Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-26
OUTGROWTH OF THE
GAME OF TOWN BALL
A. G. Spalding Tells of His Re-
search Into the Origin of
the National Game.

A. G. Spalding, writing of the origin OF
base ball. says:
INV rather exhaustive research and
study Of the subject leads me to the con-
clusion that base ball derived its origin
from the old colonial game of one Ola
Cat which was played by three boys
a thrower. a catcher and batsman-the
batsman after striking the ball running
to a goal about thirty feet distant, and by
returning to his batting position counted
one tally Two Old Cat was played by
four boys-two batsmen and two throwers
each alternating as catchers. and a
tally was made by the batsman hitting
the ball and exchanging places with the
batsman at the opposite goal Three
Old Cat was played by six boys-three
batsmen and three throwers-each alter
mating as catchers. and 'tallies' were
made same as Two Old Cat Four Old
Cat was played by eight bOys-four bats
men and four thrOwers-each Alternating
as catchers, and 'tallies' were scored as
IN Two Old Cat -Four Old Cat was
PLAYED on a sQuare-Shaped field. each size
of which was about forty feet long All
the batsmen were forced to run 10 the
next corner of this square, or goals as
they were called, whenever any one or the
batsmen struck the ball. but II the pall
any one of the four batsmen was hit by
q thrown ball between goals, that runner
was out. and his place was taken oy the
fielding player who put him out Ihese
old Cat games correspond to the present
day so-called scrub games of base ball.
and were changed from one. two. three
and four old Cat to take in additional
boys as they arrived on the field.
lat some time in the remote past, to
accommodate a greater number of play
ers, and to change the individual players
of the old Cat games into competing
teams. probably some ingenious Amerl-
can boy figured 1t out that by placing one
thrower in the center of the -Four Ola
Cat square field and having one catcher.
with the players divided into sides. this
desired result would be accomplished.
This style of game produced what mas
become generally known as town ball,
which was played in this country for
many years before base ball appeared. and
in fact was played up to and for several
years after base ball was established by
the Knickerbocker club in 1915. Town
it was generally played at town meet
ings.' Mr.. H. HI. Waldo of Rockford:
Ill, one of the pioneers of the west and
one of the early promoters of base ball;
said: came west in 1876. and found
town bali a popular game at all town
meetings, and l have no doubt 1t acquires
Ats name from this fact. The number of
Mayors on a side was unlimited. and 1t
Waffle custom of the losing side to buy
the1 gingerbread and cider. 1 have al
ways regarded the game of base ball as
now'\ played as modification Of town
ball. / never heard Of FOUNDERS. We had
too much national pride in those days to
adopt anything that was English In our
sporting life
Town BALI differed somewhat in diff
ferent localities as to the method of play
ing the game. but the playing field was
invariably laid out in the shape of
square fnot a diamond. as is the base
ball field. with the four corners or goals
about co feet apart. The goals were num-
bered first second. third and fourth goals.
The batsman's position was located half
way between first and fourth goal dis
tant 80 feet from each goal The catcher
was stationed back of the batsman and
outside the square, and the thrower was
placed in the center of the square field.
A circuit Of the four goals counted one
tally or run. A batsman could select
any thrown ball to strike at. but if he
missed the ball and the catcher caught it
he was out. If batted ball was caught
on the fly or first bound the batsman was
out. II hit by thrown ball while run
ming between goals the runner was out.
Three out, all out; when the fielding side
took their innings at the bat. Foul balls
being unknown. the more skilled batsman
would defect the ball back of him. which
was considered one Of the scientific feat
ures of town ball.
I'm the absence of any printed rules 1t
was necessary before the game com
menced to decide upon the number of
'tallies' that would constitute game.
and the side that made that number of
tallies first won the game. The desig
mated number of such tallies varied from
q to 100. The score was kept by making
a notch on each side of fiat stick. In
the absence of any printed playing rules
governing town BALI it was natural that
the game would vary considerably in diff
fere Mt localities but the most usual mode
of playing the game was as outlined
above. The same game with different
names existed in different parts of the
country. In certain parts of New Eng
land it was known by the name Of
round ball. but I have been unable to
find any evidence where it. was ever
called FOUNDERS In Massachusetts In
the early ffties this town ball game was
changed in name to base ball, and In
those early days 1t was referred to as
the Massachusetts game of base ball. in
cOntradistinction to the New York game
OF base ball. the latter being the present
game of base ball, while the so-called
Massachusetts game of base ball was
simply the game of town ball or round
ball. with some slight notifications. In
the early sixties the so-called game of
Massachusetts base ball. like town ball.
died a natural death. and the sO-called
New York game. or present game of base
ball. has become thoroughly nationalized,
and at present is the only game of base
bali now played anywhere in the world"
kEEpC uI1C SCATTERED