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Refer to File No. CV19/ P10-1 Serial: 1353 U. S. S. HANCOCK c/o Fleet Post Office San Francisco, California 10/lwl From: The Commanding Officer To  : Commander Air Force, Pacific Fleet   Subject: Soft Ball layout for Aircraft Carriers.   Enclosures: (A) Diagram of layout. (B) Special Ground Rules. (C) Photographs of Layout.       1.      Enclosures (A) and (C) are diagrams and photographs of the soft ball diamond on this vessel. Enclosure (B) is a list of special ground rules used for playing soft ball aboard this vessel.       2.      A net backstop is rigged on the outboard and after edge of the deck edge elevator in order that the first base line would run almost athwartship. The backstop is kept within about three (3) foot of the third base line and comes well forward in order to prevent foul balls from going off the deck. The pitcher's box is regulation, forty three (43) feet from home plate, but the bases are five (5) feet shorter than the regulation sixty (60) feet. A net is also stretched from the port barrel of 5" Mount #1 aft to the island structure and about four (4) feet above the top of the mount. This saves many balls. New balls are softened with the press in the Torpedo Work Shop, thereby cutting down the loss of balls. A regulation game can be played with the loss of only five (5) or six (6) balls. When underway, the wind is nearly always from ahead, which keeps many fly balls from going overboard.       3.      The diamond was first laid out in early September. Since that tims the game has proved to be extremely popular with tha officers and men, both ship's company and passengers.   D. V. Gallery   CC:  BuAer News      All CV9's      All Hands Magazine

SPECIAL GROUND RULES 1.   A fly ball striking the island and rebounding into the field is good for as many bases as the batter can make. 2. A ball staying up in the island structure: two bases. 3. A fair ball into the water is a hoae run. 4. A foul ball into the water puts the batter out. 5. A wild pitch over the backstop gives the batter a home run, and the pitcher is out of the game. 6. One base on overthrow at first or third.

SOURCE:
National Archives & Records Administration, College Park
Record Group 72, Bureau of Aeronautics General Correspondence 1943-45

Transcribed by RESEARCHER @ LARGE. Formatting & Comments Copyright R@L.

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