Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-17
EARLY BASE BALL.
It Was Not Scientific and Few Rules
Were Observed.

From the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.
Time will not turn back in it's fight, but
the mind can travel back to the days be-
fore base ball, or at least to the days be-
fore base bah was so we'll known and be-
fore it had become so scientific. There
were ball games in those days in town and
country, and the country ball game was
an event. There were no clubs-the coun-
try boy Of those days was not gregarious.
He preferred fiocking by himself and re-
naming independent. On Sunday after
Moons the neighborhood boys met on some
well-crossed pasture and, whether ten or
forty, every one was to take part in the
game. Se1f-appointed leaders divided the
boys into two companies by alternately
picking one, until the supply was exhaust
ed. The bat, which was no round stick,
such as is now used. but stout paddle
with blade two inches thick and four
inches wide. with a convenient handle
dressed on to 1t, was the chosen arbiter.
One OF the leaders spat on the side Of this
bat, which was honestly called 1.-THE pad
de" and asked the leader of the opposition
forces. wet or dry?' The paddle was then
sent whirling up In the air, and when 1t
came down whichever side won went to the
bat, while the others scattered over the
field
The ball was not what would be called a
National League BALI nowadays. but 1t
on the spot by some boy Offering up his
wooden socks an oblatton, and these
were raveled and wound round bullet,
handful of strips cut from a rubber over
shoe, piece of cork, or almost anything or
nothing, when anything was not available.
The winding of this ball was an art, and
whoever could excel in this art was looked
upon as a superior being. The ball must be
a perfect sphere, and the threads as regu-
larly laid as the wire on the helix of mag
netic armature. When the winding was
complete the surface of the ball was thor
ough1y sewed with a large needle and
thread to prevent it from unwinding when
a thread was cut. The diamond was not
arbitrarily marked off as now. Sometimes
there were four bases, and sometimes six
or seven. They were not equidistant, but
were marked by any fortuitous rock or
shrub or depression in the ground where
the steers were wont to below and paw up
the earth One of these tellurial cavities
was almost sure to be selected as 1.-THE
den," now called the home plate. There
were no masks or mits or protectors. There
was no science or chicanery, now called
headwork. The strapping young OATS.
embryonic teachers, presidents and premf-
ers were too honest for this. The pitcher
was the one who could throw a ball over
the "den,' and few could do this. His OBJ
ject was to throw ball that could be hit.
The paddleman's object was to hit the
ball, and II he struck at (which he need
not do unless he chose-and missed 1t, the
catcher, standing well back, tried to catch
1t after 1t had lost its momentum by strfk-
ing the earth once and bounding in the air
ION the first bounce" 1t was called-and,
IL he succeeded. the paddleman was dead"
and another took his place. Ii he struck 1t,
and it was not caught In the field or else
could strike twice more. but the third time
he was compelled to run. There was no
umpire and very little wrangling. There
was no effort to pounce upon baserunner