The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-04-25
THE q AsKIN LETTER
Baseballs Beginnings
By Brederto ]. Haskin.

BdseballS
ia 81 Frederic
There is something almost opic in
the story Of baseball. Other games
Eaye had their passionate devoteess
their own select little following. but
baseball is unique in its power to
move and interest great masses OF
| people.
springing from game played in
| the vacant lots and commons OF
America by street urchins, and even
/ by girls, baseball in "a quarter Of. a.
! century evolved into national pas
time that drew thousands of spec
tators and aroused the passions of
men to- such an extent Us repeatedly"
] TO threaten the existence of the game.
| Few Americans know hat as long
iaEo as in 1866. a crowd of forty
thousand persons gathered in Phil
/ adelphia to Witness a baseball game
4 1t was played between the Brooklyn
and Philadelphia clubs. which con-
/ tanned the most skillful players in
i America. 4 and between which a fierce
rivalry had grownsup But q crowd,
of forty thousand was SO much great
i er than had1been expected that there
] was no room left5at the ball grounds
l for the players The crowd overran
the diamond and got beyond control,
SO that the game can to an end after.
j one inning.
The game was called again for
] the next day. and in order to prevent:
| a similar crush the unheard OF adj
mission of s1.00 was charged. stwen-.
tE-fre cents having heretofore been
- h ryi, q foe
Even at-that price two thousand peo-.
| PIE passed through the gates, while
4 several ousand more We're turned:
i away disgruntled a hot game was.
/ played. ii which the Philadelphia,
i Athletics ran up a score OF 81 runs,
i to 2 for their opponents. in. seven
/ inning. The was then called on ac-.
count OF darkness; whercupon. the
\ representatives Of the two clubs got
Eintna heated dispute about. the mag,
Inifcent gate receipts with the result;
| that their athletic relations were Sc
Nered for :. long time.
These games between the Brook
Ilyns and the Philadelphians and soth4H-
clubs OF that vicinity We're played ac-
cordins to the New York rules. The
\ New York game closely rcsemb1ed
lmodern baseball and was so-called to.
differcntiate ii from the game played
/ in New England. which was much
I slower III developing. Massachusetts
! was the center or New I5nglapd'sI
/ baseball. and the game was played
there with great enthusiasm and en-
durancc- though in rather crude fash
lion
a typical New England game OF.
the early sixties was played at Med
way between "a couple OF clubs whose
fnames history does not record /. This
! game. which was PLACED with great
$cnthusiasln. lasted two days, the act
i.ual time OF play being eleven hours.
| while the number Of innings was SO.
1.-THE final score was 90 to Sc. and
| Tho game was considered a seven-day
wonder because 16 innings were
PLAYED without single run.
These organized games in New
England. however. We're the excep-
tion. most Of them being played be-
tween scrub y teams. The common
was baseball field where the boys
played in the early part or the af-
ltcrnoon, while twas given over to.
1.-the young men later. In these towns
l6common games. some OF America s.
first great BASEBALL players We're de-.
lNeloped. and they served exactly the
same purpose in bringing out talent
THAT the back lot tournaments at
| TWo-Old-Ca serve today
There is no game whose evolution
from its crudest stages has been more
lclcarly traced than that of baseball.
land this evolution is especially in
Iatercsting as showing how highly
perfected game may be developed
Iron a crude beginning. .Roundcrs'''
lis generally accepted rs the parent
game o r modern baseball This game
WAS widely played by American boys
between the years S25 and 1910.
There were four bases. which We're
t8marked by pegs driven into the
ground "A hole correspondent 10 tho
| modern home plate. The pitcher
tried to toss a ball into the hole. and
Itthe batter tried to hit it. runner
might be nut ont. either Ltt41 bS be'nE n'e
with 4 ball while he was between two
/ bases, or by being caught out on q
llny OF BY tile ball being grounded 7-
lthat IS. being thrown into the home
iHnlate hole.
The evolution or modern baseball
'front.' this $crule amusemcnt# has really
consisted IN only a few essential
Ischanges SO far as the method OF pro-
cedure Is concerned, but these few
have been OF vital importance and
hard contested. Thus along in the
X carly sixties when baseball Was nfStH
| becoming a national game and the.
1 first baseball conventions We're held.
There was long and hotlys waged
Econtrov ersy as to whether the bat
tier should DC called out OH a fly. Re.
peatedly in the conventions rule
| allowing the batter to run on a
licaught fly was brought up, but all
ways 1T was voted down. At this.
4 period. however. there We're many
fly" games in which runners We're
itallowed to run on a caught fly. by
common consent.
One of the most important devel-5