The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1907-03-07
GREAT GAME OF ROUNDBALL
There Were Three Catchers and Some,
Scientific Batting Was
Done.

Until about 1860 the ball game
played in Massachusetts was called
MAS sachusetts roundball." No game
called town BALI was known in Mas
sachusetts.
We did not know that In England
game called FOUNDERS was played.
We believed that roundball was dis
tinctively an American game. Four
old cat and three old cat we regarded
as derivatives of roundball. They
we're the resource when there were not
enough players on the field for round
ball.
In match game of roundball there
were IA players on a side. The game
was quite as active as baseball is, and
exciting. Bases were called goals.
There were four goals set In a square.
not in diamond. At each goal
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.
quently swinging around 1t two or
three times before he could stop him
self There was no running beyond
first or. 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 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 dip
thrower," that is, one who could throw
swift ball, starting low and shooting
up. There we're no fouls; everything
went. Backhanded batting was COM
mon. The batter swinging round with
the ball as 1t came to him. would
drive it sideways or backward for q
long hit. A few were skillful at what
was called side batting. Grasping tho
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 1t hori-
zontally, the end pointed toward the
thrower. In this position the latter
would catch the ball on the top of the
bat and, IN a fraction of second, as
IL slid along the surface and by a
quick DETECTION OF the bat. shoot the
ball backward to the right or to the
left.
Hundreds OF men now living In CEN
trail Massachusetts have seen it done.
There were three catchers in line be-
! hind the batter. The first catcher
played close. He usually crouched 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 goal, a player be-
tween second goal and home and two
outielders. The ball was made OF
wooden yarn, firmly wound, with few
shot in the center. It was covered
with leather and was somewhat small
er than the regulation baseball. II
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 fiat on the ground. and up and
away again in twinkling. Runs
we're called tallies. The big matches
were generally decided by the priori-
ty in getting 100 tallies. Each team
chose it's own referee" and the two
referees" chose yjudge," who was a
solemn and important person. silent
except when the referees could not
agree. His decision was inal.