Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-07-20
FIRST RULES OF GAME
Baseball Nowadays Not Much
Like the Sport of Oldcn
Times.

Some time ago II was proposed tina
Il commission he formed for the nur
pose OF compiling the early histor,
OF baseball. Among the members ~
this proposed commission were ucnr,
n. Chadwick. generally called In,
father of BASEBALL" Mr.. Nichola,
II. Young. the best known of an Nh
tional League presidents; MIR A q
Mills. ex-Prcsdcnt Van Colt of III,
other old boys who have figured prom
inently IN tho Development of tn,
game. Although this commission
never actually cane into life as nj,
organized body, sell as individuals
many of them ha,f gone to work tc
gather up all the ihcicnt history pos
sible.
Some of the fats are interesting
to II degree. Tho game was started
in New York in i2. The pioneers
We're lot of ghtlcmcn who met
every pleasant aftfrnon on tho VA
cant lot wherein til lannon's Alnllsor
Square Garden ipw stands. The
players had no regular ormnization,
but relied on those present and Will.
ing to make up the teams. These
methods continued until ii5. Then
Alexander j. Cartwright prpoJcd that
an organization bc furic'l. Tho
scheme was taken up Immediately
and in June OF that yer trc first
baseball team WAS duly osan!1cd ana
played together all scasolayainst the
bost picked teams they ould find to
oppose them. They tod The name
OF l<nickcrbockcrs, and ndcr its lc-
gend the first attempt as made to
place baseball on an osanizcd foot
ing.
III the following yearlSiG. team
calling Itself the New Nrks was put
In the field, ana 1t pied HE nrst
regular scheduled CANON record be-
tween two organized chs. The con
test took place June .. and. rs il
was extensively notice. In the ;,apcrs
of that time, huge,rowd was In
attendance. Tho plalg rules were,
of course, crude, the incipal one 10.
ing that the clul, fir making TWEEN
y ono aces, now knon as runs was
the winner
In this first cote. the New Yorks
surprised the Kiccrbockcrs Inv do.
ieating them in ur innings by % to
!. IL may be of tcrcst To know that
the uniforms ofhe Knickcrhockcrs
In those days csisted of blue full. |
length trouserswhitc flannel SHIRT
ana a straw In In 1855 n mohair
hat and patt-leathcr holt were
added to the mIprm, which remain
ed the same I'm the club dissolved
in 1862
The rul;s, ms opted by the Knlck
orbockers were
soctionI. Thbascs shall be from
home send base. forty.two
PAGES; firm firs to third base, for
ty-two paes. cqvalcnt.
Scctions TIL game TO consist of
twenty-ont count or aces. but ut the
conciusiornn eqnl number of hands
must le layed
Section Tho ball must he pitch.
ed. not flown. Dr tho bat.
Section A hll Knocked outside
Of the rae of first or third base is
foul
Section Tire halls being struck,
ut and lisscd and the last one
caught, is hand out; if not caught
Is consiced fair, and the striker
bound to n.
Section a BIN being struck or
tipped ancaugh, either on the fly
or on THIRST bound is a hand out.
Section. A player, running the
bases Ssh be out if the ball is in
the han' of an adversary or the
lnses, ase runner is touched by 1t
before heake his base-it being un.
dcrstod. Fever. that in no instance
is ball be thrown at him.
Section If two hands are already
out, rer running home at the
time Il bis struck cannot make an
ace II thcrlker is caught out.
Section. Three hands out. all
ont.
Section1O. Players must take
their stri in regular turn.
Section. No ace or base can be
made on oul strike.
Section2. A runner cannot no
put out making one base when a
balk is n, by the pitcher.
Section. But one base allowed
when thell bounds ont of the field !
when str.
These e the rules that guided :
baseball II 1916 to 1857, when the
first contion of baseball clubs ,
was heldld a regular alliance was
formed fhe guidance of the game i.
for all f,h times.