Mark, tremendous pick-up with
National Base Ball Game. That's the only set of player-figures from that game that we've ever seen.
For the record,
National is not the predecessor of the 1906
Mather's Parlor Base Ball Game
(see post 11 here:
http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=121873 )
-- it's a somewhat simplified, later (1908) version of it, although it's a bit mystifying how Arvine Thomas was able to get a patent granted two years later for something nearly identical to Joseph Mather's invention.
Anyway, as far as we can tell,
National operates similarly to
Mather's -- the shallow "dish" in each outfield section usually slows the entry into the "out" hole for any ball hit into play, during which time the batter-runner or existing baserunner(s) can be advanced around the bases. When the ball is finally retrieved by the fielding team, it's placed at whatever base would prevent further baserunner advance.
We see you've made some beauty acquisitions of games lately -- please feel welcome to show 'em off and discuss 'em or ask questions at our Baseball Games forum!