The Foul Line
- Cricketers who have never seen the game played wonder how so few runs are scored when we have but nine fielders. The reason is very simple. The beautiful cuts through the slips and hits to leg are absolutely useless in Baseball.
CATCHER AND STRIKER.
Every ball, to be of any use, must be hit inside the foul line. When it is hit outside the line it counts for nothing, unless one of the opposing team catch it, and then the BASEBALL] batsman is out, provided the man who catches it is not within ten feet of the homeplate. Should, however, the opposing catcher catch the ball within ten feet of the home-plate a strike is recorded against the batsman.
The Coacher. In the diagram C. B. means the Coacher's Box. A coacher in Baseball is a member of the side at the bat, and it is his object to assist and direct the base-runner. When the runner has not to be worrying himself as to where the ball has travelled to, he can concentrate all his thoughts on whatever his coach bids him do. The base-runner must put implicit trust in him. He has not to think for himself. He has not to decide when to steal a base, and when to slide. His mentor's word is law. Immediately the coacher says "Go!" the runner must not for the fraction of a second stop to consider. His business is to obey. He will be the more ready to do this if he recollects that it is highly improbable that the coacher, being one of his own side, would counsel any act which would be detrimental to their common interest. Implicit trust must be placed in the coacher.
It must not be imagined, however, that anybody can coach. Such is far from the case. The coacher, like the poet, is born, not made. One might think that the players of most experience would be the best advisers of the base-runner. That is a fallacy. It is the man of quick wit and judgment, the one who evinces a thorough grasp of the points of play, the one who is gifted with the faculty of quick yet sound TRYING FOR THIRD BASE. reasoning that is best adapted for the post.
He must, moreover, be gifted with a ready wit, for by a humorous remark or a quaint saying he will often distract the attention of > THE TATE CENTRAL LIBRARY BRIXTON, SW. the fielder, and that is precisely what he wants, as he can score off the enemy's unpreparedness. TAKING A LEAD.
In coaching, rude and offensive language must be strictly tabooed, and all remarks must be addressed to the base-runner.
While doing this, the coacher is often able, if he have tact, to address other people through the man whom he counsels. A humorous coacher, whilst his humour serves its purpose in increasing the chances of his side, is highly diverting to the spectators, and adds life and zest to the game. Abuse of the privilege would soon render the coacher's office a nuisance, but the proper use of it adds a feature to the game, which is entertaining to all, and of the utmost service to a team.
I must not forget to mention the necessity of the base-runner and coachers thoroughly understanding how to receive a command and how to interpret it. There must be a code of voice inflections on the part of the coacher, letting the runner know when he is to obey and when he is to pay no attention to what is merely "bluff." The coacher may shout "Go!" over and over again, but the runner will pay no attention to the injunction, for he knows it is only used to fool the fielders, since the proper intonation or inflection of the voice was not used. When, however, "Go!" is shouted in the stipulated tone, he must not hesitate the fraction of a second in obeying the word of command.