Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-06-11
BASEBALL IN CITY STREETS.
1t HISS Its Delights and Difficulties and
1t Produces Good Players


With the boys games am more at
home. Let US see whether you will not
learn from these boys some games to
take to yos1r friends out of town
First and foremost comes baseball If
any one.doubts the universal popularity
of this game, one afternoon upon the
street VIII convince him that the Ameri-
can BOYS love of baseball has become
hereditary. 1t seems almost as if these
BOYS no sooner left the cradle than base
ball found its way into their hands. They
commence to play as soon as they can
roll ball across the pavement From
a real game, with nine ''men" on side
and three bases, we shall see everything
in ball playing, down to the solitary
younsteT who rolls the ball up an avn
ing and catches it as it returns to him.
And these boys can play baseball too.
hesitate to admit it, for | was a country
boy; but I'll warrant you that from the
inhabitants of block can select nine
boys, none of whom shall be over ten
years of age, who can defeat the best
nine of thirteen-year-old fellows your
village can produce.
They play in the streets; they play on
the sidewalk; and they go at it with a
vimiand earnestness one grows enthusi-
astic in watching, They pitch "curves," I"
and why their catchers' intent and mask
less little faces are not more frequently
damaged by the bat they ''catch Off Of
no one can say. All this, remember, on
the cobblestones, with slippery car tracks
dividing the field" and wagons, drays
and cars constantly passing.
On any field quick and practiced eye
is required to measure the arc of ''fiy
hall, and to select the spot from which
it.may be captured; but when the ground
is a crowded street, and there is added
the more or less rapidly passing vehicle,
the chances are even that the fielder may
get under horses hoofs and the de-
scending ''fy" at the same time. Many
narrow escapes have | seen, but some
how the active little bodies always man.
age to be missed.
But the cars and wagons and pedes-
trians are as nothing; the players look
out for the former two, the last must
care for themselves if they wish to avoid
a batted ball or a runner making fran
tic dash for ''frst." What these bows
really mind, because it is an effectual
preventive of ball playing, is the blue
coated policeman, known by the boys as
"cop," an abbreviation of copper"
the origin of which name is uncertain.
Here is a game in active progress; there
is intense excitement; shouts of encour-
agement fill the air. Turn away your
head for an instant. Now look again.
Where are our players? Not one of them
to be seen; only few boys strolling along
the sidewalk; not bat nor ball in sight.
What does it all mean? Truly, you have
never seen so abrupt an ending to game
of ball. But look; coming up the street,
a block or more away, in all the statel-
ness of blue uniform and brass buttons,
idly twirling his club, comes the awe
inspiring copper.
For you must remember that it is
illegal to play baseball in the street, and
every player is liable to Imprisonment
How would you like to have one of your
games SO interrupted? Is the game ended?
By no means; wait moment, this is
only "time." Slowly the retreating blue
coat fades in the distance; then like
magic each player resumes his place, and
the game is resumed with all its former
ardor.-Frank NJ. Chapman in St. Mich
Olas