The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-04-04
PuNCH ON BASE BALI4
An English Criticism Upon Americas Ma.
tiOnnl Game,

An English Criticism Upon Americas Ma
tionAl Game,
london Punch,
Wonder how"All America and "Chi
Cago" like playing their great nationa
game in a fog on a mud swamp, VIVA
a lot Of leit.handers! Fine-built fellows
though, and natty dress. Look at tina
brosd.shouldered chap in spotless-
Bang! BY Jove, what u downerl Hell
not spotless now, either; plastered witt
Surry slime from neck to ankle, Doesn't
seem to half like it. What are they VI
to? Look to me like a lot OF tipsy fellows
In y fog, Somebody sprawling every
half minute, Find it difficult to follow
the game, and as to the sCoring-well, dc
they score at all? Br.r.r! IT is cold! All
out2 Why, | hardly knew they were In,
Score? Nothing? And after all thai
scampering and stumblingI Rum game
this!
Ali that's q good spank! First fail
hit I've seen. But what askyer! Caught
Why, OF course; dropped into fields
hands as easily as an egg into q cut,
What are they doing now2 All there's
q swipe! Run, sir, run! Why, he
never stirs? Foul hit? Obi hang II
ALL What with misses, and fouls, and
skyers, and stumbles, and other mys'
terious movements | can't understand,
they don't seem to score ut all. II may
be all very scientific, but we ''don't seem
to get any forader." Yes, they do catch
well, certainly, and throw straight, only
nothing seems TO come Of 1t.
Pitcher throws as II he were pelting
frogs in a Falstatf, q iencer, and a
Thames diver. Game resembles a glori-
Aed-and more dangerous FOUNDERS,
only nobody has made u 'rounder" yet,
as far US / can see. Gr.r.r! it's cold, yes,
and "slew," distinctly slow! Without
the prolonged charm OF cricket, or the
swift, short excitement OF football, but
with all the tedium OF the ono and all
the matchmaking Of the other.
What, all overP Why, they've done
nothing yet. Oh! interval Of ten min
utes, ehF To take breath, and talk TO
the Prince, l suppose. Hope II. X. II.
enjoys 1t inside the pavilion. l don't
outside.
Out again. Well, let's hope they'll
make it q little more lively this time.
Don't look us spiCk and span as they did
at first. Too much Oval mud about
them. Why are they always tumbling
over those India rubber hot water Cush'
ions-(oh, bases they are?)-and dirty.
ing themselves so dreadfully? Part oil
the game? Humphl Probable, but
hardly explanatory. Ho0rayl First
genuine cheer Of the afternoon. Good
hit, that; what, ut cricket, we should
call u "swipe TO the boundary" for
how many, four or ak is it? Eh! What
Game altogether only five to two? Oh,
dash II all That's too draggy. Worse
than SCotton at the wiCkets.
Humph! Slow again. And, by Joye,
half the spectators have "mizzie1" like
the rain. Think / shall do likewise, for
Pm cold as ice, can see anything but
muddle and mist, and don't feel to care
much for seeing anything more. Eli
Games atan endP Vel, well-and who's
won? Don't know? Neither DO I-nor
care. Smart fellows, quick US cats, and
straight as catapults. Should think
they,d make splendid Fields" rafting
throws in" and superb "catches"-at
cricket. But their skill all seems chuck
I'd away at this game. "More scientific
than Cricket?" Boshl Likely TO be
popular in this country?" Walker
Fancy a grown-up rounder, with few
hits and scarcely any score, superceding
willow and stumpsl Don't understand
the game? Well, no, 1dare say not, and
up 10 now, somehow, l don't seem to
want to,