up
and in bad shape to make the catch.

Out-fielders, like in-fielders, must change position to correspond with
the direction the batsman is likely to hit. For instance, there are some
men who are never known to hit to right field, and for such the entire
out-field moves toward the left field, the right fielder going almost to
centre, the centre fielder to left centre, and the left fielder close to
the foul-line. When the fielder knows the batsman, he will change
without direction; but in any case he should respond quickly to any
signal from the pitcher, because the latter may be going to force the
batter to hit in a particular direction. The best fielders make the
greatest difference in the positions they play for different batsmen.

The right fielder must be on the look-out for the catcher's signal to
throw to first or second base, because, in order that he may get in line
with the throw, it is necessary that he shall start when the pitcher
begins to deliver. He cannot wait until the catcher throws or he will be
too late to get in line.

CHAPTER XII. THE BATTER.

The most unsatisfactory feature in base-ball to the player himself, is
batting. In theory it is so simple, yet in practice so difficult, that
one is forever finding fault with himself and thinking, when too late,
of what he might have done if only he had not done as he did.

Of course, the element of chance or "luck," as it is called, enters
largely into the question. The hardest hit will sometimes go directly
into the waiting hands of a fielder, while a little "punk" hit from the
handle or extreme end of the bat may drop lazily into some unguarded
spot. But, in the course of a season, these chances should about
equalize one another, and, though fate may seem to be against a man for
a half dozen or more games, he will be found finally to have benefited
as much by "scratch" hits as he has lost in good, hard drives.

The theory of batting is simplicity itself. All that is necessary is to
wait until the ball comes over the plate and then hit it on a line back
into the field. From the grand stand, nothing could be easier. To sit
back of the catcher and see the balls come sailing over the plate, one
will wonder why they are not hit out of creation, and when some player,
who has allowed a couple of balls to pass directly over the plate
without making the least attempt to hit at them, finally lets go at one
that he could scarcely reach with a wagon tongue, muc