Clipping:A proposal to outlaw fair-foul hits

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Date Saturday, March 15, 1873
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[proceedings of the NAPBBP convention] Mr. Hall, formerly of the New York Cricket Club, but now president of the Baltimore Club, moved to amend the rules by making fair-foul balls illegal, but the convention wisely refused to adopt the suggestion. The new rule proposed was one well calculated to largely increase the difficulties of the umpire in giving decisions. The fact is, a legally hit fair-foul ball is the most difficult a batsman can hip; and it is always in the power of the pitcher now to make the hit still more difficult by sending in waist-high balls to those batsmen who are noted for such a style of hitting. New York Clipper March 15, 1873

A rather silly effort was made in the convention at Baltimore to introduce a rule making all balls foul which hit the ground on front of the homebase back of a line from the foulball lines from home to first and home to third, intersecting the front line of the pitcher's position. The object was to do away with balls known as “fair fouls,” or balls which hit the ground close in front of the homebase and which rebound “foul,” these balls not only being difficult to hit, but hard to get at in time to throw to first-base. Now, these very balls are in reality the result of hits requiring the most skillful handling of the bat, and a quick and a steady nerve, beside, the make the style of hitting successful. A “fair foul” hit can never be made except from a low ball, and then the striker needs to step well out so as to hit the ball down to the ground within the line. With proper strategic play by the pitcher, a “fair foul” hit becomes very difficult. The idea of supposing it to be an easy thing to do is absurd, as the slightest miscalculation transforms the hit into an easily caught foul on [sic: probably “or”] a chance to put the striker out at firstbase. New York Clipper April 12, 1873

Source New York Clipper
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Submitted by Richard Hershberger
Origin Initial Hershberger Clippings

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