Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-08
WHEN BASEBALL BEGAN
REPORTER NOT SURE ABOUT
NUMBER OF BASES USED.
Used to "Soak" the Runner-When
Ball Hit Him he Was
Out.
From Outing.

From Outing.
The first newspaper report of a base ball
game that l remember reading was an ac-
count of a game played at Hoboken, n. j.,
in 1859. 1t appeared in an illustrated week
ly, and was such a novel and interesting
event that the weekly gave a double-page
illustration.
There were no base ball schedules in those
days. and nobody lay awake nights hatch
ing up reasons why Harvard should not
play Princeton and why Yale should play
Pennsylvania All that was needed was en-
occasion such as a Fourth of July celebra-
ton, county fair, a house-raising. or some
other event of that nature.
The occasion for this particular game
was the entertainment given to team of
English cricketers then touring this coun-
try and defeating United States twenty
twos' with cOmmendable regularity. We
had evolved game from the old English
FOUNDERS" which we called base ball, and
we wanted to show our cousins what
high old game 1t was.
day editor who wrote the report which
was as follows:
Different From Cricket.
Base ball differs from cricket. especially
In there being no wickets The bat is held
struck the outs try to catch 1t. in which
case the striker Is out or. If they cannot
do this. to strike the striker with it when
he is running, which likewise puts him
out
Instead of wickets there are at this
game four or five marks called bases, one
of which. being the one at which the
striker stands. is called home
LAS at cricket. the point of the game is
to make the most runs between bases; the
party which counts the most runs wins the
day"
The fact that the reporter thought it
necessary to explain how the game was
played indicates the extent of the public's
knowledge of base ball at that time, and
were four bases or five.
When he says a base-runner may be put
out by hitting him with the ball he makes
no mistake. for that was an actual fact,
and 1t was considered a good play on the
part of base-runner to draw a throw from
the pitcher, for usually the runner would
dodge the throw and gambOl around the
bases while the fielders were hurrying after
the ball.
This rule was abolished as soon as the
game became popular, for a baseman. in
stead Of touching runner with the ball.
would often soak" him at short range.
which generally brought forth unprintable
remarks from the soakee.
Umpire Sits Down.
The artist In illustrating this game was
not far behind the reporter. The picture
shows us several hundred spectators. and.
with the exception of few ladies and gen.
tlemen seated in carriages. the only person
sitting down in the entire assemblage Is
the umpire: and. as II to show the perfect
tranquility OF his mind and his contempt
for foul tips he leans gracefully back in his
chair with his legs crossed.
The basemen. instead of playing on"
are standing. each with one foot on mis-
base. and a base runner is GLUED to third"
although the pitcher Is about to deliver the
ball. In short. the general aspect Of the
field is enough to give the modern base ball
captain nervous prostratiOn.
The year 1870 saw base ball well estab-
lfshed and deserving its title of national
game. or the amateur clubs the Harvard
University team was one of the strongest
virtually defeating the famous Red Stock
ings in one game. The score stood II to
II in Harvard's favor at the beginning of
the Einth inning. and with two Reds out
Goodwin the Harvard pitcher, was hit by
a batted ball and injured.
He recovered sufficiently to pitch the
game out and then tainted. the Reds mean
while. piling up eight runs and winning.
The game was played in Cincinnati. Inn
agine Harvard team of today going so Tar
from home to play professional club.
That year the Cambridge small boy
locked upon Archie Bush and his players
as occupying positions Of honor several