The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-09-20
Baseball ~ 1t Was and Is.

What q glorious thing game of base
ball was when the amateurs fOurished,
some sixteen years ago! What enthusiasm
prevailed when two different clubs, repre-
senting different localities of the same
city, met; what desperate anxiety when
the champion organizations of rival cities
encountered! The players were delicate
handed gentlemen, tinged q rich brown
by exposure to the sun, and clad in fancy
uniforms, each one wearing wonderful
ly-fashi0ned pair of running shoes, man.
ufactured by . shoemaker after the own.
er's designs. The spectators were num-
bered by thousands, and the gayly- colored
dresses lent variety to the appearance of
the crowd. The affair made sort of hOl.
iday. The characteristics of every one in
q ball.club, Is man, we're known, as
well as his points as player, and his
friends looked at his performance with a
sOlicitude for his success that was almost
painful. The players took the field with
light, airy, graceful movement. They
had deep interest in the game, and were
generally nervous about the result of it;
hey liked the fun and had expectations of
winning honor. The pitcher put on plenty
Of speed, but knew nothing Of twist, and
there was q beautiful uncertainty about
his delivery. The catcher was very shy
about coming up close to the striker, and
when he did take such position the
pitcher merely tossed the ball in softly
and the batsman waited for an accident to
give the man running . Chance to make .
base. An 0verpitch soon settled the mat
ter, and the crowd hOwled its pleasure or
disgust. So great check was the pres
ence OF . man on one Of the bases that
nlspfSa vursf1S pns>SA
willing to let striker who made the first
balls might be sent in Ct full speed. In
those days it was esteemed : great
feat for the catcher to throw bali to the
second base and cut off man running
from the first. The catching of fly ball
was considered Z matter altogether In the
hands Of Providence, and when . sky
scraper was driven upward the spectators
looked at its flight In altcrnati0ns of hope
and fear, never certain of its fate. In
deed, In very primitive times the bold
feeders were accustomed 10 back away
from the fly ball and take IL on the first
bound. Then it seemed impossible for
the players to cover the space between the
foul flags and : ground ball was held to
be perfectly safe. The favOrite method
Of Stopping grounder was to shin it and
then run and pick It up; fur the idea of
STOPPING to take . ball that was skimming
through the daisies ct lightning speed re.
suited from slow process Of evolution.
The possibility OF catching q hall on the
short bound and the advisabflity Of MAX
ing scoop Of the hands instead of cross
ing them were demonstrated by the first
cricketers that came over from England.
The old ExcelsfOrS taught Halloween
how to keep down scores by holding their
10 the bases. TIE old Atiantlcs
led the way In showing how. to win .
enme with the bat, and brought into vogue
3 reckless msthod u passing about me
hall like cannon Shot. The Cincinnati
Roa 0tockinp demopstrated the value Of
perlbct ueeanixaeiou. ard nelamorphssed
tnll-paving ftom sport Into : hlsipess.