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Editorial Board - John Lowell Pratt, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Donald Schiffer,

MANAGING EDITOR

Editorial Consultants

Clifford L. Brownell, Chairman, Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, Teachers College, Columbia University

Carl L. Nordly, Chairman, Department of Physical Education, Berkeley, California

Foreword - In sports, as in all other areas of life, a knowledge of the rules that govern all groups of individuals is essential to a successful adjustment to the world and the other fellow. If the individual knows why the rules have been made, so much the better. All men must live by rules and the sooner they accept this fact, the better their lives will be. So it is in sports — each one has a basic set of rules regarding personal conduct, team conduct, the execution of plays, and decent behavior toward teammates and opponents.

Pictures - Color Plates:

"All Eyes on the Ball"

"Southpaw Stylist"

"A Running Backhand"

"A Fast Double Play"

"Backhanding a Grass-hopper"

"Cut Down at the Plate"

Introduction - There is nothing more satisfying for a baseball coach than to have a boy of competitive nature on his squad, with little or no natural ability but with enthusiasm and eagerness to learn and play the game. This is the type of athlete, who, despite shortcomings in talent, will learn that with consistent hard work he can become reasonably proficient and derive as much satisfaction from playing the game as the most gifted and talented player.

1. Early History - The earliest references to a thrown ball go back 5,000 years, to the era of the first civilized man. History records that the ancient Egyptians, and later the Greeks and Romans, tossed balls back and forth as part of their religious rites and as a conditioning exercise. Some phase of ball-throwing activity probably goes back to the most primitive man.

2. Techniques - Take a boy to the ball field and guess what he will pick up for the first time ... a glove or a bat? Right. Just about everybody who plays baseball, or who ever thought of playing baseball, loves to bat. Some players have the gift of being "born" hitters; that is, they are blessed with excellent eyesight, quick reflexes, strong wrists and husky shoulders. These players usually become the better batters, but that does not mean the average player with normal build and strength cannot become a moderately successful batter.

Batting - Selecting a Bat. — Take a bat and swing it. If it feels "good" and is not too heavy or not too light, try it out. Do not use a bat that is too long, stay away from a bat that is too short. To help you select the right type of bat, remember that the average school player uses one that is about thirty-four inches long. Also, the weight of the bat is equal to one ounce for each inch. Thus a 34-34 bat, in length and weight, is just about average.

Pitching - Although baseball is a team game — and complete cooperation from every player is necessary for victory — coaches, players and spectators agree that the most important factor in the success of a team is the pitcher.

Fielding - A team that has players who can throw and catch fly balls and grounders better than its opponents, and can come up with the clutch fielding play, is going to be hard to beat. The team that has the most agile fielders — those players who have fast reflexes and can change direction in a split second — will also have the better fielders. Thus, if the pitching and batting of the two opposing teams are of equal strength, the better fielding team will then be more formidable.

Catching - The player who sees more of the game and its developing situations is the catcher. From his position behind the plate the catcher, as the signal-caller for all his pitcher's pitches, observes the opponents' base-line coaches, batter, base-runner, his own infield and outfield, and, most important, the progress of his team's pitcher.

First Base Play - One infield position at which size is a definite asset is first base. A tall first baseman with long arms and legs is at an advantage since a throw gets to him moments quicker than when an average-sized player with normal arms and legs is stationed at first base.

Second Base - One infield position at which size is a definite asset is first base. A tall first baseman with long arms and legs is at an advantage since a throw gets to him moments quicker than when an average-sized player with normal arms and legs is stationed at first base.

Third Base Play - The third baseman's requirements are no different from those of any other infielder, except —this is the player who must have the strongest throwing arm in the infield.

Balls batted by a right-handed pull hitter travel faster toward the third baseman than any other infielder, thus the third baseman must be able to get his hands into position quicker than the other infielders. Since batted balls are hit so hard down third base, it is apparent that many of them will not be fielded cleanly.

Outfielding - Speed, hustle, the ability to judge a fly ball and a powerful throwing arm are the prime qualifications of an outfielder.

All outfielders should possess these qualifications and, where possible, there is some advantage to have a left-handed right-fielder and a right-handed left-fielder. The center-fielder should be the fastest and surest of the outfielders.

Team Defense - During the course of a game the fielding team will be forced to make plays which require perfect timing, coordination and cooperation. We are not referring to the basic fielding plays, such as a routine grounder thrown to first base for a put-out, or a fly ball caught by an outfielder, but to those plays which involve a fielder other than the first baseman making the put-out at first base; the run-down of a runner trapped between bases; the responsibility of all the infielders in various bunt situations; the alignment of the infielders when there are runners on base.

Base Running - The art of base running begins the moment the batter hits the ball and steps off toward first base. A right-handed hitter, after completing his swing, turns his body away from first base and shifts his weight to his left foot. Thus, with the weight on the left foot, he takes his initial step toward first base with his right foot. It follows that a left-handed hitter, after swinging, turns his body in the direction of first base, the weight shifted to his right foot. Thus his first step toward first base will be with his left foot.

3. Play Situations - There are so many different play positions and strategies that occur in this wonderful and complicated game of baseball that it would take almost two full volumes to illustrate and explain each of them so that they may be fully understood by the player of school age.

Experience is the most valuable teacher for a player. The more games in which he plays, the more familiar he will become with many of the situations which come up inning by inning.

4. Coaching - School teams have one coach who directs all play, offensively and defensively. He usually sits on the bench and gives signals to the first-base and third-base coaches, who in turn pass them on to the batter or base-runner.

The head coach of a team is responsible for planning all the pre-game strategy and the tactics during the game. He makes up the lineup, placing his hitters in the batting positions he believes will bring the most runs.

Glossary - ACE —The best and most dependable pitcher on the team.

APPLE-The ball.

ARBITER-The umpire.

ASPIRIN TABLETS - Pitched balls by an exceedingly fast pitcher.

BEAN BALL — A pitched ball which comes close to the batter's head or which hits his head.

Bibliography - Here is a selected list of baseball titles which covers just about everything on the game. The player, or student of the game who wants to increase his knowledge of the sport, will find many helpful hints in each of these books. There are playing hints, strategies, play situations, history, records and statistics among the fifty books selected as the most informative.

THE END