Clipping:Defining a base hit; proto-sacrifice flies
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| Date | Saturday, November 25, 1876 |
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| Text | What is a base hit? is a question asked by many, and that, too, by scorers who have kept the record of dozens of games. Our definition of a base-hit is simply this: Hitting the ball to the field in such a way that no fielder can possibly catch it on the fly or field it to any base-player in time to put either the striker out or a baseman whom the latter has obliged to vacate his base. Now, such hits can be made in a variety of ways, as we will proceed to show: First, a base-hit is the result of hitting a high fly-ball so that it shall not fall within such reach of a fielder as to admit of its being held on the fly, or so prevented from reaching the ground as to allow another fielder to catcher it before it falls. Such a hit would result as much from a ball just popped up over the heads of the infielders so as to drop safe and short of the outfielder's position, as if sent a long way beyond the reach of the outfielders themselves; but if the ball is hit high in the air, and it e allowed to fall to the ground without being held on the fly (we refer to fair balls entirely in this connection), through the failure of a fielder to try and catch it (the chance given for the catch being a plain one), then no base-hit is to be credited, even if the ball should not have touched the hands of a fielder. Also, if a high fly ball is hit to any fielder, and a chance be afforded him to touch the ball in his attempt to catch it, and he fail to hold it, unless it be plain the he could have held it but for his lack of judgment or skill, it is still to be credited as a base-hit. Secondly, it does not follow that a swiftly batted ball, sent to any infielder, though it be partially stopped, and not held quickly enough to throw the fielder [sic] out, is therefore not a base-hit. Nor does it similarly follow, in the case of a ball hit so as to slowly roll towards the centre of a triangle formed by the lines of home base, pitcher's position, and first base. Such ball frequently draws the first-base player so far from his position as to prevent him getting back in time, while it also prevents the pitcher from getting it in time to throw it to the first-baseman. Again, when a ball is “blocked” so as to plainly fall within the fair-ground lines, while the catcher is standing back from his position, such ball invariably yields an earned base. Thirdly, there is a class of hits which certainly come under the category of base-hits—that is, hits earning bases—which have not hitherto been included in the list. We refer to hits made to right field, which, while they afford chances to throw out the striker at first base, enable base-runners to run bases safely or score runs. For instance, suppose there is a player on an earned first-base, and he is sent to second by another base-hit, and to third by a third such hit, and then the batsman, in order to insure the scoring of the run by the player on third base, hits a ball to right field in such a way that, while it insures his being put out himself, sends the base-runner on third home, and scores a run—this is a piece of play which illustrates “playing for the side” pretty strikingly, and it seems to us that such a hit should properly come under the category of base-hits. |
| Source | New York Clipper |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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