The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-11-20
TOWN BALL ~ THE oLD DAYS.
before Baseball Came an u Used 10
he Played ON the Town Commons
in the west.

In the west
From the Chicago Tribune.
Except in the larger cities. baseball
was not played much out West until near
The '7oa" said a man who was a boy in
the EOS. "But the game IN what was
then known as the West. OF the border.
was one ! have never seen in the East.
and / have never heard OF Il for forty
years We called It town ball II was
usually played Oh the school grounds By
the boys. The number was never lin
tied As long as tho sides were equal
that Was sufficient I have seen u play
ed by thirty on each side, and sometimes
by more. The ins and outs were chosen
hy two captains. selected by general con
sent and they were usually regarded as
good players A wagon spoke. always re-
garded as the best bat, where II could BE-
obtained, was utilized b. the captains IN
the following manner: one wouh pitch
II to the other. who caught il as near the
lower end as possible. Then the captain
who pitchedAt placed his hand above that
Of the holder. the holder placed bis hand
above the pitchers hand. and each fol-
lowed up ia like manner, alternating
hands until the man who had the last
hold Of the spoke threw IL over his ahou-
der. This was necessary In order 40 show
the players that the thrower hal TAR
holt
THE thrower OF the spoke was captain
Of the ms. and proceeded TO select his
PLAYERS from the crowd. The nrst man -
iected was pitcher. The second selected
tv The captains OF the outs vas catcher.
81. plavers were then selected alternate
until as many as desired were called,
There was no umpire. The man al the
nat had three strikes unless he was
caught out before. He could run on any
strike made.
There we're four bases. and eacn nod
10 be clear when made BY player. II
the man AZ the bat failed 20 make hN
and was not caught out he stood aside
ana the next player was called Any play
er who batted tho ball Eucn distance
Tint A. could NOT be shrown In town.
40 that the man on the frst base could
make the other three without stopping,
brought IN by batting the iast player VINO
had been caught ous. or VINO had failed
TO strike a ball.
The outs. or men in the country. we're
always on the alert 81 course, 20 gee 20
iovfn' and that ! think. was the origin
Of the name Of the game The bail used
was generally closely-w9und yarn
ephere sometimes covered with leather.
These bale were generally wound by the
girls OF the town who took Interest IN che
game Each side would often have SIS
own ball. and q lost bali u u had been
presented by a village maid. was consld
cred bad luck for the eide that lost H.
The solid India rubber ball was not much
known In those days IN the West.
II have seen this game Of town ball
holly contested by the best men IN the
town. who usually came out on Saturdays
10 take a hand. and have known a school
teacher to be late ringing the bell by rea-
son OF his interest n the game. When
the Lass player OF the ms was out. the
men IN the country came 10 town with
whoop and yell and 20 evenly balanced
In SKIN were tho players that one side
had nearly an equal show with the other
al the bit.
"Out Of town ball came what was known
IN thas country as-two-cornered ana three
cornered cat The former was played by
four. the latter by elk persons. Two-cor-
nered cat had two men at the bat. about
forty feet apart. with pitcher and catcher
behind and these pitched and caught al
ternately. Of course. After three strikes
unless caught the batter yielded 20 the
man behind. The run was from base
Z, base. and II a ball passed IN front OF
the runner before he made his bses he
was out.
"Three-corncred cat was played IN he
same manner. only shere was one more
base and Two moro players the middle
player and the base being equldistant
from those at the ends. and about flfteen
feet 10 the right or left OF the maln line.
have never seen any Of these game in
the East