The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-03-29
DEVELOPMENT OF BASEBALL.
Ed Cuthbert Talks Of National Game
as Played in the '6Os.

as Played in the '6Os.
Nowadays it's the pitcher against
the batter, both trying to deceive each
other. Then il was hit and run all the
time. is the brief comparison between
baseball new and old, by Ed Cuthbert.
who, thirty-lve years ago. was one Of
the most celebrated players in the
country.
we had none OF your bunting. sac
rihce batting, foul strike rules and
other styles Of play that mark the DIFF
ference between the modern scientific
game and the old underhand pitching
game. but j honestly believe that the
people in my day liked the game better
than the ordinary man does today.
Whyt Because 10 was fun Of action,
often hundred runs We're scored In
one game
Dick Pearce, our old shortstop IN
Centennial year. never thought of wear
ing a glove and the ban was heavier
then than it is now. Now 10 is manu-
1actured with but an ounce of rubber
In the center. Then IL had three times
as much and the old sluggers used TO
lift iJ about a mile Just think of put
ting your bare paw 10 a ball I'm the In
field when it has reDOunded from the
bat of a man like BurkeJt or Dell
hanty. Then you have an idea of what
10 meant 20 play ball I'm the old days.
1T was years after that before
gloves were worn. Not a man on our
team had one. I used 10 do some of the
catching. We were allowed to stand
back then until the third strike or UNI
OH someone was on base. Did we use
"a mask, "a wind bib or a pillow? 1
guess not.
THE catcher placed "a narrow strip Of
rubber between his teeth and was
ready. If a foul hit him in the face his
teeth We're thus protected. He took
chances on Injury to the rest of his
anatomy.
Though the underhand pitch or
toss was popular then, it was wonder
tul how much speed a good pitcher
could get out OF a sweep OF his arm.
remember catching a game at Brooklyn
In 1876 did the receiving bare-hand-
ed. George Bradley, our regular pitch
er-we had but twO-was i'm the box. 1t
took as ten innings TO win that game,
and 1 was suffering terribly behind the
bat After the game the hand swelled
up like poisoned pup.
I'VE didn't have the bunt then. but
one or two players developed the trick
Of 'chOpping the ball. so that IL would
land in front Of the batter Then the
English on it would roll IL back to
the plate. To was easy TO get 90 first,
for these tricks were generally tried
when the catcher was standing back
near the backstOp. That was the bunt
I'm its infancy.
Those were great days for smashing
the ball. We used 20 try TO lose 1T. and
Outdelders were signed I'm those days
for their ability TO sprint and catch
flies. Nowadays If they are good bat
tiers they do not need to be good field
crs.
II have always contended that those
smuggling games took with the people.
When / was with the Athletics fin 1865.
$4,000 persons attended a game at the
old Capitoline grounds in Brooklyn.
when we played the Atlantics In that
city.
They started out with three home
runs i'm the first inning, but we came
back with four. and that's the way che
game went They beat u.s. 81 TO 40.
They don't have any better crowds
than that now. ] don't say that the
game has not improved from "a spec
tat0r's standpoint They used TO go-
insane almost, throw money 90 the
players and follow them around the
streets.
Base stealing was not such a science
then, because somebody was always
hitting the ball and we didn't have 20
steal-lust walked around and scored.
The catcher did not pay so much at
tentOn 20 inheld throwing In those
days. He cultivated a pair OF palms
that were like the sole of "a shoe. and
counted himself lucky II the ban didn't
miss his hands and land on his COM
missary department.
In those days baseball was a Spar