is more marked to-day than at any
preceding period. In a normal development of the game the improvement in
batting would unquestionably have outstripped the pitching, and finally
overcome this superiority; but the removal of certain restrictions upon
the pitcher's motions, the legalization of the underhand throw instead of
the old straight-arm pitch, the introduction of "curve"
pitching, and, finally, the unrestricted overhand delivery, have kept the
pitching always in the lead. At several different times, notably in the
rules of 1887, an effort has been made to secure a more even adjustment,
but recent changes have undone the work, and the season of 1888 will see
the inequality greater, if anything, than ever.
The qualities of mind and body necessary to constitute a good modern
pitcher are rarely combined in a single individual. First-class pitchers
are almost as rare as prima donnas, and out of the many thousand
professional and amateur ball players of the country not more than a dozen
in all are capable of doing the position entire justice.
Speaking first of the physical requirements, I will not discuss the
question of size. There are good pitchers of all sizes, from Madden and
Kilroy to Whitney and McCormick, though naturally a man of average
proportions would have some advantages.
The first thing necessary before one can become a star pitcher is the
ability to throw a ball with speed. The rules, which at present govern the
pitching, place a premium on brute strength, and unless one has a fair
share of this he will never become a leading pitcher. There are a few
so-called good professional players whose sole conception of the position
is to drive the ball through with all possible speed, while others whose
skill and strategy have been proven by long service, are forced out of the
position because they have not sufficient speed for the modern game.
Next, one must be possessed of more than an ordinary amount of
endurance. It is by no means a simple task to pitch an entire game through
and still be as effective in the ninth inning as in the first; and when,
as sometimes happens, the contest is prolonged by an extra number of
innings, the test is severe. This being true of a single game, how much
more tiresome it becomes when continued regularly for an entire season,
during the chilly days of the spring and fall, and under a broiling July
sun, can be appreciated only by one who has gone through it. And what with
all day and all night rides from city to city, broken rest and hasty
meals, bad cooking and changes of water and climate, the man is extremely
fortunate who finds himself in condition to play every day when wanted.
Only a good constitution, a vigorous digestion, the most careful habits,
and lots of grit, will ever do it.
Besides force and stamina, there are certain mental characteristics
necessary. A pitcher must be possessed of courage and of self-control. He
must face the strongest batter with the same confidence that he would feel
against the weakest, for it is only so that he can do himself entire
justice; and he must be able to pitch in the most critical situations with
the same coolness as at any other stage. He must control his own feelings
so as not to be disconcerted by anything that may happen, whether through
his own fault, that of a fellow-player, or through no fault at all. He
should remember that all are working for a common end, and that the
chances of victory will be only injured if he allows his attention to be
diverted by unavoidable accidents. And then, too, it is more manly to play
one's own game as best one can, no matter what occurs, than to continually
display an ugly temper at the little mishaps sure to occur in every game.
The next point is to acquire a correct position in the "box,"
and an easy, yet deceptive, style of delivery. The position is, to a great
extent, prescribed by the rules, and so much of it as is not can be
learned by observing the different pitchers. The position which seems most
natural should be chosen. The ball should be held in exactly the same way,
no matter what kind of curve is to be pitched. Being obliged by rule to
keep the ball before the body, in sight of the umpire, any difference in
the manlier of holding it will be quickly noticed by a clever batter, and
if for a particular curve it is always held in a certain way, he will be
forewarned of the kind of ball to expect.
Some batters pay no attention to these little indications;
but the majority are looking for them all the time, and once they detect
any peculiarities, they will be able to face the pitcher with much greater
confidence. The correct manner of holding the ball for every kind of
delivery is between the thumb and the first and middle fingers, as shown
in the accompanying cut of Clarkson.
It is true there are some curves which may be better acquired by
holding the ball differently in the hand, but this fact is outweighed by
the other considerations of which I have just spoken. Pitcher Shaw might
still be a "wizard" had he not neglected this precaution; by
noticing his manner of holding the ball the batter always knew just what
was coming; and there are other pitchers yet in the field who would find
their effectiveness greatly increased by a closer observance of this
point.
As for the style of delivery, it should be remembered that the easiest
movement is the best. A long, free sweep of the arm, aided by a swing of
the body, will give more speed, be more deceiving to the batter, and allow
of more work than any possible snap or jerky motion. Facing the striker
before pitching, the arm should be swung well back and the body around so
as almost to face second base in the act of delivery; this has an
intimidating effect on weak-nerved batters; besides, not knowing from what
point the ball will start, it seems somehow to get mixed up with the
pitcher's arm and body so that it is not possible to get a fair view of
it. It will be understood what motion is meant if there is an opportunity
to observe Whitney, Clarkson or Keefe at work.
Next comes the knowledge of how to throw the different curves. I have
yet to see an article written on this subject which is of the least value
in instructing a complete novice. In the chapter on "Curve
Pitching" will be found the theory of the curve, but as for
describing intelligibly the snap of the wrist and arm by which the various
twists are imparted to the ball, I am convinced it cannot be done, and
will waste no effort in the attempt. To curve a ball is not a difficult
feat, and a few practical lessons, which any schoolboy can give, will
teach the movement. But, while not attempting myself to tell how this is
done, to one already possessed of the knowledge, I may offer some valuable
suggestions.
Not only must the ball always be held in the same way before pitching,
but in the act of delivery the swing of the arm must be identical or so
nearly so that the eye of the batter can detect no difference. All this
means that the pitcher must not give the striker the slightest inkling of
the kind of ball to expect, so that he will have the shortest possible
time in which to prepare to hit. I advise against the use of too many
different curves. The accomplished twirler can pitch any kind of curve,
but there are some which he seldom employs. It is impossible to be
accurate when too many deliveries are attempted, and accuracy is of far
greater importance than eccentric curves. Almost all professional pitchers
now use the overhand delivery and pitch only a fast, straight ball and a
curve. The fast ball, on account of its being thrown overhand and the
twist thereby given, "jumps" in the air, that is, it rises
slightly, while the curve, pitched with the same motion, goes outward and
downward. The curve will necessarily be slower than the straight ball, and
this will give all the variation in speed needed to unsettle the batter's
"eye" and confuse him in "timing" the ball. Some
pitchers are able, keeping the same motions, to vary the speed even of the
curve and straight balls, but, as before said, this is apt to be at the
expense of accuracy, and should not be attempted by the young player.
Occasionally, say once an inning, a pitcher may make a round arm or
underhand motion simply to mislead the batsman, and if the game is safely
won he may use an underhand delivery if he finds it rests his arm, but
these are exceptional instances.
I have already spoken of the importance of accuracy, but it cannot be
too strongly emphasized. The more marked the control of the ball the
greater will be the success, for no matter how many wonderful curves he
may be able to get, unless he has perfect command he will never be a
winning pitcher; seasoned batsmen will only laugh at his curves and go to
first on balls. To acquire thorough control requires long and patient
practice. A pitcher should always pitch over something laid down to
represent a plate, and if possible get a batter to stand and hit against
him. Let him practice with some method, pitching nothing but a straight
ball, and trying to put it directly over the plate every time. He should
not be annoyed if the batter hits him, as he is only practicing. When a
pitcher is able to cut the center of the plate eight times out of ten he
may begin with his curve and work it in the same way. Finally, when he can
also control the curve, he should try to alternate it with a straight
ball. He will find that he cannot do this at first and retain command of
each, but he should keep at it, an hour or more regularly every day, till
he can.
Up to this point he has been learning only the mechanical part of
pitching, and if he has learned it well he is now ready to try his skill
and mettle on the field of actual contest. And here comes in an element
not before mentioned, which is called strategy, or "head-work."
It means the attempt to deceive the batter, to outwit him so that he
cannot hit safely. This may be accomplished in many ways, though the
particular way best suited to each case can only be determined at the time
by the pitcher himself. It depends, therefore, upon his own cleverness and
wits, and it is not possible for any one else to supply these for him. An
intelligent catcher may help him greatly, but there will still remain many
points which he himself must decide. I may be able, however, to furnish
some hints which will indicate the process of reasoning by which the
pitcher may arrive at certain conclusions; I can point out some things he
should notice, and describe what these generally mean.
SIGNALING.
But first as to the question of "signs." Every battery, by
which is meant a pitcher and catcher, must have a perfectly understood
private code of signals, so that they may make known their intentions and
wishes to one another without at the same time apprising the opposing
players. The first and, of course, most important of these is the signal
by which the catcher is to know what kind of ball to expect.
There is no necessity of more than one "sign" for this,
because all that any experienced catcher asks is to know when to expect a
fast, straight ball; not having received the signal for this, he will
understand that a curve is to be pitched, and the difference in curve or
speed will not bother him after a few moments' practice. Until within a
few years this sign was always given by the pitcher, but now it is almost
the universal practice for the catcher to give it to the pitcher, and if
the latter doesn't want to pitch the ball asked for he changes the sign by
a shake of the head. I think the old method was the better, because it is
certainly the business of the pitcher not only to do the pitching, but to
use his own judgment in deceiving the batsman. He should not act as a mere
automaton to throw the ball; moreover, the catcher has enough of his own
to attend to without assuming any of the duties of the pitcher. Of course,
if the pitcher is young and inexperienced, while the catcher is seasoned
and better acquainted with the weak points of batters, the latter will be
the better one to signal. It may be thought that the right of the pitcher
to reverse the sign by a shake of the head practically gives him the same
control as though he himself gave the signs, but this is not strictly
true; it is impossible for the pitcher not to be more or less influenced
by the catcher's sign, and he will often pitch against his own judgment.
At least I found this to be true in my own experience, and therefore
always preferred myself to do the "signing." If the pitcher
gives this sign he must be careful to choose one that will not be
discovered by the other side, for there are certain players always
watching for such points. Some years ago the Chicago Club gave me the
roughest kind of handling in several games, and Kelly told me this winter
that they knew every ball I intended to pitch, and he even still
remembered the sign and told me what it was. Chicago finished first that
year and we were a close second. That point which they gained upon me may
have cost Providence the championship, for they beat us badly in the
individual series. When I suspected a club of knowing my sign I used a
"combination," that is, I gave two signs; either one of them
given separately was not to be understood as a signal at all, but both had
to be given together. I found this to work admirably, and it was never
discovered by any club, so far as I know. If it be agreed that the catcher
is to give this sign, it is still not necessary that the pitcher be
entirely influenced by him. The pitcher should rely upon his own
discretion, and not hesitate to change the sign whenever his judgment
differs from that of the catcher.
There are certain signs which the catcher gives to basemen when there
are runners on the bases, and with these, too, the pitcher must be
perfectly familiar, so that he may be able to pitch the ball in accordance
with what is about to be done. For instance, if the catcher has signaled
to the first baseman that he will throw there, he will probably ask the
pitcher for an out curve. In order, then, to help him out with the play
and give him plenty of room, the pitcher will not only pitch the out curve
asked, but he will keep it well out and wide of the plate, so that it
can't possibly be hit, and he will pitch it at the height where it may be
best handled by the catcher. So, too, if there is a runner on first who is
likely to attempt to steal second, he will "pitch for the
catcher," and he should shorten his pitching motion so as to give the
catcher as much time as possible to throw. When runners "steal"
on a catcher it is oftener not so much his fault as the pitcher's. It is
almost impossible to make a clean steal of second, even with a very
ordinary thrower behind the bat, if the pitcher will not give the runner
too much "start."
The pitcher should also receive a signal from the catcher notifying him
when to throw to second base to catch a runner leading off too far. This
point will, however, be noticed more appropriately under the duties of
"The Catcher."
As for the other bases, first and third, the pitcher should look after
them himself without any signal from the catcher. I could always stand in
the pitcher's position facing the batter and still see out of "the
corner of my eye" how much ground the runner on first base was
taking. As the baseman is already on the base, there is no necessity of
notifying him of an intention to throw, so, watching the opportunity, I
would throw across my body without first having changed the position of my
feet or body at all. The throw is, of course, not so swift as by first
wheeling toward the base and then throwing, but it will catch a runner
oftener. "Smiling Mickey" Welch plays the point to perfection,
and last season caught many men "napping" in this way. Its
advantage is that it is entirely legitimate. Some pitchers, in order to
catch a runner at first, make a slight forward movement, visible to the
runner but not to the umpire, as if about to pitch. This, of course,
starts the runner, and before he can recover, the pitcher has turned and
thrown to first. Notwithstanding the strictest prohibition last season of
any motion even "calculated" to deceive the runner, there were
umpires weak- kneed enough to allow these balks.
The easiest men to catch are the best base-runners, because they are
always anxious to "get away," and they take the most chances. An
ambitious runner will keep moving up and down the line trying to get his
start. The pitcher should not appear to notice him, pretending to be
interested only in the batter, but watching the runner closely all the
time. Suddenly, and without the least warning, he should snap the ball to
the baseman. If the pitcher will choose a time when the runner is on the
move away from the base the batter will be off his balance and may be
caught before he can recover.
For the third base it may be advisable to have a signal with the
baseman to notify him of a throw. It is very seldom possible to catch a
runner off third by a throw from the pitcher, though it may sometimes be
done. Clarkson and Galvin both accomplish it at times, though they always
do it by the aid of a "balk." Clarkson's method is this: With a
runner on first and one on third, the man on first will usually try to
steal second, and if the ball is thrown there to catch him, the runner on
third tries to score. In this situation Clarkson makes a slight forward
movement of the body as though about to pitch, and the runner on third,
being anxious to get all possible ground, moves forward. With the same
motion, and before the runner can recover, Clarkson, by a prior
understanding with the third baseman, throws to the base, the baseman
meets the ball there, and before the runner has quite realized what has
happened, he is "out." I have reason to know the working of this
little scheme, because I was caught by it in Chicago last season in a very
close game. The "balk" was palpable, and I made a strenuous
"kick," but the umpire refused to see it that way.
A pitcher should not be misled by what I have said into too much
throwing to bases. He should throw only when there is a fair chance of
making the put-out; for all other purposes, as to hold the runner close to
the base, a feint will answer just as well and does not entail the
possibility of an error.
STRATEGY.
A strategic pitcher is one who depends for success not simply on speed
and curves, but who outwits the batsman by skill, who deceives his eye,
and plays upon his weaknesses. What will be the best method for a
particular case must be decided in each instance by the pitcher himself,
and his success will depend upon his judgment and cleverness. But while no
general rule can be laid down, I may still be able to offer some useful
suggestions.
Assuming that a pitcher has never seen the batters whom he is about to
face, there are certain points to be noted as each of them takes his place
at the bat. First, his position and manner of holding his bat should be
observed. If he carries it over his shoulder and in an almost
perpendicular position, the chances are that he is naturally a high ball
hitter and is looking for that kind of a pitch, because that is the
position of the bat from which a high ball is most easily hit. If, on the
contrary, he carries his bat in a more nearly horizontal position, he is
ready either to "chop" over at a high ball, or "cut"
under at a low one, the chances being that he prefers the latter. Of still
more importance is his movement in hitting, and this the pitcher must try
to discover before the batter has hit the ball at all. An out-curve should
be pitched just out of his reach; being so near where he wants it, it will
draw him out and he will make every movement, except the swing of the bat,
as in hitting. This movement should be carefully noted. If, in stepping
forward to hit, he also steps away from the plate toward the third base,
it is at once a point in the pitcher's favor. The batsman is timid and
afraid of being hit. If, however, he steps confidently forward, almost
directly toward the pitcher, he is a dangerous man and all the pitcher's
skill will be needed to outwit him. Again, if in stepping forward he makes
a very long stride, it is another point for the pitcher, because it shows
that he is not only anxious to hit but means to hit hard, and such a man
is easily deceived. But if he makes a short stride, keeping easily his
balance and standing well upright, he is more than likely a good hitter,
even though he steps away from the plate, and if in addition to stepping
short he also steps toward the pitcher, the pitcher should look out for
him.
Without going into too much detail I will try to illustrate: If my
batter is one who steps away from the plate I will pitch a fast, straight
ball in over his shoulder too high and too far in to be hit. The next time
he will step still further away, but this time I should put a fast,
straight one over the outside corner of the plate. From his position he
will probably not be able to reach it at all, or if he does he will hit
with no force. I might pitch the next ball in the same place, and then I
should consider it time to drive him away from the plate again and I would
send the next one in over his shoulder as before. He may hit at one of
these high "in" balls, but if he does he will probably not touch
it; at any rate, another fast, straight one over the outside corner ought
to dispose of him. It will be observed I have not thrown a single curve,
nor would I to such a batter except occasionally, say two or three during
the game, and then only to keep him "guessing."
Taking another kind of hitter, suppose that he steps up in the best
form, making a short stride toward the pitcher, keeping his balance well
and his form erect. As already said, he is a dangerous batter and likely
to hit in spite of my best efforts, but I must do the best I can with him.
I therefore observe his manner of holding the bat and note whether he
prefers a high or low ball, and we will say that it is a low one. I send a
couple of low drop curves just out of his reach. It is just what he wants
if he could only get at them, and the next time he steps well in toward
the plate. This time, however, I send a fast, straight, high ball over the
plate, and if he hits it at all, it will be in the air. Another fast,
straight, high one might not escape so easily, but I have two balls called
and can't take the chances of giving him his base. I therefore try it
again. If he has missed that I now have two strikes, and only two balls,
and can afford to throw away a ball or two, which I do as before by
pitching a couple of low drop curves out of his reach, until his mind is
again fixed upon that point. Then I would probably again try a fast, high
ball on the inside corner of the plate. These two cases, are given merely
to illustrate the line of reasoning, and in practice each would be
governed by its own particular circumstances. To avoid confusing details,
I will add only a few observations: A batter who steps away from the
plate, should be worked on the outside corner; one who steps in, on the
inside corner; one who makes a long, vicious swing at the ball, will be
easily deceived by a slow ball, much more readily than one who
"snaps" or hits with a short, quick stroke; one who strides long
must necessarily stoop or crouch, and is in bad form to hit a high ball;
if he swings his bat always in a horizontal plane, he will not be able to
hit a shoulder or knee ball as well as one who swings in a perpendicular
plane, i.e., who "cuts" under at a low ball and
"chops" over-hand at a high ball; there are some batters who
prefer to hit only at a fast, straight ball, while others wait for a
curve, and in such a case the pitcher may get a strike or two by pitching
what he will not care to hit at; some are never ready to hit at the first
ball pitched, so that by sending this in over the plate a strike may be
secured; some are known as great "waiters," who will only hit
when forced, and these should be forced to hit at once; others are anxious
and cannot wait, and may be safely "worked" wide of the plate.
Then occasionally there will be found a batter who betrays by his manner
when he has made up his mind to hit, and in that case he will let go at
anything within reach; therefore a ball should be pitched where he will be
least likely to hit it. If the pitcher finds a batter facing for a hit to
right field, he should not give him the ball out from him, but crowd him
with it, keeping it on the inside corner, and it will be almost impossible
for him to succeed.
It does not do to work the same batter always in the same way, or he
will discover a pitcher's method. Sometimes the pitcher must
"cross" him and at times it is even advisable to give him a ball
just where he would like to have it, but where, for that very reason, he
least
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The
author ventures to present this book to the public, because he believes
there are many points in the game of base-ball which can be told only by a
player. He has given some space to a consideration of the origin and early
history of the game, because they are subjects deserving of more attention
than is generally accorded them..jpg)
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