The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1903-09-11
BASEBALL IN EARLY DAYS.
Game Was Not Formerly on Scientific
Basis Ii Ii Now-Few Rules
Were Observed.

Time will not turn back in its flight
hut the mind can travel back TO the
days before baseball. or at least to the
DAYS before baseball was SO well
known and before ii had become SC
scientific. There were ball games In
those DAYS in town and country, and
the country ball game was an event
There we're no clubs-the country boy
of those days was not gregarious. he
preferred fiocking by himself and Ie-
naming independent. On Sunday att
ernoons the neighborhood boys met
on some well-crossed pasture, and,
whether ten or 40. every one was to
take part in the game. Self-appointed
leaders divided the boys into two COM
panies by alternately picking one, I'M
til the supply was exhausted. The bat
which was no round stick, such as is
now used. but a stout paddle with a
blade two inches thick and four inches
wide, with convenient handle
dressed onto H. was the choeen arbiter
One of the leaders spat on the side oil
this bat, which was honestly called
"the paddle" 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, says the Cincinnati Commercial
Tribune.
The ball was not what would be
called a National league BALI nova
days, but IL served every purpose. 1t
was usually made on the spot by some
boy offering up his wooden socks as
an oblation, and these were rayeled
and wound round bullet, handful
of strips cut from a rubber overshoe,
q 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 supe-
rior being. The ball must be per-
feet sphere. and the threads as regu-
larly laid as the wire on the helix of
a magnetic armature When the wind
MS "ao toiPiNtC thC cui lnSS Vi shS
ball was thoroughly sewed with q
large needle and thread to prevent II
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 alSlost sure to
be selected as 1.-THE den," now called
the home plate. There were no masks
or mits or protectors. There was nc
science or chicanery, now called
"headwork." The strapping young
OATS, embryonic teachers. presidents
and premiers were too honest for this
The pitcher was the one who could
throw ball over the den" and few
could do this. His object was to throw
q ball that could be hit.
The paddleman's object was to hi,
the ball. and II he struck at it-whict
he need not do unless he chose-and
missed ii, the catcher, standing well
back, tried to catch it after 1t had lost
its momentum by striking the earth
once and bounding in the air-"on the
first bounce" it was called-and If he
succeeded, the paddleman was dead
and another took his place. II he
struck 1t and it was not caught in the
field or elsewhere, in the air or "or
the bounce" he could stlike twice
more, but the third time he was com.
PEELED to run. There was no umpire
and very little wrangling There was
no effort to pounce upon a baserunneI
and touch him with he ball Anyone
having ii could throw IL at him. and
If IL hit him he was dead" almost
literally sometimes. II he lodged the
ball he kept on running until ths
den" was reached. Some of the play
ers became proficient in "ducking,
lodging and side-stepping. and others
learned to throw the ball with the
accuracy OF rife bullet. No matter
how many players were on side, each
ohu VNNiy ohc Hdu W We put OUT. anu
II the last one made three successive
home runs he brought in the side
and the outfielders, pitchers and catch.
er had to do all their work over again.
The boy who could bring In the side
was hero. No victorious general was
ever prouder nor more lauded Ho-
ratius at the bridge was small potatoe.
in comparison. He was the uncrowned
king. There were no foul hits. Ii a
ball touched the paddle ever so light
ly 1t was tick. and three ticks made
compulsory run. The score was kept
by some one cutting notches in a stick
and the runs during an afternoon ran
into the hundreds. If the ball was lost
in the grass or rolled under a Scotch
thistle. the cry lost ball" was raised
and the game stopped until it was
found
The life Plant"
sr.