New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-08-07
SPORTS OF THE FIELD.

Athletic Base.B Ball Club of Philadelphia" They
met in friendly combat other companies OF
Young gentlemen around Ncw-York, and after
defeating them went home. Perhaps the quiet
ness of this provincial invasion and defeat, or
the more attractive hanging OF woman IN
Washington, prevented US from feeling as
badly over the event as might have been ex-
pected. Certainly the "Athetic" gentlemen
did not receive the credit they deserved; for
since their departure our young men are rush.
ing out to the fields and playing baseball. 10
have attracted our boys and young men from
taverns and billiard saloons and counting
rooms, from Broadway and Wall'st., to the
lawns beyond the river, is great achievement
Perhaps it is a mania, and will soon pass away,
very much as tho chess mania introduced by
Mr.. Morphy, or the billiard mania of NJ. Ber'
ger. Still We like the manias that set our
young people wild after fresh air and romping'
The visit of the eleven brawny gentlemen from
England some years ago, who came to show Us
what science there was in cricket, did good;
but cricket does not seem TO natonallze. We
have several clubs; but they are mostly patron
lied by English citizens. Our American game
seems to be baseball. We had an illustration
Of its popularity over the river on Thursday.
when twenty thousand men and women assem-.
bled in the heat OF midsummer.s day to wit
ness the contest between the champion At
lantic and the Mutual, the two best clubs,
we believe, in America. Gentlemen who
claim TO be familiar with the mysteries OF those
games, give cricket much prominence over
baseball, like those adopts who regard chess as
fashionable and checkers as vulgar. Chess is
the more fascinating, but al tho same time
moro tedious and time.exhausting. Beyond the
mental exhilaration Of the moment, chess is no
better than an hour or two spent over books or
ledgers. The clerk who goes from his desk to
the chess-club and spends the evening over q
table, moving small pieces of wood or ivory,
may have great deal enjoymentJ but he will
probably return TO his desk next morning stupid
and dull. The prominence Of baseball over
cricket lies in its simplicity, just as the SKIP
pingrope and the hoop hold their own against
the pleasant game Of croquet. Where a'gane
has intricacies and laws, and is 80 much pro.
gressive that TO one class Of men it will DO a
science as absolute as engineering or nayiga.
ton, while to another class it will be mystery,
it can never become popular. We are too busy
in America to make chess or cricket a profess
sion, .and therefore 80 many give their leisure
evening hours to checkers and their play hours
during the day to baseball.
With all its simplicity, however, base ball
has many elements Of science and skill. In
latter years, its friends have organized and sys.
tcmatized it, and written its laws, and formed
local and national associations. Much OF the
credit belonging 10 this work Of Matchmaking
base ball should be given to Col. Thomas Fitz-
gerald, journalist and leading politician Of
Philadelphia. Our readers will be more likely
to remember Col. Fitzgerald for his great tour
through Northern and Western Pennsylvania,
when he did so much toward holding
that State true to Lincoln and johnson. lie
is the President of the Athletic, and by his
energy and enthusiasm has made the game
national. Base ball comes home to the Amer.
can, as its characteristics are eminently Ameri.
can. The main requisites are strength and
precision in batting" activity in " fielding"
quickness and energy in throwing and
catching In cricket, the requisites are skill
and swiftness in "bowling," and watchful-
ness in "batting." A good game of base
ball presents few "runs," while good game of
cricket has many. While cricket is full
of interest and has many points of admiration,
the professional ability Of few expert cricket.
ers is apt to centralize and narrow the interest
of the game. In baseball, no such danger ex-
lists. The difference between good player and
a bad one is not much moro than that between
q school girl expert with the skipping.rope and
the Miss who steps daintily over it for fear of
tripping. Any clerk may 60 into the field
with his ball and bat, and, ifhis muscles are
strong enough for him to run and jump, and his
fingers are supple enough to keep the ball from
striking them, he may in little time become
player as good as the members Of our champion
Atlantic, or the Mutual and Athletic. The easy
method of learning baseball makes it popular,
and in results it is as good as cricket
We trust some Of our people will do for field
sports generally what Col. Fitzgerald has done
for baseball. That seems to be tho rage now
and it will probably run its time and be for.
gotten like lastSpring's bonnet, or the champion
of on old Derby race, Whether it is cricket or
base ball, boating or running, football or
&C ohinnu wh ntauar sort of amusement or sen.