Evening journal., 1915-08-17
old PARK
A FAMOUS FIELD
Many Memorable Conflicts
Were Fought On South
End Grounds
ALSO WAS THE
CRADLE OF BASEBALL

Little did the 3,O0c or more per-
sons who watched the Braves and the
Cincinnati Reds battle to a no-score
13-inning tie in Boston, August IL,
1914, realize that it was to be the
last major league baseball game to
be played at the famous South End
grounds, the home of the Boston Ma
tional League club. That memorable
conflict. Leon Ames fiinging for the
Reds and Lefty" Tyler shooting
benders for the worlds champions
then in the making, brought to a
close the baseball history ~ the
smallest baseball grounds in the ma
jor leagues.
It will be quite a transition for
the old Boston club when it opens its
magnificent stadium at Alston tomor-
row. For the past year the Braves
have been using Fenway Park in
conjunction with the Boston Ameri-
cans.
No baseball arean in the country
has ever had 50 many interesting in
cidents attached to II as the South
End, the cradle of baseball" which
started to develop the national pas
time into the big business it is today.
IL was the Oldest ball grounds in
the country, and in recent years was
many times referred TO as the band
box" because Of its smallness. It's
history covers a period of nearly for
ty-five years.
The game was played there With
out interruption until 1894. when the
| big fire, starting under the right
! field bleachers, and caused the scene
of action to be shifted 10 the Col
/ gress street grounds the former
home of the Players League and the
Association League club. After two
months on the Congress street field
the baseball doings Of the Boston
National League club we're renewed
at the South End grounds. then made
smaller because of the building Of
Columbus avenue on one side and
the New York, New Haven e. Hart
ford railroad on the other.
Built In 1870.
The South End park was built in
1870 when amateur baseball was
lplayed, but 1t was not until 1871 that
professional baseball got its start
Then the Boston club fought hard for
the championship. losing out to Chi
cago To no place in the country
does the national game and the pres
ent day club owners owe so much as
to Boston. George Wright and others
Of the old school were brought to
Boston in 1871 and with the winning
of four successive championships,
four OF the greatest baseball players
the game ever knew. AL Spalding,
Ross Barnes, Jim White and Cal Nc
Vey, went TO Chicago.
Professional baseball really got its
start in 1871. Then il was that the
South End grounds started the
sprouting of the big plants that folks
interested in baseball enjoy today.
The old timer will contend that there
was no place in the country to watch
a game better than at the Boston
park. Champions after champions
have played there. and considerable
argument has developed as to who
was the best ball player and the best
team that ever played in the Ma
tional League club in Boston. There
are many Of the great ball players OF
today, especially those of the Ameri-
can League, who have never seen the
South End grounds.
II was not until 1876 that the Ma
tional League was organized. Boston
had a team and at that time the
pitcher twirled from a box six feet
square. forty-five feet from the cen.
J tire of the plate. The pitcher was ther
/ required to deliver the ball with the
! arm swinging nearly perpendicular
at the side of the body" and the arm
is being swung forward had % pas:
J below the line Of the pitchers hip
Three strikes and nine balls was the
b rule then.
, Home of Many Champions.
The South End grounds was the
/ home of many champions. titles be
) ing won in 1872. 1873. 1874. 1875. 1877
1875 1883, 1891, 1892. 1897. 1898 anC
1914 Before professional baseball
E was started the place was the HON,
S OF the Lowells. named after John A
= Lowell, after which Ivers w. Adams
, who secured the Wright brothers
George and Harry. from Cincinnati
4 TO Boston. and IL was Adams who haC
the honor of being the first presiden