Arizona republican., 1910-11-03
FIRST BASEBALL GAME
 AT HOBOkEN, \. ].
HOW THE GAME WAS PLAYED IN
 THE DAYS OF ITS INCEPTION.
Then a Man Could Be Put Out by Soaking" Him With the BalI-The Umpire Took It Easy While the Teams piled Up Half Hundred Runs.

The first newspaper report of a base ball game that I remember reading
 was an account of a game played at Hoboken. N. J., in 1859. It appeared in
 an illustrated weekly and was such a
 novel and interesting event that the weekly gave a double page illustration
 There was no baseball schedule in those days. All that was needed was
 an occasion such as a Fourth of July
 celebration, a county fair, house rais-
 ing or some other event of that nature
 The occasion for this particular game
 was the entertainment given to team
 of English cricketers then touring this
 country We had evolved a game from
 the old English "rounders," which we
 called baseball, and we wanted to show our cousins what a high old game it
 was.
 It may have been the 'humOrs of the day" editor who wrote the report, which follows:
 Baseball differs from cricket, es- pecially in there being no wickets. The bat is held high in the air. When the ball has been struck, the outs try to catch it, in which case the striker is out or, if they cannot do this, to strike the striker with it when he is running. which likewise puts him out
 Instead of wickets there are at this game four or five marks called bases. one of which, being the one at which the striker stands, is called home"
 As at cricket, the point of the game is to make the most runs between bases. The party which counts the most runs wins the day"
 The fact that the reporter thought it necessary to explain how the game was played indicates the extent of the pub lies knowledge of baseball at that time and even he wasn't quite sure whether there were four bases or five When he says a base runner may be put out by hitting him with the ball he makes no mistake, for that was an actual fact, and it was considered a good play on the part Of the base runner to draw a throw from the pitcher, for usually the runner would dodge the throw and gambol around the bases while the fielders were hurrying after the ball. This rule was abolished as soon as the game became popular, for a baseman, instead of touching a runner with the ball, would often soak him at short range, which generally brought forth remarks from the soakee.
 The artist in Illustrating this game was not far behind the reporter. The picture shows us several hundred spec tatOrs. and, with the exception of a few ladies and gentlemen seated in car riages the only person sitting down in 1 the entire assemblage is the umpire, | and, as if to show the perfect tranquil i lity of his mind and his contempt for | foul tips, he leans gracefully back in | his chair with his legs crossed. The | basemen, instead of playing off," are ! standing, each with one foot on his | base, and a base runner is glued to | third" although the pitcher is about to | deliver the ball. In short, the general | aspect of the field is enough to give the modern baseball captain nervous pros tration
 The year 1870 saw baseball well es- abolished and deserving the title of | national game. Of the amateur clubs he Harvard university team was one If the strongest, virtually defeating the 'amous Red Stockings in one game. The score stood r to F in Harvard's favor | It the beginning of the ninth inning, md with two Reds out, Goodwin, the Harvard pitcher, was hit by a batted Dall and injured. He recovered suffi- :iently to pitch the game out and then 'ainted, the Reds meanwhile piling up tight runs and winning. The game was played in Cincinnati.
 Another notable achievement of Harvard nine was the twentyfour in ling and no run game in 1877 with he Manchester (N. H) club. In this game Catcher Tyng of the Harvards yes, Jim Tyng. perennial Jim Tyng) made. the unprecedented record of thir y-one put outs and three assists 1