Omaha daily bee., 1911-07-09
WHERE GAME WAS GRABBED
Great National Pastime Was Born In
Hoboken, n. j., Way Back In
Eighteen Forty-Five.


As Fancuil hall in Boston was the cradle
of liberty, so is Hoboken. N. j., the cradle
Of base ball The great national pastime
was born in that city away back in 1875.
Authenticated records DO not state what
teams participated in the first game
Neither has the Oldest inhabitant and the
survivor OF the Mexican war been able to
agree on this point Through many long.
hard winters. when they were not posing
for their pictures to be used in patent med
lcine testimonials. they have sat around the
stove down at the fire headquarters and
argued this question. but never have come
to an agreement.
Base ball was an outgrowth Of the old
pastimo OF FOUNDERS" which was played
back IN iSs5, and which has been played by
men now but little past the meridian OF
life To this generation. however. round
era" 10 unknown.
The first ball that was used In game
was made OF sections OF an old overshoe,
wound with wooden string and covered with
coarse cowhide. None OF the players wore
q glove, the catcher standing about thirty
feet back Of the plate and picking up the
balls on the bounce.
Here Is the set of rules used:
The bases shall be from home to second
base. forty-two~ PAGES; from first to third.
torty-two paces-equidistant.
I The game to consist OF twenty-one counts.
or aces. but at the conclusion an equal
number Of hands must be played. (This
meant that the first team reaching a score
of twenty-one in a limited number Of in
nings won.)
The ball must be pitched and not thrown
for the bat.
bali knocked outside OF range Of first
or third base IL foul
Three balls being struck at and missed,
the last one caught is hand out; II not
caught Il is considered fair and the batter
must run.
A ball being struck or tipped and caught
either flying or on the first bound Is a hand
out.
A player running the bases shall be out
II the ball Is In the hands OF an adversary
on the base or the runner Is touched by II
before he makes his base; It being under
stood. however, that IN no instance is the
ball 10 be thrown at him.
A player running. who shall prevent an
adversary from catching OF getting the ball
before making his base, is hand out
II two hands are already out a player
running home at the time the ball IL struck
cAhnOt thehe Oh ASS ~ lpS oHtAoa - ~e-~o'''
out.
Three hands out. all out.
Players must take their strike in regular
turn.
No aee or base can be made on a foul
strike.
A runner cannot be put out in making
one base when balk Is made
But one base allowed when the ball
bounds out OF the field when struck
After few games the rules we're changed
30 that the first baseman did not have Il
touch the runner in order 70 put him out.
The first game was played between two
teams. chosen proniscuously from a crowd
that had gathered on a vacant lot. But OF
June "A. 1875. regular game between two
teams that really had names was played
at Elysian Fields. N. Y The clubs wer'
the KnickerboekeES ana the New YorI
Citys. No tally record Of this game can b
found in any book az the county morgue
30 Il is presumed that the score was for
gotten and there we're no fatalities.
For thirteen years the game was per
mitted 20 drift along and then, In 1851.
league was formed In New York. No sal
aries were paid. however. and It was trul:
a Fourth OF July" league
Soldiers played the game on the field Q
battle during the civil war, and. returninl
home fascinated with the sport, gave Il
new lease Of life.
10 speedily did the game advance tina