The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-07-27
WHEN BASE sALL BEGAN.
Reporter Not Sure About The Number
Of Bases Used.

The first newspaper report OF base.
bali game that remember reading
was an account Of a game played at
HobolSen, N. j.. in 1859. II appeared
in an illustrated weekly. and was such
a novel and interesting event that the
weekly gave double page illustra-
ton.
There were no base ball schedules
in those days, and nobody lay awake
nights Matching up reasons why Har-
ward should not play Princeton ami
why Yale should play Pennsylvania.
All that was needed was an occasion
such as a Fourth of July ce' br tion
a county fair, house raising, o sonie
other event of that nature.
The occasion for this particular
game was the entertainment given to
a team Of English ericketers then
touring this country and defeating
United States twenty-twos" with
commendahle regularity. we bad
evolved a game from the old English
"roundeis' which we called base bah
and we wanted to show our cousins
what a high old game it was
It may have been the "humors-ofthe.
day" editor who wrote the report.
which was as follows:
Base ball differs from cricket, es
pecially in there being no wickets
The hat is held high in the air. When
the bali has been struck the outs
try to catch it. in which case the strik-
er 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 st which
the striker stands, is called home
''As 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
tine. aud even he wasn't quite sure
whether there were four bases or fye
When he says base runner may
be put out by hitting him with the bal
he makes no mistake, for that was an
actual fact, and it was considered g
good play on the part or the base run
ner to draw a throw from the pitcher
and dodge the throw and gambo
around the bases while the felderi
were hurrying after the ball
This rule was abolished as soon as
the game became popular, for base
man. instead Of touching a runner
with the ball, would often soak" hin
at short range. which generally
brought forth unprintable remark
from the soakee.
The artist in illustrating this game
was not far behind the reporter Th'
picture shows us several hundred spec
tators and with the exception Of few
ladies and gentlemen seated in car
riages, the only person sitting dow
in the entire assemblage is the ma
pire; and. as If to show the perfec
tranquility of his mind and his con
tempt for foul tips. he leans graceful
ly back in his chair with his Leg
crossed.
The basomen instead of "playini
OH" are standing, each with one foo
on his base, and base runner 4
glued on third, although the pitch
er is about to deliver the ball. II
short, the general aspect of the fell
is enough to give the modern base bal
captain nervous prostration.
The year 1870 saw base ball WEI
established and deserving its title o
national game OF the amateur ciuts
the Harvard university team was or
Of the strongest, virtually defeating
the famous Red Stockings in one game
The score stood II to - in Harvard
favor at the beginning OF the nlntf
and with two Reds out. Goodwin, tn
Harvard pitcher. was hit by bate
bali and injured.
He recovered sufficiently to pitc
the game out and then tainted, tn
Reds meanwhile pilin@ up eight run
and winning. The game was playe
. in Cincinnati Imagine Harvar
team Of today going SO far from hom
. to play a professional cluhl
. That year the Cambridge small bo
.. looked upon Archie Bush and his pla'
ors as occupying positions Of hone
. several points higher than the pres
|. dent Of The United States and his cal
/. met.
. Another notable achievement Of