The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1909-09-17
OLD time BASE BALL PLAYING
A True Incident of the Game in Southern
Illinois Long AgO-Not So Much
Science Those Days

- WOO aOOuh bhS gNpA ACOf' ASsSS
ball was developing from townball. "
The pitcher did not throw the ball, as
now. 1t was delivered by pitch, with
the hand below the thigh. The curve
was unknown. The pitcher tried to
battle the batter by the rapidity with
which he delivered the ball, and by a
twist english" in billiard parlance)
which resulted in many fouls" and
made difficult drive to the field.
Baseball tournaments were popular
in those days. Clubs from several
places in given district would gather
in central city and play for prizes
cash, gold and silver-gilded balls, gold
and silver-mounted bats, etc. There
were no masks, mitts, or chest pro-
tectors. There were many dislocated
finger joints, and occasionally more
serious accidents. The writer played
first base in a game in which the Shout
der blade of the pitcher was broken by
ball hot from the bat. 1t was a good
stop, and the pitcher threw the ball to
first, putting out the batter and ending
the inning. The pitcher was given
surgical attention, and the game pro-
ceeded with a reserve pitcher-but we
lost the game.
The writer belonged to the first
nine" of the Egyptian Baseball Club of
Centralia, III. The Egyptians claimed
the championship of Southern Illinois,
Egypt" and was seldom defeated at
home or abroad. But the nine met
with one defeat that will never be for
gotten by its members. The citizens
of Decatur put up tournament, open
to the mines of the state, and the
Egyptians decided to enter in the
second class, not wishing to compete
with the Chicago Excelsiors, and clubs
of other large cities of the state. On
the first day of the tournament it was
found no club except the Excelsiors the
Egyptians feared was on the ground.
So it happened that Chicago and Cen
tralia were matched for first honors.
The score was 10 to 9! in five in
nings! The Chicago men made home
run whenever they pleased. They
would fill the bases, and ball batted
into the next county would bring them
all in. When the ball was thus pounded
it required relay of three fielders to
get it back to the diamond. The
Egyptians had some pretty good bat
fers, too, which perhaps accounts for
the nine runs made by them. The
game was full of laughable incidents.
Notwithstanding their crushing defeat
the Egyptians were awarded the second
prize!
The afternoon of the day the Egyp-
tians started for Decatur Ed Berry,
member of the second nine," being
broke" proposed to the writer to
beat our way to Decatur on top of the
train. The train was made up at Cen
tralia and left about midnight. 1t was
easy to get aboard after the train started
by means of two refrigerator cars ahead
loaded with fruit. We clambered back
to the sleeper and made ourselves
comfortable on the inclined ventilating
roof.
Ed, do you know where the bridges
are?" shouted Berry's companion.
Eyes; there amt any bridges this
side of Vandalia," bawled Ed.
Five minutes thereafter the train
shot into a covered bridge while we
were sitting on the ventilating roof OF
the sleeper. How far the top Of the
bridge missed our heads the writer
does not know; but that it did miss it
is evidenced by the fact that he is not
bald headed. After that we sat on the
roof proper. At the stations we would
lie fiat, and escape detection. But the
smoke, cinders and SCOT found US out
and located claims on every part of our
anatomy. We were sights to behold!
When it began to grow daylight we
moved forward and perched on narrow
platform between the fruit cars. We
jumped off just before reaching sta
ton, and climbed on again after passing
the station men.
At last we were discovered by the
conductor, G. B. Clifford, who knew