The Alaska daily empire., 1915-10-25
4. e SPAULDM6 WAS FATHER OF PR0FES-
 Sl0NAl BASEBALL

ftt it -lt BE- ttN "
 Sl0NAl BASEBALL
 When Charles Ebbets presiden. of Iihe Brooklyn National League Club, was called upon for poech at the championship banque. given by the Pittsburgh club in 1909, he made g big : he wilh his remark And baseball lis stli in its iniancy Baseball at that time was a pretty heai'hy iniant and hes grown in che r.N years chat have eiap8el Bu, how many of Che men now in baseball stop Co inquire. How did this great Notonai game become such a husky monti
 Barely hall Q century ago the grea, gnme was instituted but Ike Yonsr r Uncle Toms Cabin" it has mover been discovered how it was born We do know however that the game had : a savior-ono Wnliom A. Hubert who rescued baseball from tho gamblers in Che winter of 1875 and established the foundation on which the present great ! system was built Air. Hubert had 9 great number Of valuable lieutcnants. and most prominent among them was ! Albert G. Spaulding who died rather suddenly recently 0t Point Loma Cal.
 Mr. Spaulding was probably the on- ly player of the period before base. : ball became a professional sport, who devoted his entire life Go the national game.
 Some idea Of Che important part played by A. G. Spauiding In moulding the destiny of baseball can be gained by going back to the beginning of his career. which dates back almost to Che origin of the game Before the Civil War there was not much base ball in the United States. except around New York A National Anna teur Association was formed in 1858, and in the course of the war New York soldiers introduced their new baseball game into the army and 1t soon became popular camp pastlme. It was O disabled Illinois soldier who returned from the war in 1868 to whom Mir. Spaulding claimed he was indebt- ed for his first acquainianceship with baseball. It was under this old sol. dier's coaching that Mr.. Spaulding became a member of a boys club in Rockford. Il. one of the first clubs organized in the West
 The game that really started Mr. Spaulding off on a professional career was played at Dexter Park, Chicago, on July %. 1865. between the Nation als. of Washington. and Forest City, Mr. Spauldlng. although only seven teen years Of age pitched for Forest City and defeated the Nationals, 29 to 23. That was the first defeat suf- ferel by the Nationals, who were wind ing up the first western trip ever modc by a baseball tcam
 Speaking about the manner in which baseball gradually changed from amateur to professional Mr. Spaulding onco said I recall my own experience. when. in the fan of 1867 I was surprised with an offer of a salary of $40 Q week az bin clerk in Ia grocery house in Chicago which accepted with the innocent satisfoc- tion chat my business abilities were SO highly appreciated learned ai- terward that che business concern appraised my service at S10 week and the baseball club made up the balance This so-cailed amatourism. or ve1od professionalism was in goner- al vogue throughout the country dur ing the latter part of the decade of Che sixties, and it becams SO intoler- able to players and club officials that in finally resulted in the organization of the National association of Pro- ioesional Baseball Players in 1871"
 From that date ba.ehan has been recognized as a regular profession.
 Early in the spring of 1870 the business men of Rocko7l Ills decid- ed to send the Forest City club east and raised a purse Of s1o0o for the first tour of the east ever made by a western ball team AT. Spaulding WIS the pitcher. and Of i7 games he played on the trip only three games were lost and one resulted in tie The trip started with G5 to g victory over Maple Leaf of Homllton( Cam ada Big scores were inc rule. but there also was some O. the to O var iety Of the present doy Two games were played with the Muiuols. Of Now York, which at that time was one Of the famous teams of the coun- try. At Springfield. Mass. Forest City defeated the Mutuals. 96 to 4. but the second meeting. in New York, re- suited in the defeat Of the trip for the Forest City aggregation Che Mu- tuals winning, 21 to 1S. In the previous contest in New York Mir. Spaulding pitched a hard game against the Un- ions. which resulted in @ i to tie.
 Another memorable game was the one with the Atiantics. of Brooklyn which the Forest team won by the score of 17 to 16. Next came Q game with Philadelphia with the Athletics, of which Al Reach was a member Those heavy hitters beat spauldine. 16 to TO- At Baltimore the Forest City team won over the Marylands They also beat the Olympics Of Wash ington 8 to 2, and their old rivals the Nationals. DO to 1. Another Washing ton team the Jeiiersons was beaten 15 to 6 The only other reverse for Forest City was at the hands Of the Chicago White Stockings.-the last