The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1916-08-15
CHAPTER H.

CHAPTER II
THE fundamental rules Of baseball
have not changed much since they first
wSst drawn by the Knickcrbockcr club
the first baseball organization IN
lS45 Blu, there have been many rad,-
cal departures from the customs OF 9th
cr DAYS
"Onc IS the treatment of umpire, In
the edrly part oi my baseball career
/ from 1859 10 lSj9-an umpire was
highly honored Aitcr each game the
olaycrS would give three cheers ior
each other and then as a grand ii-
male they would below forth with
/ three nore-and sometimes ninc-ior
/ the umpire
Arbitrator, in the carly DAYS wee
chosen from among the crowd In
most cases at least no 10 1855 the nm
n're often was one ~ tho distinguished
wcn M the city The Clubs Wed with
each other IN tryinv to secure the mos.
/ prominent urrsouagcS,
Umpires Honored
The old time umpircs always wer"
. 1Ccocacd the utmost courtesy by the
/ players They were given easy chWr,
/ placed near 10 the home plate provided
with fans on hot days and their ab,o-
'utc comfort was uppermOSt IN the
minds oi the PLAYERS After each v
our games IN the early sixties sand
wlchcs beer cakes and other refresh
-'crtS were served bv ~" hore team.
The umpi~cS alway, received the choic
est bi's OF food and the largest glass o.
hecr-in case he cared for such bev-
e~agc II he didn't he needed hut IN
express his desires in the thirs'
Iq'encNug lines before the game started
and he got it.
Played on Skates.
The PLAYING ot baseball games or
skates on the ice during the winter q
1904 really brought about the rul,
uhich ncrmts PLAYERS 10 over-run frs
base Prior to that time the runner,
VAL to stop at firStbl,e the same a.
theNt must stop now al the other sacks
u thev ovcr-ran the bag they could he
touched out.
Baseball had taken such firm hoF
W''u VIC pfNNlt NtlNN'll lOl' anu 10 -
that thcy were not content 70 play T.
only during the summer They PLAYED
Z all DURING the winter in the enclosed
Icld in Williamsburg. known as IN,
Union grounds. The PLAYERS wor,
skates but played the game under tn,
same rules as governed it in the sum
= uer.
Sliding over Started.
"pfhvers. however. found II impossihl,
10 stop at the bases after skating out
hg Many Of them were injured by slid
ing into the bases, their skates trippni
them and sending them 10 the lev sur
| face To prevent further accidents th'
{ captains decided to permit PLAYERS I,
Z over skate the bags without penalty m
being touched out II they turned to th'
! right on their way hack to base
when summer baseball was resume,
II was decided that the rule made fo
skater PLAYERS should be extended to m,
, regular diamond so far "a first base only
and II was Incorporated In the statute
hooks ~ the next annual meeting. Ant
has been there since
Base Hts Not Counted
4 Base hits were not counted unit
3 1865 Then Henry Chadwick figurul
( that II would stimulate base running, de
cided that hits should be counted IN,
: same as runs The first game IN whiCl
hits were tnhulated was In the game or
August T. 1865 between the Eckfords an,
, the Mu,uals OF New York. Chadwick Of
tered n bat To the player making the mos
safeties-and that bat, suitably engraved