Baseball
a field game played principally in the United States. It originated in the English school-boy game of "rounders." It is played by two teams of nine men each. There are four bases, 90 feet apart, forming a perfect square, which is called the diamond. The home plate, or starting point, is at right angles with the first and third bases, with the second base on a straight line from the home plate, and 127 ft. 3% in. distant. The pitcher is placed behind a line 60 ft. 6 in. away from the home plate, and on a straight imaginary line with the home and second base. The catcher must be within 10 ft. of home base whenever the pitcher delivers the ball to the bat, nor may he leave his position directly back of the plate for the purpose of aiding the pitcher to give intentionally a base on balls. A player is stationed at each one of the three bases, and designated first, second and third basemen. Another man known as the shortstop, is stationed midway between second and third bases, while the three men in the outfield are called the right, center and 29-Vol. I-Cyc home plate to first and third bases respectively, and extended to the bounthe field, or to a point where a flag is stationed, and known as the foul flag. All balls hit within these lines are fair, and all those which are not, are foul. The umpires are the sole judges on all questions during the progress of the game. All fair or foul balls caught on the fly are out, and when three men are out all are out.
The game consists of nine full innings, unless the side last at bat has made more runs at the conclusion of the eighth inning than the opposing side scored at the end of their ninth. Besides putting the side out on fly-ball catches, they are also put out at first base on balls thrown to that point by any of the in or out fielders, before the batsman, who becomes a base runner the moment he hits the ball, reaches that point, and when the batsman strikes three times at the ball without hitting it. They can also be put out before they reach the other three bases, but must be touched with the ball by a player on the opposing team. The game is one of great chance, which is the secret of its wide popularity. A regulation ball and bat are used. The ball weighs not less than 5 nor more than 514 ounces, avoir., and measures not less than 9 nor more than 94 in. in circumference. It has wrapped cork or rubber core covered with horsehide. The bat is round, made of wood, not to exceed 42 in. in length, and does not exceed 24 in. in diameter in the thickest part. The game has been developed into such a scientific state that the average time for playing is only two hours, while many games are played in an hour and a half.
The sport has had an immense development in the present century. There is hardly a town or village in the country without its local team. In the great cities, baseball has become a great business enterprise with the highly paid teams, great crowds of spectators and receipts running into the millions. Despite the commercial features of the game, however, it has been kept remarkably clean from any suspicion of unfair play. The sporadic instances that have cropped up of players betting on games or throwing games have been instantly and severely dealt with. In the autumn of 1920 startling evidence was disclosed of the deliberate "throwing" of games in the world championship series of 1919.
Drastic measures were at once taken to remedy these conditions. The first professional team of paid players was the Cincinnati Red Stockings organized in 1869. They had a remarkable series BASEL of successes, going through their first season without losing a game. Following this, various leagues and associations were formed, composed of teams in different cities who played a series of games with each other, the winner of the most games at the end of the season being styled the champion, privileged to fly a championship pennant. At present, there are a large number of leagues, but the leading ones, attracting the most interest and comprised of the best players in the country, are the National and the American, the so-called Major Leagues. Each has a circuit of eight cities. At the end of each season the leaders in their respective leagues play a series of games with each other for the title of World's champions. The record of the World's Series games from 1905 to 1920, inclusive, follow:
Year and Winning Club 1905-New York Nationals.... 1906-Chicago Americans.... *1907-Chicago Nationals.. 1908-Chicago Nationals. 1909-Pittsburgh Nationals.. 1910-Philadelphia Americans. 1911-Philadelphia Americans. *1912-Boston Americans. 1913-Philadelphia Americans. 1914-Boston Nationals... 1915-Boston Americans. 1916-Boston Americans... 1917-Chicago Americans. 1918-Boston Americans. 1919-Cincinnati Nationals. 1920-Cleveland Americans..... *Tie game.
American League.
National League..