Clipping:Interpreting the infield fly rule
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| Date | Thursday, May 1, 1890 |
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| Text | [PL New York vs. Brooklyn 4/30/1890] With two men on bases, Joyce muffed a little fly sent up by Ewing, and O'Rourke dashed for second. Barnes decided that Ewing was out, and also called O'Rourke out. The decision was an original one, and may never again be seen on the ball-field. New York Tribune May 1, 1890 In the last half of the sixth inning Connor was on third and O'Rourke on first base, with Ewing at the bat. The New York captain knocked a high fair fly several feet behind third base and at least three feet behind Joyce, the Brooklyn third baseman, who squarely muffed the ball. O'Rourke reached second and Ewing first base. Had Joyce intentionally muffed the ball he could not have got it to first ahead of Ewing or to second ahead of O'Rourke, who had taken a long lead off first base and was waiting for the ball to either be caught or dropped. Neither could Joyce, had he caught the ball, have returned it first in time for a double. The Sporting Life May 10, 1890, quoting the New York World The Players' League has eliminated from its playing rules the word “momentarily,” applied to fly catches and has substituted an entirely new rule in Sec. 9 of Rule 41, which is quoted below. This new rule has already made trouble and will make more unless more clearly defined. A kick over the rule came up in the New York-Brooklyn game of April 30. Joyce muffed a short fly ball, but nevertheless Umpire Barnes permitted a double play as a result of the muff. Jim O'Rourke, when subsequently questioned by a reporter, said: “The decision was contrary to the spirit and letter of the rules. In the first place, it was not an infield hit of Ewing's, and therefore neither Ewing nor myself could be declared out. Now, what do the rules say regarding infield hits? Rule 2 of the Players' National League says that the infield must be a space of ground thirty yards square. That meant the entire territory within the base lines, and not a foot more. Now, the ball that Joyce dropped was outside of the third base line by fifteen feet.” “But hasn't it been the case that hits stopped by the basemen and short stop while standing in their usual positions were considered infield hits? asked the reporter. “Yes, but the interpretations of the rules in that respect have been wrong. A ball sent to any of the infielders in the place they usually play cannot, under any circumstances, be considered an infield hit. It must be a hit to be played, even within the base line. Sec. 9 of Rule 41 says:-- 'If, where there is a base-runner on the first base and less than two players on the side at bat have been put out in the inning then being played, the batsman makes a fair hit so that the ball falls within the infield, and the ball touches any fielder whether held by him or not before it touches the ground, the batsman shall be declared out.' “See what latitude would be given an infielder to make such plays like that of Joyce's and which Umpire Barnes says are according to rule, if the enlargement of the infield other than that stated in the rules was allowed. Why, a short stop or baseman could run into the outfield for a ball, miss it, and then throw to a base, catching the runner. Under Umpire Barnes' ruling that would be an intentional miss, the same as Joyce's was decided. There's got to be a distinction made somewhere between the infield and outfield, and the rules have always made it. You can say that even an inch outside of the base lines is in the infield. “I am perfectly satisfied that Joyce's miss was not an intentional one. He made a supreme effort to get the ball, but failed. Now, the, do you think under those circumstances that it is reasonable to give Joyce as much credit for that play as one of the scientific character. That what he received by Umpire Barnes' decision.” The Sporting Life May 10, 1890 |
| Source | New York Tribune |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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