Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 87, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 May 1917 — BILLY EVANS SOLVES BASEBALL PROBLEMS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BILLY EVANS SOLVES BASEBALL PROBLEMS

(Written Especially for This Paper by the Famous American League Umpire.) Frank Chance figured in an unusual play that came up in the American league. St Louis and NewTork were playing a series in St. Louis.

In the game, in question, St. Louis held a fairly good lead until the seventh or eighth inning, when Chance decided to employ some pinch hitting. It was this which caused the confusion and the protest that followed. Chance decided to go In and hit for the pitcher, who was the first man up in the inning. He started a rally, and before the Browns could realize it, the New Yorkers, who had not appeared to have a chance, were evened up. Chance, after batting for the pitcher, took up the coaching at third base. With three or four runs across the plate and a couple of men on the bases, one of the New York players yelled from the bench, “You’re up again, manager.” Chance hastened from the coaching lines to the bench, got his bat and sent a single through short, scoring two runs and later crossing the plate himself. Now, when Chance took his second turn at the bat, Derrick, who was playing short and hitting eighth, should have been the batter. He was asleep at the switch and never did bat in this inning, in which New York made seven runs and went into thelead. Not until

the end of the inning was the mistake discovered. Then, just as the first St. Louis player stepped into the batter’s box, one of the scribes in the press box managed to apprise the St. Louis team of the mistake. A big protest followed before the game was continued. With the score Bto 3 against them, St. Louis made three runs before the close of the game, bringing the score up to 8 to 6, the final result. Thus it turned out that had not Chance batted out of order the game would have been won by the Browns 6to 5. Why do you suppose this was not the -final -score? - - . . 7~~~ . l:----:-; Answer to Problem. The umpire in charge refused to consider the protest of the Browns, and the game was later protested, but the protest was not allowed. The rule on this point says that the batsman is not out for such a mistake unless the fact that he has batted out of order is discovered before a ban has been delivered to the succeeding batsman. In the St. Louis, game a couple of men batted after Chance, and some eight or ten balls were pitched before the error was discovered. So, the game went into the as Bto6 in favor of New York. The rules on batting out of order are a trifle confusing. One rule says that the umpire must take nd action unless the mistake be found out before a ball has been pitched to the succeeding batter. Rule 57 says that, with two exceptions, which are cited, the umpire shall declare the batsman out without waiting for an appeal in all cases where the player is put out in accordance with the rules. Neither of these exceptions deal with the play under discussion. (Copyright by the Wheeler Syndicate, Inc.)

Frank Chance.