New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-05-17
THE NATIONAL GAME.p

Winter IL over and gone, ana, under Dalmy
skies the clangor and confusion of baseball
matches are heard throughout the land. With
the robins and the violets come the pitchers,
tho feders, the bats, the balls. the short-stops,
and the fly-catches From now until the snow
flies we shall be wearied with the runs and
matches of innumerable clubs or mines, en-
dowed with high-sounding, fancy names, and
preaching with their paraphernalia gospel of
muscle Baseball is q good game and
manly; it trains eye and sinew, and develops
certain sort of hard vigor, which is an ex-
celent substitute for the fabbiness which
clothes the limbs of too many urban sports
men. 1t has tolerablc resemblance to the
cricket and tennis of our English ancestors;
and so, for lack of better, this has been
adopted as "the national game" Just as
though we ever had any game worth being
called national.
When the old-fashioned "round ball" of an
earlier generation had fruited into science
with technical jargon wholly unintellglble
to the lay apprehension, it became noble
sport worthy of the practice and prowess OF
the American young man Of the period, too
much addicted as he is, perhaps, TO sucking
yretched cigars and drinking fiery draughts
in hot billiard rooms or worse casinos. 1t
tempted young men and boys out OF doors,
put them on their mettle, and hardened their
growing limbs. The friendly matches which
grew out of local rivalries were fine incentives
to proficiency in the expert use Of the impe-
ments of the game. 1t was q great thing for
Northampton to vanquish Salisbury, and
when the Parnassian Nine beat the
10
enough to contain the enthusiasm
and the debate which thereupon arose. Per-
haps the world never will know the exact
merits of the "fouln which the Parnassians
claimed in the Arcadians' six hundred and
forty-second run. Those were golden days,
when gentlemen's sons, undergraduates, and
stalwart young clerks and students went forth
on short excursions with badges uniforms, and
(possibly) a brass band, conquering and to con-
quer. But the evil spirit of gambling soon crcpt
in and spoiled the sport. 1t was to be expected
that in q nation which bets on deaths chances,
the course of rain-drops on a window-pane,
or flies lighting on Jumps of sugar, there
would be found men enough to gamble on
base ball runs" and stake heavy sums on the
skill and luck of trained players. SO the clubs,
to keep up their reputation and preserve their
hard-wop trophies, hired the best professional
players to take the leading parts in their force.
But, from pitchers and catchers, the clubs
went on to hiring professional men for eth
whole nine; these, who are trained to the
came as elOg-danceTs and acrObats aIe found
and trained, represented the original club on
all fields Their travelling expenses and wages
were paid by their clubs, the members Of
which remained at home at ease, enjoying
their triumphs by proxy. Gradually, too
sprang up the habits and practices!of sporting
fields, and, in addition to wagers and profits
we began to hear Of "gatc-msney," "pools,'
aud the other accessories of the race-cOurse.
| So, for the most part, though friendly
matches between amateur clubs ara not yc
| quite unknown, the mines that arc postc'
through the country, with advancing Summer
are professional gentlemen wl.b earn Il fai
diving ut playing matches, juHt as other pro
] fessiOnal gentlemen earn theirs by runnn