Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-18
OLD TIME BASEBALL.
Charles s. Clampitt Gives
Some History About
THE GAME 60 YEARS AGO.
Efforts to Organize a Real Amateur
Boat Club.
PITTSBURG SPORTS DISAPPOINTED.
The Dog Fight at Wheeling Does Not
Take Place.
THE GAME 60 YEARS AGO.
ITTSBURG SPORTS DISAPPOINTED.
GENERAL SPORTING NEwSO OF THE DAY

To those people interested in the national
game there is always something exceeding
ly interesting in conversation with one of
the baseball pioneers. ''Old timers" inva-
riablv have lots of entertaining recollec-
tionsto talk about, and they usually take
great delight in telling of the good old
times" This certainly is the case with Mr..
Charles S. Clampitt of this city. He is
now 81 wears old, and was playing baseball
nearly 40 years ago. He was a member of
the historic Olympic Bali Club of Philadel-
phia, and has in his possession little book
containing list of members of that club
and brief sketch of its early history. 1t was
organized in 1898 to play townball, from which
Mr. Clampitt states baseball developed.
The little history of the club goes on to say:
'sThe OLYMPIC Ball Club was established by the
union of two associations of townban players
in the year 1883. One of these associations be-
gan playing at Camden, N. J., on Market
street. near or upon the ground where the
Episcopal church stands, in the spring of 1881.
On the first day there were but four of US and
the game was called 'catball,' or what is
called in some parts of New England, two
old cat
THE OLD-TIME TEAM.
old, told some of their younger friends of the
pleasure and advantage they found in re-
suming their boyish sport, and invitdd them to
join and make up a number large enough for
game of townball This was soon done and a
party of from is to 20 regularly went over to
Camden on Saturday afternoons in a horse
ferry boat and played the game of townball."
Public opinion was strong against such
childish amusement" and this feeling retard-
ed the development of the game considerably.
During conversation last evening Mr.. Clam
pitt said that this public sentiment against the
game continued for a long time He contin-
ued: There were many prominent business
men in the club, however, and they stuck to-
gether until the public feeling underwent a
change. Games were played on Wednesdays
and Saturdays, and began to attract considera-
BILE attention. New York people began to no.
tice them, and, as a result, the New Workers
improved on our game, organized the Knicker-
booker club and played baseball. This was,
think in lS46 and two or three years later we
followed the example of the New York people.
Townban was in many respects similar to base
ball; but in the former game if pitcher hit
the runner with the ball between the bases the
runner was out. However, the Olympic, l
think, was the first organized club, and doubt
less its existence prompted the formation of
the first baseball club.
THE GAME BECAME POPULAR.
There were soon many clubs formed and we
all played baseball, and the game became more
popular than the old game. We played for
honor, the only trophy being ball. In our
club we made our own balls. Every six months
8 committee was appointed for this purpose,
and the balls were made Of a piece of India
rubber covered with twine, worsted and calf
skin. The contests became exciting because,
of the intense rivalry there existed between
Philadelphia and New York The Athletics
s-als ~, hat form aT7df fhp r
lsntics in New York, and they had lively times.
Al Reach, Sisler and Mcbride were in the Ath-
letic team, and I remember vividly game be-
tween the two clubs when the fences were all
broken down. The Athletics won, and it was,
indeed, great time.
"In the early history of these clubs nobody
was paid for his services, but the clubs gradu.
ally drifted into professionalism, and I'll tell
you how that took place, 1t was soon dis
covered that the greatstreDgth of a team rested
in the pitcher and catcher There was such
sJroug desire to win on the part of each club
that it became the custom to pay for a good
battery. But this couldn't be continued with
out charging an admissian fee, which was done
eventually. Then clubs began to
PAY FOR GOOD MEN
in all positions from the money realized at the
gate From this the custom developed into
bona fde professionalism and has continued
ever since.
"Of course the rules of those early games
day. used to be strong enthusiast in the
olden time but really the game is so different
now in almost all respects that don't feel at
home when watching game nowadays. took
part in game last season and found that the
methods are entirely different. 1 was a left
fielder in my day, and at that time fielders had
plenty of work, assure you. Then the pitcher
tried to put the ball where the batter could hit
it, but now the extreme opposite is the case
Certainly in my young baseball days nobody
ever thought that the game would ever develop
TO such extraordinary dimensions as it has
done. Its advancement, in the eyes of those
of us who helped to inaugurate it. has
really been wonderful, and goodness knows
where 1t will stop. One thing connected with
modern baseball note with pride and that is
its honesty. / can remember when players
would accept bribes and lose e game with COM
parative impunity. Now a player cannot do:so
without running his professional prospects for
ever. However l still admire the good old
methods which enabled us to make 20 or 30
runs That kept the crowds shouting and
everybody busy