The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-08-12

he ID RS AsSE,B.AllL
SHow5THE GAMESWAs PLAYEDiNT THE
DAYS $oFsslTs INCEPTION.

Then n Man Could Be Put ONT by
"SoakinE,, Him with the Ball-The
Umpire Took 1t Easy While the
Teams Piled Up Half Hundred
Runs.
The first newspaper report OF base
ball game that L remember reaGing
was an account Of q game played at
Hoboken, n. J., in 1859. It appeared in
an illustrated weekly and was such
novel and Interesting event that the
weekly gave double page illustration.
There was no baseball schedules in
those days. All that was needed was
an occasion such as Fourth OF July
celebration, county fair, house rails
ing or some other event of that nature.
The occasion for this particular game
was the entertainment given to a team
Of English cricketers then touring this
country. We had evolved game from
the old English FOUNDERS" which we
called baseball, and we wanted to show
our cousins what a high old game it
was.
1t may have been the ''humors of the
day. editor who wrote the report,
which was as follows:
Baseball differs from cricket, es-
pecialy in there being no wickets. The
bat is held high in the air. When the
ball has been struck, the outs try to
catch it, 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
!. val
GAS 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 pub
lies knowledge of baseball at that time,
and even he wasn't quite sure whether
there We're four bases or five. When
he says q base runner may be put out
by hitting him with the ball he makes
no mistake, for that was an actual fact,
and it was considered a good play on
the part Of q base runner to draw q
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
instead of touching a runner with the
ball. would often soak him at short
range, which generally brought forth
unprintable remarks from the Soakee.
The artist in illustrating this game
was not far behind the reporter. The
picture shows US several hundred spec
tators, and, with the exception Of q few
ladies and gentlemen seated in car
riages, the only person sitting down in
the entire assemblage is the umpire,
and, as if to show the perfect tranquil
lily of his mind and his contempt for
foul tips, he leans gracefully back in
his chair with his legs crossed. The
base1ne1l, instead of playing off, are
standing, each with one foot on his
base, and 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 baseball captain nervous pros
tration.
The year 1870 saw baseball we'll eS-
tablished and deserving the title OF ma
tional game. OF the amateur clubs the
Harvard university team was one OF the
strongest. virtually defeating the IA
nous Red Stockings in one game. The
score stood II to u in Haryards favor
at the beginning of the ninth inning,
Harvard pitcher, was hit by Il battcd
ball and injured. He recovered sutii-
GENTLY to pitch the game out and then
tainted, the Reds meanwhile plling UP
eight runs and winning. The game was
played in Cincinnati.
Another notable achievement OF
Harvard nine was the twenty-four in
ming and no run game in 1877 with
the Manchester q. H) club. In this
game Catcher Tying of the Harvards
(yes, Jim Tying, perennial Jim Iyng)
made the unprecedented record of
thirty-one put outs and three assists.
While this game was interesting and
exciting in its early part, it grew some
| what monotonOuS after the fifteenth
| inning, owing to the fact that the dead
| ball used became "punky," and the
| bats1nen We're unable to knock it out
| side the diamond. The pitching OF
| Ernst amused the spectators. however,
| and think Ernst must have been the
| pioneer contortion pitcher.
1t was customary in those days for
| pitcher to stand erect and deliver the
| ball with the hand below the shoulder.
| but Ernst had Il way Of tucking the
| ball behind his back, looking over his