The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-12-29
GREAT CAME OF RoUNDBALL
There Were Three Catchers and Some
Scientific Batting Was

Until about 1850 the ball game
played in Massachusetts, was called
Massachusetts roundhaH." No game
called town BALI was known Ia Mas
saehusetts.
We did not know that in England
a game called FOUNDERS was played.
We believed that roundball was dis
tinetiveIy an American game. Four
old cat and three old cat we regarded
as derivatives of roundball. They
were the resource when there were not
enough players on the field for round
ball
In match game Of roundball there
were IA players on O. side. The game
| was quite as active as baseball is, and
exciting. Bases were called goals.
There were four goals set in square,
not In a diamond. At each goal a
stout stake four feet high and about
two inches in diameter was driven
into the ground. The runner going at
full speed would seize this stake, fire.
quent1y swinging around it two or
three times before he could stop him
self. There was no running beyond
first on a hit Unless some part Of
the runners body touched the goal he
could be put out by being hit by a
thrown ball. Pitched OUT we
called it.
The batter stood in a circle four
feet in diameter, midway between first
goal and home The throWer stood in
the center Of the square made by the
goals, 80 feet from the batter. Many
teams had what was called a dip
thrower," that is, one who could throw
a swift ball, starting low and shooting
up. There were no fouls; everything
went. Backhanded batting was COM
mon The batter swinging round with
the ball as it came to him, would
drive it sideways or backward for a
long hit A few were sllillful at what
was called side batting Grasping the
bat near the middle with the thumb
and fingers of one hand, and being
careful that the finger ends were be
low the surface, they held it hori-
zontally, the end pointed toward the
thrower. In this position the batter
would catch the ball on the top Of the
bat and, in fraction of q second, as
it slid along the surface and by a
quick DETECTION of the bat, shoot the
ball backward to the right or 80 the
left
Hundreds of men now living in CEN
trail Massachusetts have seen it done.
71i,a- o4o1 ~, T,o
hind the batter. The first catcher
played close. He usually erouehed and
took only the low throws The sec
ond and third catchers stood erect,
alert for the high and wild throws
There were two back fielders, one at
the right and one at the left Of the
third catcher. They were there for
the backhand and side hits. There
was a player at each goa1e a player be-
tween second goal and home and two
outf1e1ders. The ball was made of
wooden yarn, firmly wound, with a few
shot in the center. It was covered
with leather and was somewhat small
er than the regulation baseball It
was not mushy A tick and a catch
was out. One out, the side was out.
To avoid being put out by ball
thrown at him, and properly coached,
runner would jump In the air. now
fall fat o. the ground, and up and
away again in a twinkling. Runs
were called TALES. The big matches
were generally decided by the nriori-
ty in getting 100 tallies. Each team
chose its own referee and the two
referees chose a Judge who was a
solemn and important person. silent
except when the referees could not
agree. His decision was final