HALF-BUILT BOYS
hands in towards him as the ball enters them; and passes it back to the pitcher, almost always with the same hand. He has, also, to spring about on his feet; unless the balls come very uniformly; and to do much twisting and turning. The batter bats, not from either shoulder, but from one shoulder; to such an extent that those used to his batting know pretty well where he will knock the ball; though, did he bat from the other shoulder, the general direction of the knocking would be quite different. Some fielders have a little running and catching to do; and then throw the ball in to pitcher, or baseman, or catcher. But that throw is always with the stronger hand; never with the other. Many fielders often have nothing to do but to walk to their stations; stay there while their side is out; and then walk back again; hardly getting work enough, in a cold day, to heap them warm. Running bases is sharp, jerky work; and cannot take the place of fair running over a long distance. Nor is the fielder's running much better; and neither would ever teach a boy what he ought to know about running; and how to get out of it what he readily might; and, far better yet, how to make himself an enduring, long-distance runner. For all the work the former brings, ordinary, and even less than ordinary, strength of leg and lung will suffice; but for the latter it needs both good legs and good lungs.
Run most American boys of twelve or fourteen six or eight miles; or, rather, start them at it;—let them all belong to the ball-nine if you will, too—and how many would cover half the distance even, at any pace worth calling a run? The English are, and have long been, ahead of us in this direction. To most readers the above distance seems far too long to let any boy of that
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