Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1883-09-08
FEMALE BALL TOSsERS.
4 Large Audience at 4uickstep
ParM-lIOw the Girls Play.

An audience nun bering about fifteen
hundred assembled at Quickstep Park
yesterday afternoon TO witness the nov
el game of base ball between two female
clubs. The crowd consisted mainly OF
young men and boys, but quite a mum
ber of gray heads were observed in the
audience, while the ladies' stand con-
tanned about two hundred women, many
of whom carried infants in their arms.
The audience was, as a general thing,
quiet and only applauded when it was
really necessary. Those present at the
park started out early,and consequently
became impatient before the arrival of
the "giddy girls" About 800 a shout
was raised from the grand stand "here
they come" when every head that
could peer over the fence did so and lis
covered both mines in a hack. 1t was
but few minutes before they skipped
into the field amid the applause of the
spectators. The players were clad in
boomer costumes, the color of the
Blondes garments being trimmed with
blue, and those of the Brunetts with
red. They all wore novel little hats,
and came upon the field with as much
unconcern as professional ball toss
er and appeared perfectly at home in
their short skirts and bright stockings.
A rude shelter of canvass had been
erected on the field to shelter the play
ers from the sun. About 3 As o'clock
the game was called, with the Brunetts
at the bat and Chas. Watt as nm pire. The
bases on the diamond had been placed
about uttwo-thrls the regulation distance,
and the fielders did not 90 far outside
he lines, but formed circle around
the bases. The battingof the Brunei is
in the first inning was simply terrific,
and aided by numerous errors they
scored twelve runs. The Blonde pitcher
was inclined to take exceptions to the
decisions of the umpire, and OCCASION
ally warned him to be carefn! and say
been retired the Blondes came to the
bat, and the Brunetts showed t4eir
superiority over their opponents by re-
firing the side with only five runs.
The catcher of the Brunetts, as well
as the first basewOman, were considered
the best players. Thus the game was
played until the audience were tired,
when the game was called before the
end of the sixth inning. The most
amusing part Of the game was the efforts
of the fielders to stop bal and when a
hot liner was knocked out in the field,
no less than six girls would start for it,
and oftentimes scramble to recover the
ball. Miss Moore, catcher for the
Blondes, and termed by the small boys
as "jumbo," was loudly aprlauded
whenever she graspel the bat, for she
was heavy hitter, and when she ad-
vanced to the home plate the tieders al
once prepared for her. To give an ex-
tended account Of the game wonld be
almost impossible, but suffice it TO say |
that as a scientific game of ball it was
a failure, but as An exhibition it was a
success.
The opinion of large portion of the
when asked what they
thought Of girls playing ball, was to
the effect that there were better
things for girls to engage in than base
ball housekeeping for instance
though the scenes on the grounds yes
terday were immaculate as compared
to those daily witnessed on the beach
at any of the ocean summer resorts AS
far as the costumes are concerned those
worn by the female base ballists are
psecisely the same as those used for
gymnastic purposes in young ladies
semenaries. The game yesterday re-
suited in favor Of the Blondes, on even
innings, which was the first game won
by them since the formation of the club.
The score by innings was:
Blondes 5 10 13 6 1-35
Bruuetts u 7 0 7 5-3l