Clipping:Interpreting called balls and strikes

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Date Monday, June 13, 1864
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[Empire vs. Active 6/11/1864] The Empire and Active match on Saturday at Hoboken turned out to be a very singular contest, it being made so by the very novel interpretation of rule six by McMahon of the Mutual, who acted as umpire on the occasion. From the first to the last innings he called balls on the pitcher every time he failed to deliver the ball exactly to the spot the striker pointed out; and also, when the striker failed on his part to strike at the first ball that came to him where he had said he wanted it, he called strikes on him, his decisions throughout being thoroughly impartial and consistent with his peculiar definition of the rule.

But in this singular interpretation he undoubtedly erred. This rule of calling balls on a pitcher was introduced in order to put a stop to the wild pitching that resulted from the endeavor to pitch with the utmost speed without regard to accuracy of delivery; and also to prevent any pitcher from throwing a game into the dark; and likewise to give the umpire as much control over the movements of the pitcher, in making him play fairly, as he previously had over the striker, in being able to call strikes on him for unfair play.

The principal difficulty in correctly interpreting this rule, lies in properly defining unfair balls. Now a ball may not be a fair ball to suit the striker, and yet at the same time be one that cannot justly be considered an unfair ball, for the reason that at the same time it may be unsuited to the peculiarity of the striker's style of batting, and yet over the home base and within the legitimate reach of an ordinary batsman. For this reason it is absolutely requisite that a margin be allowed for such balls as are under this head, and also for such as are evidently the result of accidental inaccuracy of delivery, and therefore it was that the word “repeatedly” was introduced into the rule, and the umpire required to warn the pitcher of the penalty he incurred, and also the words “apparent intention” inserted; for though the Umpire is empowered to inflict the penalty for unfair pitching, no matter whether intention, or inaccuracy, or inability to pitch fairly be the cause, the intentions of the pitcher should be taken into consideration in every instance. There is but one way to define unfair balls, and that is to consider every ball unfairly delivered, that is not within the legitimate reach of an ordinary batsman such as compose the majority of players. This legitimate reach will of course exclude the following style of balls, viz:--all balls that touch the ground before passing over the line of the home base; all ball pitched to the side opposite that the striker bats from; all balls touching his person or going so close to him as to necessitate his moving to avoid being hit with the ball; provided, however, in this latter case, that he stands sufficiently far from the base on side side of it, to admit of the ball being pitched fairly over the base without hitting him or going close to him. All balls included in the above list are unquestionably unfair balls, and such as are not thus included do not infringe the rule.

The rule is undoubtedly a good one, and correctly interpreted, is well calculated to make the game a trial of skill in general fielding rather than of batting; but as defined by McMahon, it would at once give every match to the club having the strongest batsmen, no matter how poor they might be in fielding strength.

The working of the rule on Saturday, under McMahon's definition of it, led to the playing of the quickest bound game on record; in fact, after the first two innings had been played, nearly every ball pitched was either hit into the air and caught, or counted as one ball towards giving the striker his base, or strike towards putting the batsman out. The scorers could scarcely find time to record the game, so quickly were men put out or runs made. [Final score Empire 29, Active 16, time of game 1 hour and 35 minutes.]

Source Brooklyn Eagle
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Submitted by Richard Hershberger
Origin Initial Hershberger Clippings

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