The New York herald., 1867-03-31
THE NATIONAL GAME.
THE SEASON OF 1867 AND ITS PROSPECTS
The Popularity Of the Game in
the South.
-~-~~~>>~--~~~
The Champion Clubs Of the
Several States.
~~->~~~~~-S-~~o~~>~-~~~>
Our Metropolitan Clubs and Their
Play Grounds.
THE NEW RULES OF THE GAME.
&c. &c. DC.
THE NEW RULES OF THE GAME

Of attack in the American character for the shafts Of
cAsm aimed at us by foreigners was our constant
sacrifice At the shrine Of the almighty dollar q the
ysnse Of health and morals and total disregard Of
the benefits Of physical education and the advantages Of
thos outdoor sports and recreaons which have done
much 70 build up English constitutions and 70 promote
the general health and happiness Of the English people
o. Ass years. however, IN Improvement has been mani
Tested in this respect, In this country, and>a much
needed reformation has been introduced which bids fair
70 this Of complaint TO bring once
again up the physical standard Of our forefathers
whose well exercised muscles enabled them lay low
the forests Of the Western wilderness and whose powers
Of endurance led them TO Withstand manfuly the
tgues and trials Of the great struggle for independ
snce Among the most influential causes Of this de-
srable reformation has been the establishment OF Ma
uonal Out Door spor-somshng We were not possessed
o oven 80 late ton ysaH ago. OF all field sports ball
playing takes the lead with al the aborgines Of the
Nofth american continent-witnesd tpe Indian passion
for the game Of Ia crosse-and their Anglo Saxon
oonqueroEs to have inherited the native love OF the
sport For centuries bah playing, too, has been
the national pastins Of the British, from the golf
games Of Scotland and the rackets Of the English
courts Of the days Of Queen Anne, down to the now
NnIveysA english game Of cricket We, Americans.
Therefore douby inherit love for ball play; but
Yankee like not content with what suited fore
fathers across the water the original Inhabitants Of
the land must 90 to work and get up game Of our
swn combining all the activity vgor and excitement
Incident 70 IA erose, and the scientific ntrcacies Of
cricks thereby creating game peculiarly adapted 70
tAs eoaheadiuveness OF the Yankee race.
Dass bali. as played in our school days. was pretty
lively game but no be compared to the game
now played under the rules Of the National Association
than the game Of fox and geese Is 70 chess In fact
what cricket 10 10 Englishmau 80 has base ball be-
come 70 American and each look upon their national
nms q the very perfection Of sport; and nothing
could b. better adapted the peculiar Of
norsovsr. nlls up . gap in this country which has
aways besn eye 10 gallant Americans and that
the of national pastime which could be patron
lssd ~ the fair sex and sced By ther presence and
0Os % eame " which men sassy take part, now IN
vogua whach Offers many asEaesions 10 fair spectatos
and which, q the time, presents none OF those
sAecouable fsatures-peculiar 70 nearly every other
xasoains rscrsaron-than does base ball But sufnce
y y ~ that 10 now the established pastime Of the
saca; and whether the bass ball b regarded - do
sabas d physical exercise exciting sport for
The masea outdoor ecsatioa for the refined classes
q ths comnunisy or amussnsnt devoid Of every OBJ
1oaabs attribute any fsstdous moralist could charge
With posssssing, is equally TO be commended the
paGsouags q Americans-Norsh, East, South or West
mn POPULARITY or BASE BALL IN NM soufH
remarkable in it, rapid growth for It y only since the
ososs Of the war that Il has been adopted Southern
recreation TO any extent Beng game requiring
courage nerve endurance pluck and activity, II affords
ne sld for peaceful exercise Of those very qua
osons OF Southern youths which marked their action
soldiers in the Of the rebellion As an attractive
display Of these manly characteristics which the fair
danss Of the South look did the 'adyes fare"
tAess sports Of the Tournament Of oden time, base
bail presents additional recommendation to favor at the
before the palm Of superiority in playing
cubs aud held up with exultaton by the more skful
experts Of the sunny South OF course this cannot occur
for year: but me Ms w - not M on nc 1s
the CarolInas than Il 10 now In the Southern States
bsss ball be played earlier and later in the than
provemsnt besides which the youth Of the South have
more leisure for the sport than the husresslov
taken strong root the nrst club emanang from M old
Unvesity. the youth Of Richmond following suit in
.pa % p. Wns nn, Wn es s 0f sns,
Riohmond and Old Dominion clubs Of Richmond; the
Pioneer Of Alexandria; Excelnors Of 6taunton, and
lozn other clubs located In other towns Of the state
Virginia will have . sufficient number Of regular
equalization 70 charter State Base Ball Association,
Sosss Carolina, Il vss but The other dsy-nsrch =
thas grad match vas played for the State champion.
:s s :. E:sss Club q "a: sS ss ..s =:
xsisns. and c.i. osy club: q .hss place, and grand
iss o.. sss s, q =: o'0 'n' n'
In Noble, savannah, New Orleans. and even In Gal
sousS1ess bass BAH matches have Been the feature Of
ne seasons sport 10 g Louis Indianapolis louisville,
q iD fact sSss .1ISs IU, me .s sams ne nss -.
&c this game becoming 20 popular II the fraternity
vi only insroduos the custom Of visits among the clubs
iHss yscs In making base BAH turf Of Virginia,
rood w b dons 10 tho way Of social rsconsruciion
few SEASONS than the politicians could achieve In bali
m mAn1os CLUES o. rn mvxHAL STATES
are nse - = numerous e the States nsmsslvea me
Brooklyn the unconquersd champions Of the United
6asss that s 90 the extent of not being defeated in
sssss tSey had 70 succumb 70 clubs of Phadepha and
Newark OF PennGylvana the Athletics Of Philadelphia
src the chsmpiona OF Connecticut the Charter Oaks OF
hartford Of Massachusetts,, and In fact, Of New Eng
land. he Lowsls Of Boston hold the championship
Of Baltimore closed the Of 1899 BY defeating the
Iassirss thereby g Snn,ng tho championship; ship
the list In nlircis the Excesors Of Chicago
hold the whip. In virgins, the honticelos ,l,.
the Nationals and ihereSy take the lead In North Caro-
lima tho Nationals OF Raleigh are at present the cham
pions In California the Eagle Club Of san Francisco
have for three years past waved the champion strcamcr,
and going 70 the other Of the country, lind
the Eons OF Portland the champions OF Maine The
time has gone by for any one club TO egtmately as
title OF championship Of the United states, for
the game has spread rapidly that Il would take
years travel almost 70 properly settle the question The
e however, goes by tacit consent 70 the club taking
the lead Of the principal clubs OF the Atlantic ces
What club will ''hy the whip at the close Of 1867 no
yet tell but the Atiantics Athletics Nationals
Unions aud Mutuals are among the prominent candi-
dates An effort Ia being made 10 ignore these cham.
pionshp games the National Association not recogniz.
Ing the te and there s doubt that the interests OF
the game would be promoted by the abolition oi tne
titles but the championship will nevertheless be striven
for by the rival contestants above named The noted
Excelsior Ciubthe wcalthiest and most influential club
in the oountry-howevsr will have nothing to 90 with
championship gamcs
TuK BASE RxII c1Urs or NEW FORK AND BROOKLYN,
though now comparatively few In numbers those OF
nevertheless take the lead OF all the other
organxatons though must be confessed that the Ath
leiics OF Philadelphia, bore OF the palm last tudg
ing from the average play Of the several association clubs
during 1885, given below. But they did not WIN the
championship the odd trick and the honors stu remain