Clipping:A loophole in the rules, allowing a run on a foul ball; block ball

19C Clippings

Clippings in 1853 Clippings in 1854 Clippings in 1855 Clippings in 1856 Clippings in 1857 Clippings in 1858 Clippings in 1859 Clippings in 1860 Clippings in 1861 Clippings in 1862 Clippings in 1863 Clippings in 1864 Clippings in 1865 Clippings in 1866 Clippings in 1867 Clippings in 1868 Clippings in 1869 Clippings in 1870 Clippings in 1871 Clippings in 1872 Clippings in 1873 Clippings in 1874 Clippings in 1875 Clippings in 1876 Clippings in 1877 Clippings in 1878 Clippings in 1879 Clippings in 1880 Clippings in 1881 Clippings in 1882 Clippings in 1883 Clippings in 1884 Clippings in 1885 Clippings in 1886 Clippings in 1887 Clippings in 1888 Clippings in 1889 Clippings in 1890

Add a Clipping

Date	Sunday, September 19, 1869
Text	[Eckford vs. Athletic 9/16/1869] In the first inning, a new point of play occurred–viz., that of running home on a foul ball thrown in to the fielders by an outsider. A tipped ball went back into the crowd while Martin was on third base. The ball was passed to the catcher by one of the spectators, and by the catcher to the pitcher while the latter was out of his position. Martin waited at the base until the ball was in the hands of the pitcher, and then started for home. McMullen ran and touched him, but as McMullen had not gone to his position, Martin was declared not out; and properly so, too. The rule governing the play in question is this. Section 1 of Rule 5 says: “If an adversary stops the ball with his hat or cap, or if a ball (mark the words–‘a ball’‘ simply not ‘a fair ball’) be stopped by any person or persons (as the crowd, for instance) not engaged in the game, no player can be put out unless the ball shall first have been settled in the hands of the pitcher while he stands within the lines of his position.” This rule and the precedent adopted by the umpire in this game should be remembered. We noticed that Mr. Hayhurst alone of the Athletics saw the correctness of the decision. New York Sunday Mercury September 19, 1869 Martin struck a bounding ball to centre field, and got home, working around to third on passed balls, eventually completing his run on a foul ball, it having been passed in by the crowd, the pitcher not being in position when he received it. This point mystified some of the Philadelphians; but it was well taken. National Chronicle September 25, 1869
Source	New York Sunday Mercury
Tags
Warning
Comment	Edit with form to add a comment
Query	Edit with form to add a query
Submitted by	Richard Hershberger
Origin	Initial Hershberger Clippings

---

Comments

<comments voting="Plus" />