Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1894-08-02
ORIGIN OF BASE BALL.
FORTY.EtOHTY YEARS AGO THE
GAME WAS BORN.
The Initial Concert Was In Aoboken, n.
J.-It Was First Rounders. Then Town.
hail. Then Base Ball Played at Ftrss
Only BY Gentlensn Amateurs.

DIT was E1f1t ROunders, Then Town
hail. Thea Bass Ball-elayed at First
Oniy BY Gentlensn Amatsurs.
the NattOnai Games.
Tuesday, June 10, according to q
chronjcier In the New York World.
was the anniversary OF the 6rst match
game Of base ball ever played. which
took place at Hoboken, N. j.. on
June ~, IS49. There Is lack o. def
mite information, but It may pretty
safely be stated that Captain Anson
was there aud playing. The game
OF base ball had originated nearly
nine months before. IT had grad
uaily grown out Of the old English
schoolboy game OF FOUNDERS. Like
man, base ball Is tbs result Of evolu.
zion. Founders eyoluted into ''town.
ball." In the latter sport instead OF
bases there were corners" These
were unattended, and runners were
put out by being h,t with the ball
thrown directly at then by the field
e:s. The ball was much Softe than
the modern base ball. and was COM
posed wholly Of rubber. In the early
fortIes party OF New Yo kers as
selnbled every Wednesday and Satu :.
day on vacant lot, then a long way
out OF town, and now covered 10y the
Madison Square Garden. to play
townhall. After u time some of
them lelt that the sport might be
greatly improved. 1t was finally de.
cided to substitute bases" for 'cor.
ners," to use tall with hard rub.
ber center, wound with yarn and
covered with leather. to place men to
qua d the bases, aud to change the
name "townball" to "base ball"
On September 23, S45, these gentle
men organized the first base ball
club and called it the kni kerbocxer.
Thus our national game was born.
There were soon a number OF base
ball clubs in and around New York,
and the first match game was be-
tween the knickerEOcker and New
YORK clubs. 1t comprised only four
innings the rule then being that the
club first making twenty.one runs
in even innings was the winner.
GROWTH OF THE GAME.
The growth OF base ball in other
parts OF the country was very slow.
Townbal continued to be played,
and its votaries did not take to base
ball. Gase ball was not played in
PhiladeI phia only ninety miles from
New York-until 1860. fifteen years
after its b rth in this city In that
year the Olympic Townoall Club, of
that city. organi ed in 1888, decided
to play base ball instead thereafter.
The first base ball match in Phila
delphia took place June II, 1860. be-
tween the Equity and Winona clubs
San franciscos t1rSt match took
place on February %, 1860. Base
ball was not played in the New Eng
land States until five or six years
a ter its birth, and then only 10
such modified form that it was
called 1.-THE New England game" In
cent adistinction to 1.-The New York
game" The originators OF ou. ma
tional game were gentlemen who
played base ball merely for recrea-
tion, and we. e anxious that 1t should
remain gentlemen's game. AS
clubs multiplied throughout the
country it became necessary to estab.
lish some general organization, with
authority to control and regulate the
interests of the sport and its play
ing iules
Accordingly there was 10 med the
National Association OF Base Ball
Players, in which any club was en-
titled to mem bershin with the privi-
lege of sending delegates to the an-
nual meeting. The playing rules
adopted Ly this organization were
the standard ones for the game and
were obserxed BY all clubs Almost
the flrst rule made by this National
Association positively debarred from
membership any club In which there
was q man who played base ball for
hire or emolument of any kind. Con
sequently base ball flourished between
the years 1856 and 1871. as never be.
fore or since. There were hosts ol
clubs, and in every large city many
matches we're played daily, usually
upon solne vacant lot, the attendance
frequently numbering from 10, 900 to
25, 900 people.
In the city of Allegheny. Pa,
alone there were five different base
ball grounds within a stones throw
OF each other. and on almost every
day during the base ball season there
was a match ON each OF these grounds
and the same IS true OF other large
cities at that time.
The introduction OF professional
players was gradual The rivalry be
tween clubs became so great that in
order to strengthen itself and win
victory over some rival each would
leave nothing undone to secure the
best players Thus Inducements
we're held out to men who had
shown an unusual aptitude for the
game to influence them to play only
with a particular club. A wealthy
gentleman, for instance. desiring to
see his club in the frCnt rank would
offer some young man Of rare ball
playing ability a position In his bust
ness or counting house, with q pri.
vote understanding that his com
mereial duties we're merely nominal !,
while biz real ones were to play ball
Thus th9re were numerous clubs In
the country which were virtually
professional long before professional
playing was openly permitted, and
while the stringent Law against It
was still N force In the code OF the
American Association. This was no.
tably the case with those famous old
time opponents, the Atlantic Club. OF
New York. and the Athletics OF