The captain of a nine can place his nine men in any position of the field he chooses. There is in fact no arbitrary rule governing the placing of the men except in the case of the pitcher, and he of course must always occupy the pitcher's box. Under Rule 15, the captain can place his infielders, in close within the diamond, or all outside of it, also the outfielders, either in close to the infielders, or lying out deep or close to the foul line, etc. But the pitcher of the ball must always be in the "box" when delivering the ball.
THE DEFINITION OF THE BALK.
Rule 32, Section I, defines a balk as "Any motion made by the pitcher to deliver the ball to the bat without delivering it." This definition embraces every one of the motions the pitcher is accustomed to make preliminary to the actual delivery of the ball, whether of his hands, arms, or feet, or any motion of his body. He cannot therefore make any pretense of delivering the ball while not having the ball in his hand ready to deliver it as in the case of a base player hiding the ball while the pitcher acts as if he himself had possession of it—without his making a balk.
The words "any motion calculated to deceive a base runner," refer to pretended movements to deliver outside of those referred to in the first portion of the rule.
TAKING A BASE ON A BALK.
There is an important distinction between a "balk" and an "illegal delivery." A "balk" is made when the pitcher makes a motion to deliver the ball to the bat without following such motion with actual delivery, or if he holds the ball in his hand long enough to unnecessarily delay the game. An "illegal delivery" is made when the pitcher steps out of his "box" in delivery, or lifts his rear foot from the ground before the ball leaves his hand—his lifting his foot afterward is of no account—or if he fails to pause before delivery after making a feint to throw to a base. In the case of a "balk," every occupant of a base, as a base runner, becomes entitled to one base, whether forced by the batsman or not. But the batsman cannot take a base on a "balk." In the case of an "illegal delivery," however, while occupants of bases can only take a base on such delivery in case of being "forced off," the batsman is given a base on such illegal delivery. While an "illegal delivery" is in the nature of a balk, it is not an actual "balk" as technically termed in the rules.
DEAD BALLS.
The ball cannot be used to put a player on the batting side out, either in the case of a batted ball to foul ground not caught on the fly; a called foul strike; a runner being hit by a batted ball; a pitched ball striking the batsman, or striking his bat without being intentionally struck at; or from the ball striking the umpire while he is on foul ground, before it passes the catcher; or, in the case of a called block ball, until said ball is first held by the pitcher while standing within his position.
THE FOUL TIP CATCH.
The elimination of the sharp foul-tip catch from the rules will necessitate the placing of a white line, forming a half circle, within a radius of ten feet from the home base, and located on foul ground, as it is only foul tips caught within ten feet of the home base which do not put the batsman out.