Clipping:Hints to umpires
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| Date | Sunday, May 27, 1860 |
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| Text | To the Editors of the Sunday Mercury: I beg to call your attention to the following rules, which I hope to see strictly enforced by umpires this season. Rule 5 of the laws of the game reads as follows “Sec. 5. The pitcher’s position shall be designated by a line four yards in length, drawn at right angles to a line from the home base to the second base, having the centre upon that line, at a fixed iron plate, placed at a point fifteen yards distant from the home base. The pitcher must deliver the ball as near as possible over the centre of the home base, and for the striker.” The rule, it thus appears, requires the ball be pitched for the striker, and not the catcher, which is so generally done when a player is on the first base. Section 6, too, reads as follows: “The ball must be pitched, not jerked nor thrown to the bat, and whenever the pitcher draws back his hand, or moves with the apparent purpose or pretension to deliver the ball, he shall deliver it; and he must have neither foot in advance of the line at the time of delivering the ball; and if he fails in any of these particulars, then it shall be declared a baulk. According to this, the pitcher makes a baulk when he either jerks a ball to the bat, has either foot in advance of the line of his position, or moves his hand or arm with the apparent purpose of pitching the ball without actually delivering it. Section 17 also reads as follows: “The striker must stand on a line drawn through the centre of the home base, not exceeding in length three feet from either side thereof, and parallel with the line of the pitcher’s position.” Umpires should especially see that this rule is abided by. The necessity of it is obvious to every one familiar with the game; and to those who are not, I will endeavor to explain the matter. I will suppose a striker to stand on the line referred to, the pitcher sends him a fine ball to hit, but one with a great twist on it; the striker hits it below the centre line of his bat, and it strikes the ground perpendicularly almost from the bat; the consequence is, a ball that is easily fielded by the pitcher [illegible] short step to first base, the pitcher thereby getting the reward for his twisting ball. Now, suppose the same kind of ball is sent by the pitcher and similarly received by the striker, as the above one, but the striker, instead of standing on the line of the base, stands one or two feet back of it, the result is, that the ball, falling as before, falls behind the base, instead of in front of it, and becomes a foul ball, instead of a fair one–and the pitcher loses the benefit of his good pitching, and twisting of the ball. Under these circumstances, I consider it the duty of the umpire to declare a ball fair, by keeping silent, when it touches the ground perpendicularly from the bat, when the striker stands back of the line of his base. He certainly should be required to keep one foot on the line. These rules should be strictly enforced. There has been too much latitude allowed altogether, in reference to theme, and I trust that umpires, this season, will pay more attention to these than they hitherto have done. H.C. |
| Source | New York Sunday Mercury |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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