The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-01-24
New York Village Is
Birthplace Of Baseball

| About sixty miles west tof Albany, and
| a little more than half the distance
southeast of Utica, is Lake Otsego, one
| of the most picturesque in New YORK.
| On it's shores nestles the V1llage OF
| Cooperstown. 1t was named after
IUudge William Cooper, the father or
/ J, Fenimore Cooper, the novelist, who
| long resided there. COOperstoWn Is
| now a village of less than 5000 popu-
lation, but it's picturesque situation,
more than it's glue factory, makes II
| a. popular summer resort.
| What of it? Well, nohing much,
except that after a. 1aborious sitting OF
the evidence and a full consideration
of the claims of other towns, one IS
forced to the conclusion that Coopers-
town deserves recognition as the
birthplace of baseball.
This conclusion carries with it the
bestowaI upon Abner Doubleday Of
the proud title of Father of Base
ball. He invented the game which
developed into Americas international
pastime.
"Wednesday of this week will be the
twentv-third anniversary of the death
of the originator of baseball. He
PASSED away at Mendham, N. J., which
had long been his home, on Jan. 26,
1898. having lived to see the game he
fostered attain first place in the af-
fections of his countrymen, and spread
to other lands
Doubleday was born in Ballston Spa,
NJ Y, in 1919, and his centenary three
years hence should be made the
occasion of a great celebration. lie
graduated from West Point, in 1S42,
fought valiantly in the Mexican and
Seminole wars, and was second in
command at Fort Sumter at the out
break of the civil war, and aimed and
fred the first gun discharged on the
the Union side in that historic con-
Ii a. cTsey IA H.
lowed he played the. mans part, and
Attained the rank of major general.
AS a. soldier he was brave and able,
modest and an1iable-
It was as a schoo1boy at Coopers-
town, before he embarked on his bril-
liant military career, that Anner Dou-
bleday originated a ball game which
soon became very popular among his
fellows and quickly spread to other
towns and cities. In it's first and sim
p1est form the game consisted of hit
ting a ball and running to stone,
which served as base, about fifty
feet distant. The players of the OPP
posing side, eleven in number, were
scattered about the field to catch the
bal land throw it at the runner. If
the latter was hit by the pellet before
he reached the base, he was out. At |
ter a. time, to add to the interest of |
the game, three bases were used The
diamond form was not originated by |
however, but, by another
lad, Alexander .Cartrigat, who after |
ward formed the first regular baseball |
club in New York, called the Knicker- |
bockers, and took part in drafting the |
first set of rules to govern the game.
There is a tradition that Doubleday
and his companions christened their
game ''baseba1l," but this is not well |
authenticated, cold Cat and Town !
Ball" were the popular names of the
pastine prior to 1916, when the /
Knickerbocl1e club was organized.
All Baseball fans know that Hobo
ken was the scene of the first match !
game of baseball, between the Knick- I
and the New Yorks, in 1876. I
depriving Hoboken of any of /
it's glory, however, it must give way
to Cooperstown as the real birthplace
of the great game.
In the early days the pitcher was
the ''thrower,'' the feeders were |
scouts - and runs were called '.acres."
The germs of baseball were there, in
spite of these strange names, and |
Doubleday deserves to be held in |
grateful remembrance by all fans.