Triple Play
-A play in which the ball is handled quickly enough to retire three men.
Wild Pitch. A ball pitched out of the reach of the catcher, which allows a base-runner to advance a base or bases.
Wild Throw. - A ball thrown out of reach of the fielder to whom it was directed.
SIMPLIFIED RULES. 1. Each side consists of nine players. 2. An innings is complete when three men on the batting side are out. Three men being out constitutes an innings. 3. A game consists of nine innings played by each side. 4. The players go to the bat in regular order: the first man on the list of his side being the first man to bat in the first innings. Afterwards the first batsman in an innings is the one next on the list to the third batsman out in the previous innings. But, if a base-runner is the third man retired, and this occurs while a man is at bat, such batsman shall bat first in the succeeding innings. 5. The batsman must not step out of his position, known as the batsman's box, and must strike at every ball delivered by the pitcher that crosses the plate between the knee and the shoulder. 6. If the batsman fails to strike at a good ball so delivered, the umpire must call "One strike." 7. If the batsman strikes at any ball, whether it be a good or bad one, and fails to hit it, the umpire must call "One strike." 8. When the umpire has called "Three strikes," the batsman is out, providing the ball constituting the third strike be caught by the catcher before it touches the ground. If the catcher fails to hold the ball the batsman has an opportunity of reaching first base, but the catcher may recover the ball and intercept the base-runner by throwing it to first base. If the ball reaches the base before the runner, he is out. 9. If the pitcher delivers a ball which does not pass across the plate between the batsman's knee and shoulder, the umpire must call "One ball." 10. If the umpire calls four balls, the batsman is entitled to his first base.
II. If the batsman hits the ball so that it falls outside the foul lines, it is a foul hit, and does not count, provided that if a fielder catches it before it touches the ground, the batsman is out. 12. If the batsman hits the ball so that it falls inside the foul lines, it is a fair hit. Any ball hit to ground inside the foul lines is a fair hit, unless it should roll outside the foul lines before reaching first or third base, as the case may be. Any ball hit to ground outside the foul lines which rolls inside the foul lines before reaching first or third base, as the case may be, is a fair hit. 13. The batsman becomes a base-runner immediately he has made a fair hit; immediately after four balls have been called by the umpire; immediately after three strikes have been called by the umpire, provided that the catcher has not held the ball at third strike, as provided in Rule 8; if any part of his person be hit by a P2 ball delivered by the pitcher, unless the hit be upon the forearm; and immediately after the pitcher has illegally delivered a ball.
The batsman is out:- 14. If he fails to take his position at the bat in his order of batting. 15. If he fails to take such position within one minute after the umpire has called for the batsman. 16. If he makes a foul strike. To make a foul strike is to hit the ball when not standing in the batsman's box, as provided in Rule 5. 17. If he attempts to hinder the catcher from fielding or throwing the ball. 18. If, while the first base be occupied by a base-runner, three strikes be called on him by the umpire, except when two men are already out. 19. If, while attempting a third strike, the ball touches any part of his person. 20. If, after two strikes have been called, the batsman obviously attempts to make a foul strike. 21. If the ball struck by him, whether in a fair or foul hit, be caught before touching the ground. 22. If the catcher catches the ball at third strike before it touches the ground. 23. If, after he has made a fair hit, or after the third strike (provided in the latter case that the catcher has not caught the ball before it touches the ground) he is touched by the ball in the hands of a fielder before he has reached the first base. 24. If, after he has made a fair hit, or after the third strike, as mentioned in the preceding rule, the ball is securely held by a fielder who is touching the first base with any part of his person. 25. If, in running the last half of the distance from home-plate to first base, he runs outside the three-foot line, unless to avoid a fielder attempting to field the ball. The batsman is entitled, without being put out, to a base:- 26. When the umpire has called four balls. 27. If the umpire has awarded a base to a succeeding batsman, and the base-runner is thereby forced to vacate the base held by him. 28. If the umpire calls a balk. 29. If the ball, delivered by the pitcher, passes the catcher and touches the umpire or any fence or building within 90 ft. of the home-plate. 30. If, upon a fair hit, the ball strikes the person of the umpire standing upon fair ground. 31. If the fielder stops or catches a batted ball with his hat or any part of his dress.
The base-runner must return to his base, and is entitled to do so without being put out :- 32. If the umpire declares a foul hit. 33. If the umpire declares a foul strike. 34. If the umpire declares a dead ball.
The base-runner is out :- 35. If, in running from first to second base, from second to third base, or from third base to home-plate, he runs more than 3 ft. from a direct line between such bases, to avoid being touched by the ball in the hands of a fielder. 36. If he in any way obstructs a fielder attempting to field the ball, or intentionally interferes with a thrown ball. 37. If, while the ball is in play, he is touched with the ball in the hands of a fielder, unless some part of his person is touching a base he is entitled to occupy. The ball must be held by the fielder while touching him. In running to first base, he may overrun the base, and will be allowed to return to it without being put out for being off his base. Provided he must return at once and touch the base, and afterwards he may be put out as at any other base. And if, after [BASEBALL overrunning first base, he should attempt to run to second base or should turn to the left as though about to do so, he may be put out. To return to and retouch an overrun base, the runner must turn to the right. 38. If he should start to run on a fly ball and he is touched with the ball after it is caught before he has returned to his base. The baserunner must not run on a fly ball until it has been momentarily held by a fielder. A fly ball is a ball caught either in fair or foul territory before it touches the ground. 39. If he is put out when forced to vacate his base under the following circumstances: when the batsman becomes a base-runner, the players occupying the bases in advance of him must vacate those bases in favour of the batsman or succeeeding base-runner, and cannot return to such bases unless the batsman is put out at first base. Then they have the privilege of returning to their bases. 40. If he is hit by a batted ball before it touches a fielder. 41. If, when running bases or returning to a base, he fails to touch each intervening base. 42. If, when the umpire calls "play" after any suspension of a game, he fails to return to and retouch the base he occupied when "time" was called. 43. A run is scored by a base-runner running one hundred and twenty yards and touching first base, second base, third base, and home-plate in succession.
Bibliography. - The Art of Pitching and Fielding; The Art of Batting and Base Running, H. Chadwick (N.Y.), 1886; Baseball Guide, Spalding's Official, 241 Broadway, N.Y., 1886; Baseball, J. M. Ward, Philadelphia, 1888; Baseball, R. G.
Knowles and R. Morton (Routledge), 1896; The Book of School and College Sports, R. H. Barbour (Appleton, N.Y.), 1904. BASS, BLACK. - There are two species of Black Bass, the small-mouthed Bass (Micropterus dolomieu, Lacépède) and the large-mouthed Bass (Micropterus salmoides, Lacépède). The methods of angling for them are the same. Their appearance and habits are similar, though the small-mouthed Bass prefers swift and rocky streams, while the large-mouth is more at home in lacustrine waters and sluggish streams. When inhabiting the same waters their game qualities are equal, though the small-mouth in swift streams is more active than the large-mouth in still waters.
In England. Several years ago, the small-mouthed Bass was placed in several small lakes in England, but the experiment was a failure, as it is not suited to such waters. Had the large-mouthed been substituted, the broads and lakes of England might now be teeming with one of the gamest fish.
There exists an unwarranted prejudice against the Black Bass among British anglers which originated (as my friend Mr.
R. B. Marston informed me) through the over-zealous assertions of the late George Sheppard Page and Professor G. Brown BASS] Goode at a meeting of British anglers during the Fisheries Exhibition in 1883. In their efforts to convince their auditors of the grand game qualities of the Black Bass, they unwittingly conveyed the impression that it was a very predatory and voracious fish, as bad as the Pike, if not worse. This idea, of course, is entirely erroneous.The Black Bass is not at all a piscivorous fish in the true meaning of the term. The character of a fish's teeth indicates its food. The Pike, having sharp, conical teeth, is pre-eminently piscivorous, as such teeth imply. So, in a measure, is the Brown