Clipping:Scoring proposal of total bases
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| Date | Sunday, December 10, 1876 |
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| Text | It is desired to have as uniform a system of scoring as possible. Objection is made to the present style of scoring “first base” hits, because it tempts a batsman to strike for individual record against the interest of his side. It has been proposed to score “first base” hits the same as now, and we have another column of “total bases”–that is every base a batsman gets off his own hit, by his skill in running and off his opponent’s errors, also all the bases he enables runner ahead of him to secure off his hit and off fielding errors made off his hit. Now, we do not like that proposition because it credits a batsman with so much that he does not deserve. Suppose, for example, the bases are full and two hands are out. The batsman strikes to short-stop, who picks up the ball clean and throws to first base, as being the safest play. He throws very wild, letting the other runners in, and the batsman to third base. By this plan the batsman is credited with the three bases he has made himself, three which the man on first made, his which the man on second made, and one which the man on third made, nine bases in all, and not one of them the result of the batsman’s skill, but all gained off the error of the short-stop, not in failing to gather the ball, but in throwing wild after the hit had been well-handled. A compromise between the present system of scoring and the above seemingly unjust and radical system is to score “first base” hits as now, and add a column of “total bases” defined in the rough as follows: Every safe “firts base” hit to count one “base” of itself; every base stolen to count one “base” for the runner so stealing; every base, if any, which the act of stealing enables a head runner to secure to count for the first named; and the large number of bases which a batsman’s hit enables any runner ahead to make off the hit, but not off fielding errors, to count as so many “bases” to the credit of the batsman. This system gives a batsman credit for what he “earns” for his side and nothing more, and at the same time it encourages him to bat for his side, because, by so doing, his individual record is thereby improved. |
| Source | Philadelphia Sunday Mercury |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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