wlb@rruxo.UUCP (B Boutin) (02/01/85)
I may have missed it, but was the seven ways to get to 1st base without a hit ever posted? And if they were, what were they? -- Bill Boutin, Bell Communications Research, Inc., 444 Hoes Lane, Room 4D-336, Piscataway, NJ, 08854 201-699-4700
schneider@vlnvax.DEC (02/01/85)
> The "What are 7 ways to get to 1st without getting a hit?" > question is great fun at parties, though in my experience > it often leads to an argument about whether catcher interference > is really distinct from fielder's obstruction. Imagine my > amusement when a friend came up with an entirely new way, which > he claims is legal: Steal 1st from 2nd. To my immediate query, > "Why would anyone do that?", he said, "To run up his statistics. > Maybe the guy has a bonus riding on the number of stolen bases. > He'll certainly have the element of surprise on his side." > Well, *can* you steal 1st from 2nd? The story comes from my memory of an old baseball book of mine. I think it took place in the late 1800's. The last person to steal first from second was Arlie Latham (or something like that). He was a renowned basestealer of his error - obviously dead ball - and the situation in question was Arlie at first, a teammate at third, and not much happening at the plate. Arlie was an exciting player, who I believe was once creditted with leaping over an opposing first baseman to avoid a tag. After stealing second in the game in question, and not having much else to do for a number of pitches (remember the rules provided numbers like nine balls for a walk and five for a strikeout at different times) he promptly swiped first and second again. As the story goes the rule was soon-after established prohibitting "back-stealing". Daniel Schneider {...decvax}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-vlnvax!schneider