The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-07-26
THE GAME OF BASEBALL AS
1T WAS PLAYED LONG AGO.

called-and II he succeeded the paddle
man was dead" and another took his
place. If he struck it and it was not
caught in the aeld or elsewhere. in the
air OF ION the bounce" be could strike
twice more but the third time he was
compelled 70 run. There was no umpire
and very little wrangling. There was No
effort TO pounce upon a baseruRner and
touch him with the ball Anyone having
IL could throw Il at him and X II hit him
he was "dead"-aImost literally some
times. II he lodged the ball he kept on
running until the "den" was reached
Some of the players became proficient ia
ducking. lodging. and sidestepping. AMI
others learned to throw the ball With
the accuracy OF rife bullet. No matter
how many players were on a side each
and every one had to be put out. And n
the last one made three successive homo
runs he brought in his side and tho
outnelders. pitcher and catcher, had 10
do all their work over again The boy
who could bring In his side was a hero.
No victorious general was ever prouder
or more Iauded- Horatius at the bridge
was small potatoes in comparison. He
was the uncrowned king. There were no
foul hits. II ball touched the paddle
ever so lightly it was a tick and thres
ticks meant a compulsory run The score
was kept By someone cutting notehes In
stick and the runs during an afternoon
ran up into the hundreds II the ball was
lost N the grass or rolled under a Scotch
thistle the cry lost bah" was raised and
the game stopped until IL was found.
Change Came Apace.
Only the older country ball players
can remember those days and games
They did not last long When the
change came Il came suddenly. Tech
nicaHties ana rules began. to creep t.
Tricks between the pitcher and the
catcher designed to fool the batter be-
gan The argot or slang OF the game
intruded. The country boys who went
10 college found more than their new
homespun suits of which they were SO
proud on leaving home out OF date
The ball game was all changed They
had to use a round club instead OF
paddle to nit the bali. They had to
change their tactics all through the
game. They found the pitcher not in
tent upon throwing a ball that could
be hit but so that il would be hit at
and missed The bases were laid on
with mathematical accuracy They could
be put out IN so many unknown and
surprising ways. They could nct throw
at base runner. They could not van
der at viii over the field, but must
occupy a certain position. All was
changed All has beer changed since.
The expert of even twenty years ago
would be lost today. The game OF
hall" has been growing more scientific
and when Il becomes wholly scientific
and when the elements Of sport and
speculation are eliminated it viii d.
minish in public favor-dle. perhaps
The change is not only rapid but uni
lversai. The hOnespun-clad boys who
returned home on vacation expecting
Ito "show on and teach their former
companions the game Of ball up to date
discovered that the innovation had pre-
lceded them and that those who had
not left the old haunts knew all about
+ the game excepting the very newest
!; wrinkles. And they knew something
which the college boys had not learned