When a baseball team is organized, the first thing to do is to elect a captain from one of the players, and after this is decided every boy on the team should give him absolute support and obedience.  A team should also have a manager whose duties are to arrange games with other teams of the same class, to arrange for the transportation of players and, in fact, to attend to all the business duties of games that come outside of actual playing.  Usually a boy is chosen for manager who is not a ball player himself, but who has shown an interest in the team.  The captain should be a boy who first of all knows the game and who has the respect and cooperation of the other players.  The position that he may play on the team is not so important, but usually it is better to have some one from the in-field as captain, as he will be in a better position to keep close watch on the progress of the game and to give directions to the other players.

In case of a disputed point it is better to allow your captain to make a protest if such is necessary.  Observance of this rule will prevent much of the rowdyism that has characterized the game of baseball.  No boy should ever attempt to win games by unfair tactics.  The day of tripping, spiking, and holding is gone.  If you are not able by your playing to hold up your end on a ball team you had better give up the game and devote your attention to something that you can do without being guilty of rowdyism.

Strict rules of training are not as necessary for baseball players as for some other branches of sport, because the game is not so strenuous nor does it involve such sustained physical exertion, but any boy will make a better ball player as well as a better man if he observes the rules of training, such as early hours for retiring, simple food, and regular systematic exercise.

The battery of a team is an exception to the rule regarding strict training.  Both the pitcher and catcher should be in the best physical condition.  A pitcher who stands up for nine innings is obliged to do a tremendous amount of work and if he becomes tired or stiff toward the end of the game he will probably be at the mercy of the opposing batsmen.

Usually the pitcher of a team is a boy who is physically strong and who can stand hard work.  The other positions, however, are usually assigned because of the build of the individual player.  The pitcher, however, may be tall or short, fat or thin, so long as he can pitch.

The pitcher is the most important member of a ball team.  Most of the work falls to him, and a good pitcher, even with a comparatively weak team behind him, can sometimes win games where a good team with a weak pitcher would lose.  A good pitcher must first of all have a cool head and keep his nerve even under the most trying circumstances.  He must also have good control of the ball and be able to pitch it where he wants it to go.  After that he must have a knowledge of curves and know how by causing