Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-09
BALL GAMES PLAYED
MANY CENTURIES AGO
Natives of Yucutnn Contested M Pro-
fesSi0nnls und ON Regular

ia -a-a-y baw-aw-aw-lu is not as
new an expression of popular impa-
uehce to have some one start some
ihihS rs some people may think Nci-
ther is playing ball for living :,
surety modern invention. In fact,
thousands of years ago, way down i'm
1ucatan. impatient crowds sat around
IN ball parks. yelled themselves hoarse,
peat one another in the back and threw
thcir feather hcadgcar into the arcua
IN the enthusiasm OF the moment, just
as we are doing to-day. Also there
douhtless were Ty Cobbs, whose skill
III batting" and fielding" was such
mat they could afford 10 hold up the
management occa sionally for few
more hundred jaguar skins IL year by
threats To quit professional ball and
30 TO farming.
OF course, The game was not exactly
baseball But the point is that ii was
a pail game, that there were regular
ba!! parks-or courts-and that there
were professionals who played the
game for what there was "in it" to
them. Mayhap the medium of ex-
chanre took the form Of jaguar skins
POUNDS OF cacao, fancy feathers or
what not. but 1t was money all the
same and they could buy with II at
me club. or in the market place, as
the case might be. They had their pc
culiar systcm of Slang" too-at least
translated into English, means about
as much TO us as ours would to them;
an OF which is brought out by Frank
I'm Adams in his story. indigenous
Games in Latin America" in the July
number OF the Monthly Bulletin of the
ran Amcrican Union, Washington. -.
g That the ball game is an ancient
institution in the Americas may be
gathered from the following:
The ball game is indigenous TO the
Nmericas. Perhaps the first Simian in
habiiants found true sport i'm catching
| the cocoanuts tossed from the tall
[ raims-ccrtain il is that several thous-
and years ago the ball game had reach
! eel nigh state of development in the
! seventy cities scattered throughout
ncatan. on clearing away the matted
forests enveloping these marvellous
ruins, ball courts were disclosed near
inc most sacred temples, and from the
elaborate hieroglyphics and photographs
"fhamenting the walls. much was
learned Of the complicated character
OF the sport Centuries after the pass
ing OF these ancient Mayans, came tho
iirSt Spanish explorers. who found that
" younger race in contiguous territory
| IN" AZtccS had revived the old pastime
inio national game with stone
COD OF Sport hcamine on every court
The regularity of these early games
was that the ball when in play. was
| not thrown with the hand. but struck
/ ny the hip. around which the player
! wore protecting pad of leather. At
| each end of the court was Il great stone
! DISK with a hole in the center, and
/ through this orifice the ball was driven
I before point was scored. Very natur-
/ any lively ball was used, since rub
/ Der trees dominated the forests
/ Old chroniclers marvel at the skill
/ and endurance of the players, for Il
/ game was seldom won under four hours
| OF constant play. Such exhausting
( contests. with dozen participants in
almost constant action. were not for
amateurs. but for professionals. Thus,
/ from the Aztec word Oil. signifying
hall,' came the word mollonqui, one
/ who plays ball for living.
Another form OF ball game is play
ed by the Indian tribes OF the Cuduiary
! River region, in the wilds OF Brazil :,
carefully levcled field lies in front OF
the malokes, or large communal houses
nd daily, mt o'clock. the men return
ng from the days fishing or hunting
indulge In the sport--not n complicat-
cd game like that OF the early Mexi-
cans. but one calling for high degree