Thorn: The functions of each defensive player, in 1860
From SABR member John Thorn at Our Game on December 14, 2016:
There was a time when baseball’s principal feature was neither hitting nor pitching prowess but instead fine fielding. As points of information:
- the called strike had been born only two years earlier, and called balls were three years in the offing;
- a ball caught on a bounce, in fair play or foul, registered an out;
- a ball landing once in fair territory and then skittering into foul was deemed a fair ball, and basemen had to give chase (which explains why they played very close to if not on the bag);
- fielders wore no gloves, catchers wore no masks.
Putting the ball in play was a presumed ability of even the weakest hitter …
Read the full article here: https://ourgame.mlblogs.com/the-functions-of-each-defensive-player-1860-dff8c4020a5c#.erxs4kigr
Originally published: December 14, 2016. Last Updated: December 14, 2016.