BASEBALL 



606 



BASEBALL 



also subject to change, but it is usually annual salary of the "star" players, particularly 



between twenty and t wi-nt y-fivc. In 1916 the pitchers, may be $10,000 and upward. One 



B limit of twenty-one player, an outfielder, has been paid $18,500 



h club. The baseball profession for a season's work. The president of the 



is a lucrative one. The ordinary utility man American League receives $25,000 a year, and in 



receives from $2,000 to $3,000 a year, while the 1910 he was given a twenty-year contract. 



Details of the Game 



is 



The Diamond. By noting the accompanying 



diagram anyone can lay out a baseball field. 



The dotted lines should first be measured, at 



riirht angles to each other; the base lines should 



!. All other lines are at right angles 



C.F 



DIAGRAM OF REGULATION DIAMOND 

 either to a dotted line or a base line. The 

 home base and the pitcher's plate are usually 

 of whitened rubber, the other bases white 

 canvas bags filled with soft material. Note 

 particularly that second base has its center 

 over the intersection of the base lines, while 

 the others are within the diamond. The solid 

 lines should be marked with lime, chalk or 

 something equally noticeable. No fence on 

 fair territory should be within 235 feet of the 

 home base. 



Boys often find more pleasure in playing on 

 a diamond with less distance between the 

 bases. 



How the Game Is Played. A hardwood bat 

 less than 42 inches long and 2% inches in 



diameter, a solid but elastic ball about 9 inches 

 in circumference, a glove for each player, and 

 masks and pads for the catchers form the usual 

 equipment. Each team has nine players on 

 the field during a game. While the members 

 of one team take their turns at bat and attempt 

 to score, their opponents are in the field to 

 prevent them from scoring. The players in the 

 field include the battery, the infield and the 

 outfield. The battery consists of the pitcher 

 (indicated in the diagram), who must have 

 one foot on the pitcher's plate when throwing 

 the ball towards the batter, and the catcher 

 (C), who must wait for the pitched ball within 

 the triangle behind the home base. The other 

 players may be anywhere within the foul lines, 

 but their usual positions are as indicated. The 

 infielders are the first baseman (IB), the sec- 

 ond baseman (2B), the third baseman (SB), 

 and the shortstop (S. S.) ; the outfielders are 

 the right, center and left fielders (R F., C. F., 

 L.F.). 



The captain of the home team chooses 

 whether his men shall bat or field first, and 

 usually decides for the latter; therefore the 

 visiting team is usually first at bat. The first 

 batter of the visiting team then takes his posi- 

 tion on one of the spaces marked B. When the 

 pitcher throws the ball to the catcher the bat- 

 ter may let it pass or attempt to hit it. In 

 the first case, the umpire, standing behind the 

 catcher, calls "Strike" if the ball passes over 

 any portion of the home base between the 

 batsman's knees and shoulders, or "Ball," which 

 means unfairly delivered ball, if it does not 

 pass within that space. In the second case, if 

 the batter attempts to hit the ball and fails, 

 the umpire calls a strike. If the batter hits 

 the ball and it does not go within the foul lines, 

 or if it falls within the foul lines and rolls 

 outside before passing first or third base, he 

 is said to have made a foul, or foul hit. If 

 the ball touches his bat without being turned 

 from its course, he has made a foul tip. Unless 

 the umpire has already called two strikes 

 against the batter, a foul of either style county 

 as a strike. 



