The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1907-08-10
GOLDEN WEDDING OF
UNCLE SAM TO BASEBALL
Finds Game Played by More People Than Any Know,,
Sport, andIs Making It's Way the World Over.


The golden wedding of Uncle Sam
to his national sport, baseball, takes
place this year, ands finds the game
played by more people than any field
exercise mankind knQws.
1t is claimed by sdme experts that
baseball dates back as far as 1842, but
the game of that day is SO radically
different from what we call baseball
to-day as to bear little relation to it.
Baseball, so-called; in the forties
and early ffties; was little more than
FOUNDERS or town ball and it was not
until a national convention of baseball
players held in New York in 1857,
drafted a set of rules, and put the
sport on an organized basis that it's
extraordinary development began, a
growth which has carried it to all
parts of the world. !.
In this convention the word ma
tional' was used for the first time in
connection with baseball, and teams
soon began to spring up in Philadel-
phia, Boston, Chicago and other large
cities :.
Smaller towns took up the craze,
which, though halted for time dur
ing the Civil war, never ceased in its
rapid advance, and before long from
Atlantic to Pacific the United States
accepted baseball as the sport best
suited to the Americhan character.
To-day more millions are spent
yearly for baseball than belonged to
the richest man in the United States
at the time the game was getting it's
start.
The figures are simply dazzling
The salaries Of professional players
and other expenses connected with
the game in the various leagues Of
this country make a grand total Of
36,245,000 spent every years by own
ers Of large clubs. Baseball is con-
Quoted at a profit and this expendit-
ure means that at the gate the Ameri-
can public must have paid in not less
than 100000. =. =
These are figures obtainable and
capable of proof, but in no way offers
to get at the cost Of Uncle Sans am
ateur baseball There never were so
| many amateur players as now. Thou
sands of men and boys play the game
for love to one who did so in the old
times.
Baseball has made it's way in the
Philippines. 1t is being played by the
| JaDs, team of whom are now in this
country. It has made hit in London,
and even Paris sees occasional games.
The convention that started the
sport on such an extraordinary career
! of popularity as that is we'll worth
| commemorating
Players are living to-day who dis
| tinctly recall that famous conference,
and the work it did. A. J. Reach, the
Lajoie of his day, and until 1875 the
greatest second baseman the game
had ever known, exhibits with pride
finger he broke in 1857, the conven-
ton year, while playing with a junior
team known as the Jacksons of Brook
lyn.
Prior to 1857 every baseball score of
a completed game had ~ in it, for
instead Of playing nine innings, as we
do to-day the rule was that the team
which had scored 21 runs, when both
sides had had an equal number of in
nings, was the winner.
| A third strike was then out if
caught on the bound; so was either a
''fair FOUL" foul or a fair ball. Then
a home run was not allowed when a
batted ball went out of the ground.
Instead, the\hitter was limited to one