The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-06-22
ICopyrisht.l

the first match game OF base Dali ever
played. The contest in question took
place at Hohoken, n. j., on June l9, lS46.
The game had originated nearly nine
months before. 1t had gradually grown
out of the old English school boy game of
FOUNDERS. Like man, according to the
Darwinian theory, base ball is the result
of evolution. Founders gradually "evo-
luted" into "town ball." In the latter
sport instead of bases there were "cor-
ners." These were unattended, and run
ners were put out by being hit with
the ball, which was thrown directly
at them by the fielders. The ball
used Was necessarily much softer and
smaller than the base ball of today. I'm
like the rubber. yarn and leather spheres
now in vogue it was composed wholly OF
rubber.
In the days of which 1 write a number
Of New York gentlemen were in the habit
Of assembling on a vacant lot. then long
way out of town and now covered by the
Madison square garden, every Wednesday
and Saturday afternoon to play town ball.
At length some of them began to think
that certain notifications would greatly
improve the sport. Numerous informal
discussions took place and it was finally
decided to adopt the changes proposed.
Among these were the substitution OF bases
Tor corners" the adoption of a hard
bali with rubber center wound with
yarn and covered with leather, the plac-
ing of men TO guard the bases and having
the ball thrown to them instead OF
directly at the base runner. 1t was also
decided TO change the name of the sport
from town ball to base bali, on account OF
the bases forming so important feature
OF it.
Birth of the Game.
On Sept. %, 1915, the gentlemen who
had decided upon these changes formed
themselves into an association TO which
they gave the name of the Knick-
erbocker base ball club, at the same time
adopting the changes above named in the
game of town bail, and voting that their
new game should thereafter be known by
the name of base ball. Thus our national
game WAS born, and on the 23d Of next
September it will be forty-seven wears of
age. 1t has undergone innumerable
changes and notifications during the long
period that has elapsed since it's birth, but
il is doubtful If it has thereby been made
any more enjoyable as q sport pure and
simple.
Like weddings, one base ball club brings
many, and soon there were a number OF
these associations In and around New
York. and the first match game above
mentioned as having taken place on June
10, 1916, was between the knickerbocker
and New York clubs. 1t consisted of only
four innings the rule then being that the
club first making twenty-one runs in even
| innings was the winner.
The gradual growth of base ball from
New York to other parts Of the country
was very slow. though TO their credit be it
said that one or two of the metropolitan
papers did all in their power to foster the
sport. This was notably the case with the
| New York Sunday Mercury, whose pro-
pristor, Mr.. William CAuldwell, did so
much in this direction that he may not
| innptly be styled the father of the game.
| Town ball continued to be played in other
parts of the country and its votaries
! seemed reluctant to substitute base ball
| for it. 1t is remarkable that base ball was
not introduced in Philadelphia. only
/ ninety miles from New York, until 1860,
| fifteen years after its birth. In that wear
| the Olympic club OF the Quaker city.
which had been organized in 1888 to play
! town ball and had done so ever since, de-
/ cided to thereafter play base ball instead.
] The first match game OF base ball in Phila-
| delpha did not take place till June II,
1860, and was between the Equity and
| WinonA clubs.
The Game In th. West.
A striking proof that westward the star
| of base ball, as we'll as that of EN- pire,
wend- its way is found in the fact that the
first match game of the national sport in
San Francisco took place on Feb. %. 1860,
three months prior to the first match in
| Philadelphia. Base ball was not played
] in the New England states until some five
or six years after its origin and then only
| in such modified form that it was known
as the New England game" to distin-
! guish it from the game played by the New
! York clubs. The originators of our ma
! tionsl game were gentlemen who played
base ball merely for recreation, and would
have held in very low esteem any man
| who had sought to transform it into
business or means OF gaining
livelihood. 1t was their intention
as well as that of other generations of en-
thusiastic ball PLAYERS who followed them
that base ball should be purely gentle
mans game. As clubs multiplied through
| out the country it became necessary to es-
tsblish some general organization. having
authority to control and regulate the in
| terests of the sport, to make such changes
in the playing rules as might from time to
| time become necessary, and in every posi-
bic way to protect and improve our ma
tional sport. To meet this necessity there
was formed the National association OF
base ball players, in which any club was
entitled to membership, with the privilege
OF sending delegates to the annual meet
| ing. The PLAYING rules adopted by this
organization were the standard ones fol
the game, and were respected and adopted
by all clubs whether members of the asso-
| citation or not. Almost the first rule
adopted by this national association was
one positively debarring from membershiI
and rendering liable to expulsion any
club in which there was man who
PLAYED base ball for hire or emolument o.
any kind, the object being to make and
keep the sport purely a gentleman
game.
Popularity OF Base Ball.
The result OF this was that base bal
flourished between the years 1866 anC