6 S 6 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



became his catcher, and his catcher, pitcher — just as in the lower 

 animals the same organ often has various functions to perform by- 

 turns. Just so, too, in rude societies, trades afterward widely 

 separated may be united in the same person — as, for instance, the 

 professions of barber and physician used to be united. 



In the town-ball games, the pitcher was always pitcher until 

 the game was ended or his arm was tired. The catcher was 

 always catcher one game through, unless his hands blistered or 

 his incompetency became apparent. In the professional games 

 these two have permanent and well-paid positions. All the ad- 

 vantages mentioned by economists as resulting from " division of 

 labor " are here illustrated. 



In these games the conspiracy against the batter's peace of 

 mind reaches appalling proportions. The conspirators are an or- 

 ganized band of indefinite numbers. Their lives are consecrated 

 to the single end of putting him out. Even in "town-ball" one 

 man has nothing to do but pitch him deceptive balls. Another 

 has nothing to do but catch the balls he misses or only " ticks " or 

 knocks foul. All the rest are scouring the field for his " flies," or 

 stopping his " grounders " and crossing him out. 



To add to his burdens, he is forced to run four bases instead of 

 one. It was sufficient for any one of his numerous enemies to 

 throw the ball across his path between him and the base to which 

 he was running. This hardship is somewhat mollified in profes- 

 sional base-ball. 



In " town-ball " there was as yet no distinction between base- 

 men and fielders. After the pitcher and catcher had been selected, 

 the others on that side went where they pleased; and they did 

 not get the bat until they had put all the batters out. Nay, when 

 all but one had been put out, he could sometimes call back to his 

 assistance any one he chose of his slaughtered comrades ; and he 

 often had a rubber ball which, if he did not burst it, he could 

 drive to the other side of the hay-field. 



The professional batter has to contend with a curved ball, and 

 go out when three of his comrades are out. But, on the other 

 hand, the ball has to be pitched to him within definite limits, and 

 he has to be touched with it when running. 



Except mechanical details and minor rules changeable from 

 year to year, these are all the differences between town-ball and 

 base-ball. The rules were not so strict in the former, and there 

 was no umpire to enforce them. They were often adopted by 

 unanimous consent at the beginning of the game. One rule, often 

 but not always adopted, was that the batter who knocked the ball 

 over the fence was out. Another was that, when all the batters 

 but one were out, one might be called back to " run bases." He 

 had to make home runs — three of them within a maximum limit 



