feet mond, in front of the lionie-platc and 60 from it, is the pitcher's position or "box.'
The home team has the choice of innings — which team shall take the position 'in the field' or 'take the bat.' The fielders are divided into the buttery (pitcher and catclier), the infield (the three basemen and short-stop), and the outfield (left, centre, and right fielders). 'I'hc fielding side having taken position, the pitcher delivers the ball to the batsman standing at the home-plate, who endeavors to hit it out of the reach of the fielders, and thereby succeed in reaching first base before the opposing side can field the ball to the baseman standing there. If the liatsman fails to reach the base he is called •out.' If he sliovild reach the first base before the bull, and think it safe to do so, he next tries to reach the second base, and the third, or even the home-plate. When he has sto])ped at any base, another batsman is put in of his side, and he in turn attempts to hit the ball so as to allow the first batsman to advance around the bases, while he, in his turn, attempts to reach the first or any succeeding base. Then a third batsman of the same side comes in, and so on, until thi'ee men are put out in any way, when the other side takes its turn at the hat. A circuit of the bases is called a 'run,' and if any player makes it on a single hit it is called a 'home run.' A 'strike' is called ( 1 ) when the batsman fails to strike at a fair ball, i.e. one that passes over the home- plate between his knee and shoulder; (2) if he strikes at any ball, fair or otherwise, and fails to hit it: a foul hit, i.e. one that falls outside the lines from the home-plate to first and third bases extended, is called a strike, but the third strike is not called on a foul. The batsman becomes a base-runner (1) after thi'ee strikes are called; (2) when he makes a fair hit, the ball traveling between the above-mentioned lines until after it passes first or third base; (3) after four balls have been called by the umpire, a 'ball' being a pitched ball which 'is not touched by the bat and which passes outside the limits required for a strike; (4) if he is hit by the ball, unless he has made no effort to avoid it; (5) after the umpire calls a 'balk'; and ( ) if prevented from striking by the interference of the catcher. In tne last four cases, he cannot be put out before reaching first base. He is put out (1) when his third strike is held by the catcher; (2) when a ball hit by him is caught by a fielder before it touches the ground; (3) when touched with the ball in the hands of a fielder while between bases; (4) when, if forced to run to any base, the hall is held by a fielder on that base before the nmuer reaches it; and (5) when hit by a. batted ball. Nine innings for each side consti- tute a game, and the team scoring the greater number of runs wins. In case of a tie at the end of the ninth inning, the play is continued until one side scores more than the other in the same number of innings.
For comidete rules, consult Chadwick, Official Baseball Cuidc, in the Spalding Athletic Library (New York, annually). For practical instruc- tion: Chadwick, Art of Pitching. Fielding, and Buxe-runnimi (New York. 188G): and J. M. Ward. Ihiwhall I Philadelphia, 1888).
BASE-COURT, bas'kort (Fr. hnsse-cour, low
court). The lower or outer court of a mansion,
corresponding to the outer bailey of a castle. It
contained the stable-yard and accommodation for
servants, such as oflices, kitchen, stable, car-
riage-house, poultry-yard. It was distinct from
the main quadrangle, and was sometimes built of
timber. In famihouses it is the part containing
the outbuildings. The term was sometimes used
for an inferior court of justice.
BASEDO'W, bii'ze-do, or BASSEDAU, Johann Bernard, often called Bernard von
Nordalbingen (1723-90). A German educational reformer of the Eighteenth Century. He was born at Hamburg, and studied philosophy and theology' at the University of Leipzig. He became professor of moral philosophy in the
Academy of Soro in Denmark, in 1753; was trans-
ferred to the gymnasium at Altona in 1701, but
was soon again compelled to give up teaching,
though he retained his salary. At both Soriiand
Altona, Basedow had fallen into difficulties on ac-
count of his extremely unortlnidox religious views,
expressed in both his teaching and his writings.
While at Altona he came under the influence of
Rousseau's Emile, and in 1767 definitely aban-
doned theology for education.al affairs. His im-
portant position in education was due to his at-
tempt to interpret and put into practical appli-
cation the revolutionary ideas of Rousseau, by
proposing a general reform in education in Ger-
many in respect to organization, methods of in-
struction, and training of teachers. In 17()8 he
issued An Address to the Friends of Humanity,
and to Persons in Power, on Schools, on Educa-
tion, and Its Influence on Public Happiness,
which included the plan for his Elementarwerk,
a complete system of primary education. This
was received with favor, and his appeal for funds
with which to publish the proposed treatise met
with generous response. The Elementurn-erk was
issued in 1774, and exerted a wide inducnce.
The ideas underlying the work were a com-
bmation of the methods of the Orbis Pictus
of Comenius (q.v.) and the general principles
advanced by Rousseau. It contained a vast
amount of general information, accompanied by
numerous illustrations, arranged in dialogue
form, and designed to direct and train, but never
suppress, the natural desires of children. Public
ajijiroval of the ideas advanced was generous,
and Basedow immediately outlined a plan for the
training of teachers for the new education.
The resulting institution was the celebrated
Philanthropinum, founded at Dessau, and imi-
tated in various parts of Germany. Basedow
was unfit for the management of such an insti-
tution, and failed in carrying out his own ideas.
The control of the PhiJanthrnpinuni, under more
competent hands, continued to exist until 1793,
and exerted a wide influence. Basedow passed
the last year of his life in private tutoring, and
died in 1790. The fundamental idea of the re-
form was 'education according to nature,' which
was interpreted to mean that children should be
treated as children, not as adults; that lan-
guage should be taught by conversational
methods, not through grammatical studies; that
phvsieal exercise and games should find a place
in the child's education: that early training
should be connected with "motion and noise,"'
since the child naturally loves these; that each
child should he taught a handicraft, for rea-
sons (lartly educational, partly social; that the
vernacular rather than the classical languages
should constitute the chief subject-matter of
education; that instruction should be connected
