Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-03-02
OLD TIME BASEBALL.
81 WAS NOT SCIENTIFIC AND FEW
RULES WERE OBSERVED.
The batter Was known as the Pad
dieman. and the Pitchers object
Was to Throw "a Ball That Could he
Hft-"BrfngfnE In the side"

inc Battcr was Known N the FnG-
dieman. and the Pitchers object
Was to Throw "a Ball That Could he
Hft-"Bringing In the side"
Time viii not turn back In It's light.
but the mind can travel back TO the
days before baseball or at least TO the
days before baseball was so well
known ana before il had become so
scientific. There were ball games in
those days I'm town and country. and
the country bali game was an event
There were no clubs The country boy
OF those days was not gregarious. He
preferred flocking by himself and re-
naming independent. On Sunday aft
ernOons the neighbOrhood boys met on
some well crossed pasture. and. wheth-
er ten or forty. every one was To- take
part in the game. Self appointed lead
ers divided the boys into two compa-
MES by alternately picking one until
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 a convenient handle dressed
on TO e. was the chosen arbiter One
OF the leaders spat on the side OF this
bat. which was honestly called the
paddle" and asked the leader Of the
opposition forces. WET or dryE7 The
paddle was then sent whlrling up I'm
the air. and when IL came down which
ever side won went 20 the bat. while
the others scattered over the field
The ball was not what would be
called a National league BALI nova
days. but II served every purpose. II
was usually made on the spot by some
boy Offering up his wooden socks as an
oblation. and these were ravcled and
wound round 4 bullet. handful Of
strips cut from a rubber overshOe. a
piece OF cork or almost anything or
nothing. when anything was not avail
able. The winding OF this ball was an
art. and whoever could excel in this
art was looked upon as q superior be-
Ing. The bail must be a perfect sphere
and the threads as regularly laid as
the wire on the helix Of magnetic
armature. When the winding was com
plete the surface OF the ball was thor
oughiy scwed with n large needle and
thread 90 prevent IL from unwinding
when n thread was cut. The diamond
was not arbitrarily marked of rs now.
Sometimes there We're four bases and
sometimes six or seven. They were not
equidistant. but were marked 10y any
fortuitoUs rock or shrub or depression
I'm the ground where the steers We're
wont 20 below and paw mp the earth.
One OF these tclluFial cavities was al
most sure 20 Doe selected q : "thc den"
now called the home plate There were
no masks or mitts cor protectors. There
was no science or chicaucry. now
called "headwork" The strapplng
young OATS. embryonic teachers, presi-
dents and premierS were too honest for
this. The pitcher was the one who
could throw a ball over the den" and
few could DO this. His object was 10
throw a ball that could Zoe hit
The paddlcman's object was 10 hit
ta, bail. and II he struck NJ it-which
hc need not DO unless dee chosc-and
missed it the catcher. standing well
back. tried 20 catch 81 after il had lost
its momentum 10y striking the earth
once ana bounding IN the air-"on the
first bounce 10 was called-and II he
succeeded the paddleman was dead"
and another took his place. II he
struck IL and 10 was not caught IN the
field or elsewhere In the air or ION the
bounce" he could strike twice more.
but the third time he was compelled TO
run. There was no umpire and very
little vranCling. There was no effort
10 pounce upon base runner and
touch him with the ball. ANY one hav-
ing it could throw IL at him. and II il
hit him De was "dead"-almost literal
ly sometimes. II he lodged the ball. he
kept on running until the den" was
reached. Some of the players became
proficient i'm "duckiug. lodging aud
side stepping. ana others learned 10
throw the ball with the accuracy Of a
rifle bullet
No matter how many players were
on side. each and every one had 10 be
put ont. and if the last one made three
successive home runs he brought in
the side" and the outfelderS. pitchers
and catcher had 20 10 all their work
over again. The boy who could bring
In his side" was hero. No victorious
general was ever pv0uder or more
lauded HoratiUs at the bridge was
small potatoes I'm comparison. He was
the uncrowncd king. There were no
foul hits. II a ball touched the paddle
ever 81 lightly. II was tick. and three
ticks made a compulsory run. The
score was kept by some one cutting
notCheS IN a stick. and the runs dur
ing an afternoon ran into the hun
drCdS. If the ball was lost in the grass
or rolled under a Scotch thistle. the
cry Lost BALI was raised and the
game stopped until IL was found.-Cln-
cinnaU COmmcrci.l rrihnnn