The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-01

him were uncohesive. scoot around the
! gauntlet OF the bases to the home. After
this brief period OF excitement the life
of "A player I'm FOUNDERS was one OF
gentleness and peace. He might toss
for "A while i'm the progressive promo
ton of the game and he might chase
through the field. starring daisies after
the rolling ball. The spectacular fly
catch was not known. because the fly
itself could not be flown: the home run
had not been heard OF. since there were
no fences that the melons they miscall-
ed balls could climb. Even the pleas
ure of breaking the windows Of "A mean
mans house and then scooting for safe
~ was denied the youth who played
FOUNDERS"
As the revolution wore on and the
whole vigor of the land was put into II
the games and sports of the green
slowly died away. and even in the fight
ing ranks none had time or thought for
much of play. So it was that when
the redcoats had left New York. much
cheered by the overjoyed populace as
they marched from their barracks on
william and Ann streets down Broad
way and across the bowling g~reen-the
resort of the first New Workers for their
great game of tenpins-the old game of
FOUNDERS" was revived in somewhat
new guise.
Town BALI they dubbed II then. and
for so or 80 years thereafter New York
was its center. Through the wars Of
~ and 40 and the panics OF Is ard '26
and the gold excitement of as New
York held fast and true TO town ball.
Its boys played the game on the mead
ows above town as they gradually slid
farther and farther north. from Hous-
ton street to Harlem, and through all
the periods when other sections of the
country let sport go the New York
youths retained their enthusiasm and
devotion to town ball" II is likely
that the new rules that came after the
! revolution and which gave the game a
new interest helped materially to keep
IL alive for us. A French schoolboys'
game called 'tcheque." which means
something like our out" had been in
troduced In New York by
refugees Of a century before. and IL had
an important effect in recasting the
rules of the game.
1t was now played with sides and a
heavy ball OF rubber took the place of
the yarn lump. A catcher was added TO
the team and the was evolved
as a base diagram. This brought too
the abandonment OF the old house cor
ners and trees as bases and the ex-
elusive use Of stones or boards. The
national game OF to-day was In It's
chrysalis form. Some years had passed
before these changes were fully ac-
cepted throughout the country. n by
that time interest in the game had visi-
bly, ~quickened. The retiring Of a side
by putting all of it's members out
brought the fell teams I'm to bat al
more or less regular intervals. and
~neighborhoods began to form teams 20
play sunday afternoons for the enjoy
ment Of their members and the honor
Of their districts. In New York Bowery
boys were accustomed at times 10 20 "a
the city limits at times to fight the
Maiden Lane boys. and after a time the
wards Of the cities a teams that ran
on year after year. Expert knowledge
grew and improvements Were slowly
grated on the simple game. The prin-
ciple Of a fair hit was the first import
ant innovation. When adopted IL male
any ball that flew from the bat Outslde
the lines To the first and third bases
~uon-counting. When this was well es'
,abIiahed changes began TO follow
swiftly. Men were put on the bases q
capture the hall and TO put out tbs
runners. Base running became vastly
more exciting than before. especially In
view of the fact that plugging wa:
the ~favorite method Of putting out run
ners.
Plugging" which is now unknown
TO baseball fans. consisted In standing
at a more or less remote distance from
y the runner and throwing the ball. full
Z force. at him. This was TO put him
|. out. The ubber might strike him on
I the ear and nip on a little skin, IL