| Show 0 Batter Proves a Barbarian j. j When Facing a Pitcher T s a P Period d' d di i in a Baseball Players Player's Life When He Sinks All Oth Other r Considerations Into a Determination to Smash pash nash the Sphere as asH Hard rd as Possible I Every F pat patron of ot the game recognizes the spirit that pervades per the ball player when it comes his time to bat It is a 1 period O In iii the players player's life when he sinks air mean or great qualities into th the determination to smash the ball ballas balias as hard and as far as It i is possible for him to do All other considerations dwindle e Into significance He lie is a barbarian as far as the feelings of the pitcher are concern concerned d. d although the two may be the best of ot friends The ball must be hit and hit with cruel might Therefore Therefore There There- fore In his eagerness s while waiting for forlis his lis turn tErn he unconsciously edges nearer and nearer to the home plate until he actually interferes with the smooth operation of t f the game That was the case b before fore the lines were drawn be beyond orid which he is not allowed al- al lowed eti to stra stray and these we were not laid d down until 1877 a year ear after the birth o of the National league Before that year the players of the side at bat were permitted d to roam upon foul ground all over the field a and aid also to congregate around the home plate There were wre no provisions made for tor a bench The players were tacitly al allowed allowed al- al lowed to use a a. bench of ot any Lion tion or chairs for tor that matter and end could place It anywhere they pleased pleased It was not until 1882 that a arule rule was adopted requiring the home hom club to furnish a a. a.- a. players players' bench beach twelve feet long and im immovably fastened ened to the ground at each end end- of which a bat batrack batrack batrack rack was fixed each holding twenty bats one o of which racks rack's was racks was exclusively used by the visiting g team e arid nd d the other by the home team There was was no particular location location- designated except e that the bench had to be placed u upon on a portion of the ground outside the players' players lines which were dr drawn wn fifty feet fet from the foul lines As will vIll be seen one bench was th thought sufficient each team having the same right to use it The players then were not so numerous as they they are are now first fust because the the professional na game was still stIn young and second be because because be cause no substitutes were allowed ex ex cx- hr case in-case case of illness or injury to any of the regular men In 1886 however hoever two benches were required on one for for- each contesting team Bench R Rule le Changed The next change was in 1892 when the players' players benches were not allowed to be placed nearer than twenty five feet from the players players' lines In 1893 I Ithe the bat racks were done away with and it was then that the players began to spread their bats in all kinds of fanc fancy fancy fan fan- c cy figures ures before their respective be benches ches only disturb them ruthlessly ruthless ruthless- I ly in order i chase awa away away awaya a hoodoo or coax the favor of fortune It was Vas the period when all the bats of a a. team were chol clicked choked d into a common bag and the club assumed the responsibility for their safe delivery at the next stop stop- ping place The number of or players on a a. team then Increased with the popularity of the game The bench was not large enough to accommodate the actual players to say nothing of the butters in who thought themselves privileged to a seat Therefore In 1896 it was ruled that outside of the players play play- ers era only the president of the club and the managers of the teams were al allowed allowed al- al lowed lowro to sit on the bench In 1899 1399 the president had to va vacate ate and the manager manager manager man man- ager alone was entitled to a seat in addition to the players which is the thc rule to this da day when all but the leader lead lead- er must be in uniform In the same year 1899 the bench was ordered by the rule makers to be covered with a roof and closed at the back and each end but In fear the I players would suffocate a space more than six inches wide under the roof for ventilation was allowed By that time the benches on all grounds had been moved moed back hard against the grand stand Without roof there was DO no check to communications between the players and spectators This first t of all proved an annoyance to the players but worse than that it gave an opportunity for silly people to dis dis- dis cover covel all sorts orts of or wild schemes such as whispered conspiracies between spectators tors and players to throw the game or the getting of ot inside information information information mation by gamblers and other other- mendacious mendacious mendacious menda menda- cious f fancies The root roof the lie slit alit under it it and the back and side walls still sUll enclose the I bench nc on I t three ree sides Bides under the re requirements re- re q it ts of the rules However r the erection of massive concrete grand grandstands grandstands st stands h has s brought about a change in inthe inthe the style of the benches benches' without violating vio yb- lating the thc rules yules On most of t th the large grounds In the country the benches are sunk forming dugouts and in some cases ases resembling cellars so deep are aie they Players hop in and out like prairie dogs hop in and out of their holes as we used to read Batter on Deck The benches were sunk in order to allow the spectators an unobstructed View Of the field but not BO so low as to prevent an at- at ordinary ordinary ordinary- sized sized player following the game gan with his eyes nearly level Jevel with the surface pCt pf pC t the e ground And on the b bench he must sit sll 1 If the umpire knows his business From an ear early y time to the tIle present d day y players J in uniform were never allowed to se seat t themselves s among the spectators When there were no benches the players players play play- ers era lay or 01 sat around the diamond at their ease To 10 hold him on the bench when the ben bench henh h was introduced the umpire was empowered to fine in the recalcitrant player 5 and finally to to eject him hint from the ground I if he did not obey within one minute This re remains remains re- re mains the rule lule to the present day Sometimes In the olden days the batter batter bat bat- ter tel took his time time when called to bat especially when the dela delay was to the advantage of ot his hla side He The was then so slow in reaching the home plate that It ft t became intensely exasperating To obviate this in some measure the umpire um- um pire jire lre when lie he called f for r the he ba batter r was as instructed to yell ell also tor me m mall ma mallon on the next man to the tho on deck deck- that is I batter in the batting order Many not remember so old readers can no doubt the familiar familia cry of Smith at bat and it ft can can be now Jones Jons on de deck k Even heard occasionally when some veteran umpire a EL scrub asked aked to of ot the game is game Before 1876 a n. batter could be declared de- de dared out J If he did pot not the he call but th tile matter of time to to do so was was was' left to the discretion of the the um urn- pire In that year however it was vaa decreed that any batsman batsman bats bats- man failing to take his Ilis position at lat bat lIati within i three minutes after alter the umpire ha bas called for the striker shall shaU be bed bedi- bedi de declared dared out There were some pe people i le who actually thought three minutes to short a a. time This was answered b by bythe bythe the rule makers in 1878 1818 by a prompt reduction o of th the time to one minute and so It stands toda today Batter Calls for Pitch When len the the knocker or 01 striker finally reached the home plate he was allowed to stand motionless until a a. suitable ball one he lie thought he could hit was tossed to him by b- the pitcher He lie dared not attempt to hit at any Bother b b be because cause a miss was always counted a astrike ai strike and three strikes put him out Those he did not hit at were never count counted d or called Fin Finally all the base on ball balls was introduced and with its introduction came came the high i and low ball Before Defore 1871 the pitcher was compelled corn com om I to toss the ball first within legitimate reach and lat later r fairly for forthe forthe forthe the striker Now In 1871 the batter called for the ball he liked and if he lie did not ant offer at it a strike was called on him High vas was wa between shoulder and waist later belt and low was s between en waist and knee later one foot from the ground If It he lie called for no b ball at at all aU it w was was- s understood that he wanted a fair fall b ball ll one between the shoulder and knee 01 or one foot from the gr ground und In Jn 1876 th the batter was compelled to call for fOl one of the three grades but in 1887 this was entirely done away with by the joint rules committee Until 1876 the first ball pitched was vas counted nothing counted nothing unless the batter balter struck at it It t or r hit It safely This old rule it is apparent influences the batter batter batter bat bat- ter to this da day many of or whom never hit at the first ball pitched much to the surprise sUl and restlessness of ot t the le Unprejudiced un unprejudiced un- un prejudiced spectator |
