Chalk on the Bases?

Not that I am aware of. The line goes over the corner of the bag. Sometimes they will line over the bag instead of stopping and starting. I wouldn't think this would happen on a pro field but I can't speak to field maintenance in the fifties. Also, at one time the bag split the line, so they may have run accross the bag to show the split.

Like Mike, Im not aware that they deliberately chalked the bases, but I am positive that the bases back then were canvas sack-type squares....stuffed with some sort of material....

And at the local field where I went as a kid they often whitewashed them to make them white(r)......I'd bet the fly up is more inflield dust from the bags then it was chalk.....

good question though.....

Stan, do you remember when they moved first and third so the edge lines with the foul line? Originally the foul line went through the center, now the only base the baseline goes through the middle is second.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael S. Taylor:
Stan, do you remember when they moved first and third so the edge lines with the foul line? Originally the foul line went through the center, now the only base the baseline goes through the middle is second.

The change was made in 1887.

Thanks Jimmy, I could have looked it up but work has been a little crazy.