The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-05-10
OUR BASB.BATI LITERATURE.
Bill Nye Grapples with the New style Q
Reporting Games.

| Uuh DAD6-DAlnI IlluhAlUhus
Bill Nyo GrappIes with the New style OF
Reporting Games.
am extremely sorry that Matthew
Arnold did not live to read more OF our
American baseball literature. l think
he would have liked US better II he had
done so. In saying that We were vul-
gar people and that the American hui
morist was a National misfortune think
he criticised us hastily, for he WAS only
in this country little while and judged
our humor largely by the supply he read
while here, and which he brought with
him in his trunk, but if he could have
seen the baseball word-painting OF our
glorious country he would have loved
us.
II he could have read that Richardson
went out, Irwin to Farrar, that Foster
hit safely and stole second, that WEIGH
flied out to Wood, and all about Tier
mans scratch hit, and Ewing's failure to
sacrifice, and Wards miss OF grounder
that went through him, Mr.. Arnold
would have said that he had done us an
injustice.
We do not claim much for our long
line of ancestry, and those OF US who
came over in the Mayilower try to con-
ceal it as quietly as possible, but here in
this wild and savage land We are trying
to build up a classic style Of writing up
our National game that will make the
mother country tired.
admit that | cannot understand 1t at
all yet, but am striving to do so, and !
am willing to work hard.
sometimes wish that Lord Tennyson
could come here for ono summer and sit
with me on bleaching board, with his
numerous hair hanging over his topcoat,
while explained to him "that it looked
rather squally for the Giants, for in
stance, till Slattery jolted merry thunder
out ct the horsehide, tore the tar out Of
the willow, smashed the leather, and
then, while the Phillic fumblers were
pulling dandeloin greens beyond the
Harlem, the Metropolitan intielder lit
out like future punishment beating tam
bark, accumulated a one-bagger, two
Dagger, and three.bagger, strengthen
edhimself out like q lOng-waisted jack
rabbit across the plate and made his
red royal home run Just rs the New York
Central got in with the ball and the band
played Tommy Make Room for Your
Auntic.'"
think that Alfred would like that.
lime Lord likes vivid and searching
style he would find it here. am only
beginning to write in this way, and it is
new to me, but I think l can ultimately
give description OF ball game that
will appeal to every heart, When be-
gan would have said, for instance, that
O'Rouke swattCd at the ball and missed
it, till the pitcher hit 0'Rourke's person
with it and then he went to the first and
gradually got to third base, but now
would say that 0'Rourke, the Gothic cx-
tended catcher for the Giants, strove 10
belt the blooming ball windward, mauled
the atmosphere two times and Concussed
the life-preserver on the right leg OF UNI
pire Daniels, was presented with one
base rs mark OF esteem, and with a
blister as big rs q hornets nest where he
tried to bisect the orbit OF hot ball
with the bosom OF his knickerboCkers,
he bungled n second, and while Hall
man was muiEing the orb, catching in
visible crabs, tluking everything in sight
and corking himself generally, Q Rourke
lit out like q scarcd-to-death hobtail cor
net, fell forty feet horizontally, and with
his ear full Of hot ball, a blister across his
meridian, o fractured thigh, and his
mouth full Of sand, hoarsely calculated,
"Judgmentl"
There is description that appeals to
every heart. There is literary moss
agate that ought to tickle n man like
Tennyson, unless he has n prejudice
against American writers.
Ny ambition is some day to write the
lurid description OF base ball game
that will 80 snorting down the corridors
Of time, along with Balaklava, Marco
Bo2zaris, and the stubborn youth who
stood upon the burning deck. want
to write it so that il will be bright and
iaunty in style, and yet would like to
sock little sadness in il, description
that should be rich in coloring and yet
free from information, carefully and
professionally prepared gem OF literature
TINT YoUld contain about n column and
nothing else whatever.
The London Saturday RegielD says that
"what America wants is literature that
shall smack OF the soil" Here is the
opportunity. Let the umpire take down
the remarks OF Giant who has tried to
reach nine feet and catch hold Of the
third base with his front teeth, and then
demand judgment before splitting out the
north end OF the Polo ground.
BILL NIR.