Clipping:Breaking a force by refusing to run

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Date Sunday, July 29, 1883
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[New York vs. Detroit 6/27/1883] [runner on first, Ward at bat] [Ward] hit a hard grounder right into short-stop's hands, which he saw as soon as he hit it would result in a double play if he ran. He accordingly stood stock still purposely. The short-stop threw to the second baseman, who touched second and threw to first. Meanwhile the base runner from first went on to second. The umpire declared Ward out for not running, and the base-runner safe at second, on the ground that as Ward's out was recorded before the ball reached the second baseman, the runner at first was not forced, and would have had to be touched to be put out. The next man batted the runner home, with the winning run.

The umpire was right. One rule says the batter becomes a base runner if he has struck three times at the ball and the ball be not held by the catcher on the third strike, or if he make a fair hit. But a second rule says the batter is out if, after three strikes or a fair hit, he fail to run to first base. This is the rule of which Ward took advantage. The moment he failed to run after hitting the ball he was out, and that was before the ball reached the second baseman's hands. Now that the play has been made other players will be trying it, now doubt, but where Ward succeeded others may make a botch of it. Those who question the correctness of the umpire's ruling in the premises should recall how many times the batter is told by his captain not to run if he strikes out, so as to not force men on bases ahead of him.

Source Sporting Life
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Submitted by Richard Hershberger
Origin Initial Hershberger Clippings

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