The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1910-06-17
COLLEGES CELEBRATE 51sT BASE
BALL GAME.

Williams and Amherst Observe First
Meeting, which the Latter Hon b
Is to -.
Amherst, Mass.-The Williams
Amherst baseball game last week
marked the fifty-Iirst anniversary o.
the first game between the two teams.
and incidentally the same anniversary
OF intercollegiate baseball.
Extracts from a newspaper Of July
/, 1853, give a rather whimsical ar
count OF the game and the causes
which led to II. The game took place
at Pittsfield on July |, and was Won
by Amherst by the overwhelming
score OF 70 TO %. The two balla naed
In the game are at the present time
in the trophy room.
This Is how II came about:=-Af :
meeting OF the college, directly after
chapel. a motion was made TINT AM
herst challenge Williams to ; friend
" game OF ball, TO be played 1t some
intermediate spot on OF before July
T." which was passed b. strong ma
jority. A challenge was Immediately
sent and accepted for thirteen picked
men of each college to meet June p.
The rules and regulations stated that
each party should use it own bill.
and II must always be caught On tie
fly. sixty-fve runs to be the limit of
the game. The Pittafield Baseball
club offered It's grounds for the game.
and July / was appointed as the date.
II is interesting 10 note The man
ner OF selecting the men for The Kame.
The men we're chosen b. ballot from
the students at large.
There was some attempt II uni
formity OF dress. aa the Williams
team was all dressed alike. and Nnrs
belts marked Williams. but The ap=
pearance OF the Amherst team ~
decidedly undress. The onis attempt
at uniform was the blue ribbon which
each man had pinned on hia breast
II seems that the question Of profess
slonalism entered even Into The fri
game, as Il was 'rumored that The
Amherst thrower waa the professional
blacksmith, who had been hired fof
the occasion"
The Amherst ball weighed two and
a half ounces and vas about 81
inches In circumference. The Williams
ball was about seven Inches n eIf=
conference. weighed about Two ounces
and was covered With light eoloHs1
leather. so as to make II seen with
difficulty by the batters.a
About eleven o'clock the game ~
started, with Amherst having The fri
inning, and NJ the end Of The second
inning the score stood Amherst.
/: Williams, .. Amherst grew de-
perate, and at the end Of the fourth
Amherst led. and continued II DO %
until the end OF the game. sometimes
having three tallieg To one for VII
liams. After four hours of steady
playing. IN which twenty=slx rounds
had been played With undated IN
terest on the part of the spectators.
the game was decided finished aud
Amherst was declared a winner b
a score OF 73 10 81.
No gloves OF any sort were worn
at this time, nor WIS there an
thought OF masks, breast protector OF
any OF the baseball paraphsrnalIa
which IL used now.
Ii is often remarked nowadays thai
the players in times past used 10 piay
each for himself, without any regard
for team work, but the following e.
u AT HAoNNh TINT Nhia 8a8 Hl1A 81
The throwing of the tHo parties
was about equal. the catching Of An
herst superior, but the pivot On
which the whole game turned vas the
drill. Every Amherst player had
bound himself 10 obey al The com
mands OF the captain. let the result
be what II might. trusting TO his over
sight. The game WAS a silent ON. no
unnecessary conversation was car
ried on and every man played h i
the reputation OF the college rested
on his getting a tally. All this drIll.
however, was not attained ~ frequent
meetings OF the club. but b. plaeIng
one man at the head.
The news Of the game reached Am
herst about eleven o'clock thai night
by a special messenger. who vent
through the streets shouting. Am
Aerst wins, 70 to az" The students.
who had tired of waiting for report.
had gone to bed, but they we're soon
aroused and sent a special embassy
to President Stearns. asking Tor per
mission for a general celebration. The
president was absent, but permission
was given by Miss Stearns for such m
important event as this, SO bells we're
rung. bonflres lighted and the night
spent in cheering for the victorious
players.
OF the Amherst men who played IN
that first game but two are now living
besides the Amherst umpire. T. I.
Tower, go, is now a clergyman n
Poughkeepsie. n. Y: Marshall B.
Cushman,'61, can be found at the Pat
ent Office In Washington. D. G.. and
the umpire, L. r. Smith, s., Is nov
United States Senator.