tcher, though possibly he may still deem
it best to throw to some other base. In any case, what is the best play
he must determine for himself, and he will expedite his decision by
having a thorough understanding of the situation before the play arises.

The third baseman should receive a signal from the catcher when the
latter intends throwing to him to catch a runner "napping." The runner
always takes considerable ground in order to score on a slow hit to the
in-field, or on a short passed ball. By a signal, received before the
pitcher delivers the ball, the baseman knows that the catcher will
throw, and during the delivery he gets to the base to receive it. And
here, again, the best base runners are oftenest caught because they take
the most ground. If the batter hits at the ball the runner takes an
extra start, and a quick throw to the base will very often catch him
before he can get back. It should, therefore, be understood that, in
every case when the batter strikes at the ball and misses it, the
catcher will throw to third, whether or not he has previously given the
signal. In touching a runner the baseman must not run away from him; he
must expect to get spiked occasionally, for, if he is thinking more of
his own safety than of making the put-out, he will lose many plays by
allowing runners to slide under or around him.

CHAPTER VIII. THE SHORT-STOP.

Originally, it is said, the short-stop's chief function was as tender to
the pitcher, though this soon became an unimportant feature of his work.
The possibilities of the position as a factor in field play were early
developed; such fielders as George Wright and Dick Pearce soon showed
that it could be made one of the most important of the in-field. But the
same legislation which almost crowded the third baseman out of the game,
affected materially the short-stop's work, and it is only within the
past couple of years that he has regained his former prominent place.

During 1887 there was more hitting to short than to any other in-field
position; though the second baseman averaged more "total chances," on
account of a greater number of "put-outs," the "assists" were in favor
of the short-stop.

The conception of the position has also undergone some changes, and
when, therefore, I say that the position is now played more effectively
than ever, it is not to assert that the players of the present are
better than those of the past, but simply that these changes have