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Show I BILLY EVANS SOLVES BASEBALL PROBLEMS (Written Especially for This Paper by the Famous American League Umpire.) Stealing home is a piny Hint Invariably makes trouble for the umpire. There nre so many different angles that cnn arise, that there l 4Vi is almost sure to be some Interference protest made one way or the othe.'. Usually, the play Is close, and the team getting the wrong end of the decision has a kick coming on the Question of judgment. ' In a game in one of the minors last year, there was a runner on third with two down and the pitcher up. The man on third was fairly fast, while the pitcher was a very weak hitter. With two strikes and no balls on the batter, the runner from third made a break for home on the next ball pitched. He had a pretty good start and his chances for making the plate looked fair. The catcher, in his anxiety to retire the runner, rushed in front of the plate, received the ball before it -had passed over the plate, and retired the runner from third. I Not thinking, the umpire waved the' runner out, but immediately al- lowed the run, as he realized where the catcher was when he received t the ball. He declared a balk because the catcher had left the lines t of his position. The declaring of the balk entitled the runner from third to score. Then another argument started. The batter insisted that he had intended hitting at the ball, and, since the catcher had gone in front of the plate and received the sphere, that player had in- terfered with his intention of hitting. The umpire then allowed the g batsman to go to first because of the catcher's interference. There Hill; Hi-ll; was a big kick, but the umpire stood firm. The next fellow up hit for a home run, winning the ball game. What would you have done had you been in charge of the game, g jj and did the umpire rule correctly? Answer to Problem. t The umpire was perfectly within his rights in declaring the balk, as the catcher had left 'the lines of his position to receive the ball. t Since the umpire declared the actions of the catcher as a balk, the runner on third was entitled to score. The declaring of the balk sus- pended play, making it impossible for anything to happen afterwards. The verdict of balk had priority over all other angles. In sending the g batter to first the umpire erred, for it was impossible to make two such g t rulings on the same play. With an interference allowed on the batter I there could be no balk, as such interference would suspend play and t merely allow the batter first, but no base runners to advance unless t forced Consequently, the two runs resulting from his ruling and the home run were Illegal, and the president of the league was forced to throw out the game and have it played over. 4. (Copyright by the Wheeler Syndicate, Inc.) |