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Show 1 BILLY EVANS SOLVES BASEBALL PROBLEMS jj - 5 Written Especially for This Paper by the Famous American League Umpire. From far-off Havana wafted a play last winter that caused much jj -Ci gossip. It happened in one of the very Important games of the Cuban a HI . - - 5 ' ' s - ; V"'-- ' ft..:'.'.. ; ti. .:. 'v : ! A t 7' -r is r X league, and lor a time had all Havana agog, as the " leadership of the race temporarily depended on the ruling of the umpire. J The two great rivals in Havana were the con- ! testing clubs, the Havana Reds and the Almendares. " In Hie last half of the ninth, the Reds led by a single run. After two were out, one of the Almen- dares hit for three bases. The next batter worked the pitcher until the count stood three balls and r, two strikes. The runner on third, in an effort to rattle the pitcher, would take a commanding lead each time, threatening to steal home. The ruse j finally had its effect, for with three and two on the . n bailer, the pitcher uncorked a wild pitch for what was the fourth ball. The runner from third scampered home in much glee, believing that he had tied up the game. The batter who had received four bails went all the way to second, J as Hie wild pitch went clear to the grand stand. As is always the r; case, the failure of the player to observe a very necessary detail caused all the trouble. In going from the plate to second base, the batter who had re- a ceived a base on balls very carelessly failed to touch first base. The jj first baseman noticed the error and enlletl for the ball. The umpire ii very properly declared the runner out. Then came the burning ques- St tion as to whether or not the run scored. The team at bat declared that it did, the team iu the field contended that it did not, basing their , claim on the rule that no run shall be scored on a force third out, and S rj- insisting that this play came under such a ruling, since the ball actually s J. beat the runner to first, he having failed to touch the bag. Answer to Problem. The play caused so much argument in Cuba that it was put up to both major league presidents as well as a. number of umpires for a jj decision. The two major leagues ruled that the run should count. 2 It was pointed out that It was impossible to make a force third out of J J the play at first base, because the base on ball legally entitles the bat- J tor to that base, and it was impossible to fvrce him out at a base that .J the rules gave him. One president put it that the runner scored on 'ib- the wild pitch. r 2 Common sense would cause the umpira to allow this run. Since ' 'J the baiter was able to go to second without being retired, naturally m there was never a chance to get the man coming home from third. Common sense also tells one that it is impossible to put a man out on a J a- force play when he is legally entitled to that base. x (Copyright by the "Wheeler Syndicate, ftic.) ' 4 t i |