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A Game of Inches Updates, Chapters 4 and 5
The nature of a book of firsts is that it is always a work in progress. Although A Game of Inches was published only last year, I have already
received and uncovered a great deal of new information. I encourage anyone who
has read the book to contact me with questions,
concerns, comments, updates, and corrections. A few simple corrections have been
made in new printings, but longer updates will have to wait for the next
edition. For now, I’ll be putting such updates to both volumes on these pages on
an ongoing basis, so check back frequently if interested.
Links to Updates to Other Chapters
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapters 6-8
Chapter 9
Chapters 10-12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapters 15-17
Chapter 18
Chapters 19-21
Chapters 22-26
CHAPTER 4: FIELDING
4.1.2 Left-handers Excluded from Positions
Another explanation from 1895 that I’m not sure how much to
trust: “A left-hand infielder is a source of great worry to other infielders by
reason of his peculiar way of throwing the ball.” (Dallas Morning News,
November 12, 1895)
4.1.3 Left-handed Catchers
I want to add this example to the last paragraph: The
Grand Rapids Democrat of July 27, 1889 noted that new catcher Charles
Householder was left-handed so he would be unable to catch until a special pair
of gloves being made in Chicago had arrived
I may mention that the Dallas Morning News of
November 12, 1895, stated that Tenney and Clements were then the only
left-handed catchers in the game
4.1.4 Left-Handed Outfielders
I may mention that the Dallas Morning News of
November 12, 1895, said that left-handed infielders and catchers were very rare
but that left-handed outfielders were more common.
4.1.5 First Base for Left-Handers
The writer of the November 12, 1895, article in the
Dallas Morning News stated that first baseman Jake Beckley was the only
left-handed infielder he could think of. That sounds odd to me; I need to do
some more research on that.
4.1.7 Outfielders’ Roles
I need to say more about the factors that made outfield
play difficult in the nineteenth century. In particular, we now take it
for granted that an outfielder will run toward a fly ball without taking his
eyes off the ball. But nineteenth-century outfielders didn’t have that luxury,
as explained under 14.2.1 Level
Playing Fields (and as is discussed at much greater lengths in
my book of the same name). If their
eyes were fixed on a fly ball, they would be likely to stumble or trip over the
uneven ground and fall down. So they had the far more difficult job of
running after fly balls while also keeping their eyes peeled for obstacles.
4.2.1 Catchers Playing Close
The source of the undated description of Nat Hicks quoted
by Light was the New York Times, July 5, 1873, 5.
4.2.4 Pitchers Covering First
I’ll replace the first line of paragraph six with the
follows: “In 1889, Tim Murnane declared, ‘The pitcher should always start for
first base when a ball is hit to the left of him’ (Tim Murnane, “How the Stars
Play Combinations,” Boston Globe, March 10, 1889, 22). ‘Should’ was the
optimal word, however; as the tactics of Comiskey and Wright suggest, it was far
from easy to …”
4.2.5 Second Basemen Leaving the Bag
Before the last paragraph, I plan to add this: “In 1889,
Tim Murnane noted that most second basemen stationed themselves about fifteen
feet to the left of the bag. Most stood well back of the baseline, but some,
such as Fred Pfeffer, moved up near the line with a runner on first so as to
have a better chance of turning a double play. Murnane also recalled that Jack
Burdock would often cover first base if John Morrill left that case to field a
bunt, suggesting that some second basemen positioned themselves very close to
first base if a bunt was expected. (Tim Murnane, “How the Stars Play
Combinations,” Boston Globe, March 10, 1889, 22)”
4.2.6 Shortstops Become Responsible for Base Play
I’m going to add to the last paragraph that Tim Murnane
discussed the subject at length in 1889 and explained that circumstances often
altered where the two middle infielders stationed themselves. But the most
typical positioning seemed to be for the second baseman to be only fifteen feet
or so from the bag, while the shortstop was often midway between second and
third base. (Tim Murnane, “How the Stars Play Combinations,” Boston Globe,
March 10, 1889, 22)
I also want to add that the hit-and-run play (entry 5.4.7)
was another factor in the shortstop moving closer to the base. So was the
tendency of second basemen to cover first base, as noted in the previous entry.
4.2.10 Infield Depth
To the end of paragraph 4, I’ll add: “In 1889, Tim Murnane
provided a detailed discussion of situations that would lead infielders to play
more deeply or more shallowly (Tim Murnane, “How the Stars Play Combinations,”
Boston Globe, March 10, 1889, 22).”
4.2.11 Moving In During the Pitch
To the start, I’m going to add a new paragraph: “It has
long been common for fielders to move a step or two to the left or right as a
pitch is thrown. As Tim Murnane explained in 1889, ‘The infield should always
know just the kind of a ball the pitcher is going to give the batsman. If an
out curve the third base and short should move around toward second, and, if an
in ball, the second baseman can change his position to correspond with the short
and third base. Much care should be taken in making the move as the opposing
batsman is likely to take notice and change his style of hitting. The men can
remain in their usual positions until the pitcher has his arm on the swing; by
that time the batsman has no chance to observe the movements of the fielders’
(Tim Murnane, “How the Stars Play Combinations,” Boston Globe, March 10,
1889, 22).”
4.2.12 Shifts
This will be added to the end of paragraph four: “That same
year, manager Frank Selee remarked that, ‘Men that continually hit in one
direction nowadays are not winners, for they are marked and played for’ (Sporting
News, August 17, 1895).”
4.3.2 Backing Up
To the end of paragraph eight, I want to add: “Similarly,
Tim Murnane stated in 1889 that one of the duties of the pitcher was to ‘back up
the catcher when a ball is sent to the outfield’ (Tim Murnane, “How the Stars
Play Combinations,” Boston Globe, March 10, 1889, 22).”
4.3.3 Decoys
Here’s a reference that predates all the ones in the entry:
The Boston Globe ran an article about the tricks used by veterans on
April 11, 1887, 2, and listed “[Joe] Hornung’s pretense of letting the ball pass
him, with a base runner just reaching second.”
4.4.1 One-handed Catches
I’ll probably change the title of the entry to “One-handed
and Diving Catches.”
To the second paragraph, I want to add a wonderful anecdote
I found recently describing Lave Cross in the 1890s amazing the crowd by holding
his glove upside down and still holding onto the ball. What a vivid image of
why fielders of the day used two hands!
David Ball filled me in on the story of Henry Luff, for
which I’d never found a primary source. David explains: “This probably comes
more or less directly from one of Lee Allen's book, and Allen’s original source
is probably the August 3, 1882, Cincinnati Commercial, in which Caylor
states that Luff had accepted an offer to join a civil engineering firm, which
he probably would have refused had he not been fined $5 a few days before for a
one-handed catch on a throw by Harry Wheeler. He thought the captain Charlie
Snyder should have been fined also for colliding with Luff and causing a wild
throw. The August 1 Commercial mentions that in the third inning Jack
Gleason singled and Bill Gleason reached on ‘Luff’s one-handed fancy muff of
Wheeler’s throw.’ There's actually a back story to this. Luff had originally
signed at his home in Philadelphia on an informal temporary contract. When the
Cincinnati people realized he was corresponding with Jim O'Rourke of Buffalo,
they pressed him to sign an official contract. He balked and was actually
blacklisted briefly until he backed down and was reinstated with the payment of
a $10 fine. The incident seems to have left hard feelings on his part, though.
I think Allen may have mistaken that fine for the $5 one for the bad catch.”
David also passed along this intriguing note from the Sporting News (from
the 1890s but he didn’t have a precise date): “[Fred] Dunlap is probably the
leading National League second baseman in ability to play second base with one
hand. That isn’t up to form and is frowned upon by all managers, but there were
two National League players who were nearly as good in their infield positions
with one hand as with two. Dunlap was one of them at second base and Jerry
Denny the other at third base.” The item said that Denny (but not Dunlap)
sometimes made errors by doing this.
I want to replace sentence 3 of the paragraph that begins,
“Further tinkering …” with “Donn Rogosin, however, maintained that Negro League
catcher Pepper Bassett had hit on the innovation earlier by ‘gradually remov[ing]
more and more of the padding, toughening his hand in the process. Unknown to
history, he helped create the “squeezer” style of catcher’s mitt’ (Donn Rogosin,
Invisible Men, 73). In any event, glove makers eventually refined the
idea and thereby changed the nature of catching.”
And I’ll replace the second sentence of the paragraph
beginning “A similar series of design-based …” with: “According to Donn Rogosin,
Negro League shortstop Willie Wells took Pepper Bassett’s innovation a step
farther by cutting a hole in the center of his glove so as to get a cushioning
effect (Donn Rogosin, Invisible Men, 73). But no commercial product
offered this benefit, with the result that for many years the one-handed catch
was stigmatized as a showy, unsound play.”
Another statement to use alongside the ones made by
DiMaggio and Gehringer is this one by Smoky Joe Wood: “In my day a pitcher could
no more catch a ball in one hand, with the glove on, than he could fly. You
very seldom saw a backhand play.” (Franz Douskey, “Smoky Joe Wood’s Last
Interview,” National Pastime 27 (2007), 71)
An addition to paragraph eight, after the first sentence:
“Connie Mack maintained that Osee Schrecongost ‘caught 99.99 percent of balls
thrown to him with one hand, his glove hand. He used his glove hand like a
shortstop’ (Dan O’Brien, ‘F. Osee Schrecongost,” in David Jones, ed.,
Deadball Stars of the American League, 786).”
4.4.2 Trapped Ball Plays
Lots of new information on this fascinating topic:
The Boston Globe reported on May 12, 1885: “According to the instructions
of President Nick Young to the [National League] umpires, if a fielder muffs a
fly intentionally, so as to make a double play, the batsman shall be declared
out.” That’s potentially very important information, but I’m inclined to think
that this proved difficult to enforce.
That suspicion is heightened by an 1890 note about the
differences between the Players League and the established major leagues. It
said that one was the addition of a rule “to prevent the ‘juggle’ double play so
prevalent of late, and which has not only exasperated audiences, but has made
trouble for umpires.” (Chicago Inter-Ocean, March 30, 1890)
In paragraph 15, I mention that sportswriter E. S. Sheridan
claimed that only two infielders were using the trapped ball play in 1894. I
need to add that Cleveland manager Patsy Tebeau disputed Sheridan’s contention (Sporting
Life, May 5, 1894)
I want to revise the wording of the first two sentences of
paragraph 17 to something like this: “So it seems clear that the play was giving
a significant advantage to Chicago, Cincinnati and probably to Boston as well.
More the rise to prominence of the fielder’s glove made it unlikely that the
other clubs would narrow the gap.”
I intend to add this new paragraph after current paragraph 19: “Chicago
player-manager Cap Anson, for example, complained that ‘the League made a
mistake in barring the trapped ball. There are only a few men who are capable
of making the play … Now a play that is a novelty because of extreme rareness
has been dropped just to prevent a man with brains from making a star play’ (Philadelphia
Inquirer, April 8, 1894). But would Anson have felt that way if his own
second baseman wasn’t one of the masters of the play?”
At or near the end I need to add: “The Chicago Tribune reported in 1905
that National League president Harry Pulliam had instructed the league’s umpires
to call the infield fly rule with only first base occupied and less than two out
if the batsman was a slower runner than the base runner (Chicago Tribune,
August 27, 1905, A3). It is unknown when this practice started and when it
ended.”
4.4.7 Juggling Fly Balls
Timothy M. Gay’s
Tris Speaker says that Harry Hooper did this (page 16). I need to
see if I can confirm this.
4.4.10 Hidden Ball Tricks
To the discussion about banning the hidden ball trick, I
want to add these 1910 comments by Cubs president Charles W. Murphy: “They are
trying to drive the intelligent players out of baseball. Pretty soon we will
have nothing left but boneheads if the American league has its wish. No
intelligent ball player is fooled by the hiding of the ball by some baseman.
It’s a trick that requires the runners to keep their eyes open. I am confident
that all the Cubs do this, and that none of them ever would be put out on such
an antiquated joke as this (R.W. Lardner, “Baseball Actors Make ‘Hit,’”
Chicago Tribune, January 25, 1910, 12).”
Bill Deane’s list of hidden ball tricks is no longer on the
Retrosheet website.
4.4.15 Triple Plays
The 1860 triple play has now been definitively antedated.
In an article in the Chadwick Scrapbooks, Chadwick said that the first triple
play was pulled by the Pastimes at Bedford in 1859. Researcher Craig B. Waff,
however, has found one that was almost certainly still earlier. The Brooklyn
Eagle of April 18, 1859, p. 11, has this account of a game in Fort Hamilton
between the Neosho Club of New Utrecht and the Wyandank of Flatbush: “The game
was played according to the new Convention rules of 1859, under one of which it
was observed that the Neosho put out three hands of their opponents with one
ball, by catching the ball ‘on the fly’ and then passing it to two bases in
immediate succession so as at the same time to put out both men who were
returning to those bases.”
I asked Paul Hunkele about the rule change implied in the
Eagle article and he replied as follows: “In attempts to encourage
fielders to catch the ball on the fly, in 1858 a rule was established that if a
ball was caught on the fly the ball was dead and runners could not advance - but
they also would have free return to their bases. They could not attempt to run
until the ball was again put into play by the pitcher. This was a reward for
catching the ball on the fly; no runners could advance, but they had ‘risk free’
return to the base they had left. So runners always would run just as hard if
the ball was hit on the ground or in the air as they had nothing to lose if the
fly was caught - as they had free return to their base if it was (rule 16). In
1859 this was amended to not make the ball dead when it was caught fairly on the
fly and to not give runners free return to their bases. Same as today. These two
runners, perhaps having been accustomed to free return to their bases from the
year prior, ran on a fly ball. The ball was caught and they were instead put
out by having the ball held at the base they had left, before they returned.”
So it makes sense that the triple play would emerge for the
first time early in the 1859 season (but then become rare as runners became
familiar with the new rule). This is exactly the kind of research I hope
my book will encourage and I congratulate Craig for his find and thank Paul for
sharing his extraordinary understanding of the intricacies of the rules.
4.4.16 Bluff Tags
I want to add this to the end of the second paragraph: “By
1898, a sportswriter claimed, ‘there are just two men in the National League
who, as an almost certainty, touch their men – Jennings and Gleason. The rest
“lay away from their heels,” touch at the man and make the bluff good’ (Sporting
Life, May 21, 1898).”
4.4.17 Scoop Throws
I need to rewrite this entry to make clear that this
practice was common in the nineteenth century when many fielders wore gloves
that were not much larger than their hands. Tim Murnane wrote in 1889, “In
throwing to bases for double plays care should be taken to give the ball to the
baseman in a way that he can handle it. Third base, short and second base will
find it a great help to practice throwing with an underhand snap. Much time is
saved when the distance is short, and the ball can be handled much better by the
baseman (Tim Murnane, “How the Stars Play Combinations,” Boston Globe,
March 10, 1889, 22).” It appears to have fallen out of favor when fielders
began wearing gloves large enough that they had to transfer balls from the glove
to their throwing hand, only to be revived by Maranville.
4.4.20 Extra Glove
Another interesting instance: “Catcher Bill Bergen of the
Brooklyn club sprang a new one at Cincinnati. When Bill walked into the
catcher’s box he carried with him three immense catching gloves. Two were
placed on the ground near the plate and the third adorned his left hand. This
glove was worn until a Cincinnati player reached first, and then discarded in
favor of one of the other gloves. If a pitched ball happened to bounce out of
this glove, Bill dropped it and used glove No. 3. Bill explained that gloves
Nos. 2 and 3 made it easier for him to start his throws when redlegs tried to
steal. He was breaking in glove No. 1.” (Fort Wayne Sentinel, August 30,
1910) I guess I should change the title of the entry to “Extra Glove(s).”
5.1.6 Triple Steals
Another instance to add to the last paragraph: “Timothy Gay
reports that Harry Lord, Harry ‘Doc’ Gessler and Tris Speaker of the Red Sox
combined on a triple steal against the Athletics on April 21, 1909 (Timothy M.
Gay, Tris Speaker, 81).” I should also make clear that my list is almost
certainly incomplete and there are probably at least a few other instances.
5.2.1 Slides
Here’s another example to add to the ones mentioned in the
first four paragraphs: “[Early Washington player Seymour] Studley was the
originator of the slide. The first time he tried it was in 1870 when the
Nationals were playing the noted Eurekas, of New York, and as Studley pulled off
the play the large crowd roared in glee, as seven-eighth of the spectators
thought he had slipped and by accident beat out the play. But when Studley
later repeated the feat the daring runner was loudly cheered for what they
called his bravery. While the honor is claimed by others, Studley was
undoubtedly the first to slide from 15 to 20 feet on his stomach to a base.
“ ‘Uncle Nick’ Young, in talking to me recently, said
there was no doubt Studley was the pioneer of the slide and recently that
veteran of the game, ‘Ox’ Bielaski, told me that he copied from Studley in
sliding, and it was the study that enabled Bielaski to purloin so many bases
while a player on the Nationals. In those days the catchers did not throw low,
most of them making the play to keep the ball up, hence Studley and Bielaski had
little trouble in sliding behind the base in safety, just as the wonderful Mike
Kelly did in later years. Bielaski stated that Charley Snyder was the only
catcher who could beat him.
“In making his slides Studley always slid on his
stomach, claiming it would be going against the grain to slide feet foremost.
Fred Waterman, the third baseman of the Olympics in 1870, was a clever slider,
going in feet foremost, and as there was no padding in the uniforms used in
those days his hips were always badly lacerated.” (Buffalo American,
reprinted in Daily Kennebec Journal, December 9, 1907)
To the description of how pebbles deterred sliding, I may
add these comments: “The players generally complain of the cinder paths upon
which they are compelled to run between bases. Sliding is risky unless runners
have more clothes on under their uniform than comfort will allow. Denny and
Cahill have hurt themselves quite badly in the past two days by sliding, and
Myers succeeded in scraping himself a little yesterday. This has a natural
tendency to make the players cautious and they can not run bases with that
reckless dash and daring which is necessary to steal runs successfully.
Besides, the cinders hurt their feet through the thin soles of the running
shoes. Those objections should be sufficient to have the cinders removed. A
good yellow clay has always been considered best for the purpose.” (Indianapolis
Sentinel, April 9, 1887, 5) And then I’d add something like this: “And, as
discussed under 11.2.2 ‘Slow Base Paths,’ the presence of pebbles was often no
accident.”)
This note will be a nice addition to the paragraph
describing Gus Schmelz’s emphasis on sliding: “The Philadelphia Athletic
management will insist on its men getting their clothes dirty by the sliding
process. Bancroft believes batting and base-running will be the winning
features this season.” (Rocky Mountain News, (Denver, CO), April 13,
1887, 10)
5.2.2 Headfirst and Foot-First Slides and Dives
I need to incorporate the description of the slides of
Studley and Waterman that I’m adding to the previous entry.
To the description of the sliding tactics of the
Philadelphia players, I need to add this note from the middle of the 1886
season: “The Philadelphias have entirely given up the headforemost slide, and
the use of sliding gloves. That mode of making a base is entirely too
dangerous, and it is now only used in desperate extremities.” (Boston Herald,
reprinted in St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 17, 1886)
5.2.5 Sliding Drills
I’ll revise sentence two to read, “Over the next few years
such drills became more widespread.”
Then I’ll add this 1888 description: “Pitcher [Amos Alonzo]
Stagg, who is training the Yale College nine, has devised a new scheme for
teaching them to slide [into] bases. He has constructed and placed in the
gymnasium a pine frame, 14 x 7 feet, covered with canvas drawn tightly, and an
overcovering of velvet carpet, and with its surface elevated about four feet
above the ground. The candidates run a distance of twenty feet or so and then
hurl themselves headlong upon this new machine.” (Indianapolis Sentinel,
March 11, 1888)
I should probably say more about Branch Rickey’s
contribution. Lee Lowenfish discusses the subject on pages 51 and 69 of his new
biography of Rickey. But it remains very clear that Rickey was a popularizer,
not an inventor.
5.3.11 Pitchouts
I want to start this entry by noting that the tactic of
“Getting Batters to Chase” (3.3.1) often functioned as a pitchout. For example,
in 1860, Henry Chadwick wrote, “We would suggest to the Catcher the avoidance of
the boyish practice or [sic] passing the ball to and from the pitcher when a
player is on the first base … a feature of the game that is a tiresome one.” (1860
Beadle’s Dime Base Ball Book, 21) The reference to this occurring with
runners on first base obviously implies that the intent was to deter base
stealing. Naturally, this tactic became far less common when balls (1.10) were
added to the rulebook four years later.
5.4.7 Hit and Run
After the fifth paragraph, I intend to add: “In addition,
an 1891 article in Sporting News reported, ‘The Giants have been
practicing all this season at placing the ball with a man on first base, and
have been fairly successful. The batter, with a man on first base, can tell
pretty well who is going to cover second base, whether the second baseman or
short stop, and that leaves him either one loophole or another. More than one
game has been won by the big fellows this season by following out this line of
tactics’ (Sporting News, September 5, 1891).”
5.5.2 Low-Bridging
I want to add Tim Murnane’s 1889 explanation of why he
considered Chicago second baseman Fred Pfeffer the best pivot man in the game:
“Pfeffer of Chicago is without a doubt the best player in the league to make a
double play. He seldom looks at the first base, always being prompted by Ed
Williamson, the short stop, when to turn and let go of the ball and when to hold
it; for there is nothing made by throwing the ball around when there is no
chance to get the runner. Pfeffer covers the second base the instant the ball
is sent to the right of the pitcher, and makes it a rule to keep well inside the
bag, so the runner will not interfere with him. As quick as the ball hits his
hands he is on the swing and throws to first without raising his head, judging
the direction wholly by the base line. Sometimes he will stop and toss the ball
to the pitcher. This is when he has heard Williamson sing out ‘No.’ That one
word is enough. He knows that there is no chance to get his man. Many second
basemen are slow in returning the ball to first on a double, fearing they may
hit a runner, but the Chicago man never stops to think of this. He swings with
the throw and lets her go. If a man is in the way he gets hit, and knowing this
they generally duck out of the way.” (Tim Murnane, “How the Stars Play
Combinations,” Boston Globe, March 10, 1889, 22)
5.6.1 Stealing First
The statement that Schaefer stole first on September 4,
1908 is incorrect; Schaefer did steal first in a game on August 4, 1911, but the
details are very different from those related by Davy Jones in The Glory of
Our Times. To date, nobody has discovered an actual sequence that closely
resembles the one described many years later by Jones and by Ty Cobb. Thanks to
Brian McKenna for helping to straighten this out.
5.6.2 Deliberately Not Advancing
I need to add two more examples cited on pages 83 and 152
of David Fleitz’s recent Cap Anson biography.
Links to Updates to Other Chapters
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapters 6-8
Chapter 9
Chapters 10-12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapters 15-17
Chapter 18
Chapters 19-21
Chapters 22-26
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