Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-07-28
The National Games.


only BY Gentlemen Amateurs.
the National Games.
Tuesday, June 10, according to
chronicler In the New York World,
was the anniversary Of the flrst match
game Of base ball ever played, which
took place at Hoboken, N. j., on
June ~, ls49. There is lack of def.
Unite Information, but II may pretty
safely be stated that Captain Ansou
Was there aud playing. The game
Of base ball had originated nearly
nine months before It had grad.
ually grown out Of the old English
schoolboy game Of FOUNDERS Like
man, base ball IL this result Of evofu.
tion. Founders evoluted into "town.
ball" In the latter sport instead Of
bases there were corners" These
were unattended, and runners were
put out BY being hit with the ball
thrown directly at them by the field.
ers. The ball was much softe' than
the modern base ball. and was com.
posed wholly Of rubber. In the early
fortles q party Of New 70 kers as.
sembled every Wednesday and Satur.
day o. Q vacant lot, then O long way
out Of town, and now covered BY the
Madison Square Garden, to play
townbail. After u time some Of
them felt that the sport might be
greatly improved. 1t was finally do.
cided to substitute "bascs" for scor.
ners," to use ball with U hard rub.
Der center, wound with yarn and
covered with leather. to place men to
quad the bases, and to change the
name 'townball" to "base ball."
On September %, ls45. these gentle
men organized the first base ball
club and called II the kni kerbocker.
Thus our national game was born.
There were soon number Of base
ball clubs In and around New York.
and the drst match game was be.
tween the Knickerbocker aud New
Yorx clubs 1t comprised only four
inningA the rule then being that the
club hrst making twenty.one runs
In even innings was the winner.
GROWTH OF THE GAME.
Tho growth Of base ball In other
parts Of the country was ve-y slow.
TOwnball continued to be played,
and its votarles did not take to base
ball. Ease ball was not played In
Philadelphia-0nly ninety miles from
New York-until 1850. fifteen years
after its birth In this city. In that
year the Olympic Townoall Club, OF
that city, organi ed>in 1888, decided
to play base bali instead thereafter.
The first base bail match In Phila.
delphia took place June II, 1860. be.
tween the Equity and Winona clubs
San francisco's drst match took
place on February %, 1860. Base
ball was not played In the New Eng.
land States until five or six years
alter its birth, and then only 10
such Q modified form that IL wal
called 1.-THE New England game" 10
cont adistinctiou to 1.-The New York
game" The orivinstots Of our M.
tlonsl game were gentlemen who
played base ball merely for recrea.
ti0n, and wee anxious that II should
remain o gentlemen'a game. As
clubs multiplied throughout the
country IL became necessary to estsb.
lish some general organization, with
authority to control and regulate the
interests Of the sport ana its play
ing IuleA
Accordingly there was TO med the
National Association Of Base Ball
Players, in which any club was en-
titled TO mem bershiR with the prlvi
lege Of sending delegates to the an.
nual meeting. The playing rule.
adopted by this organization were
the standard ones for the game, and
were obserxed BY all clubs Almost
the nrst rule made by this National
Association positively debarred from
membership any club In which there
was man who played base ball FOL
hire or emolument Of any kind. Con
.seQuently base ball fiourished between
the years 1866 and 1871. o. never be
fore or since. There were hosts O
clubs and 10 every large city man!
matches were played daily, usually
upon some vacant lot, the attendance
frequently numbering from 10, 900 h
5000 people.
In the city Of Allegheny, Pa,
alone there we're i've different bssi
ball grounds within q stones throw
OF each other. and on almost ever,
day during the base ball season there
was match on each OF these gr0Andi
and the same 10 true Of other large
cities at that time.
The introduction OF professional
players was gradual. The rivalry DO
tween clubs became 90 great that II
order to strengthen itself and wit
victory over some rival each would
leave nothing undone to secure thu
best playera Thus inducement.
were held out to men who had
shown an unusual aptitude for th(
game to influence them to play only
with q particular club. A wealthy
gentleman, Tor instance, desiring x
see his club In the front rank would
offer some young man Of rare hal
playing ability q position In his bust
ness or counting house, with pri
vote understanding that his com
Mercial duties were merely nominal
while bis real ones were to play ball.
Thus there were numerous clubs In
the country which were virtual,
professional long before professional
playing was openly permitted, anG
xko -.