The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-28
HOME OF BASEBALL
CALLS TO FOUNDERS
COOpcrstown. \. y. Ready to
Celebrate Birth Of the
Great National Game.

CooPERsrowS. y. e. June 21.-This
town. the birthplace OF baseball. will
entertain many persons OF national inn
portance on Thursday. when elaborate
plans have been made for the opening
Of the new Delaware and Hudson pas
senRer station.
John X. Tener. president Of the Ma
tional League and cN-iovcrnor Of Penn
sylvania Col. Jacob J. Rupert. president
Of the New York American League Club.
and Harry NJ. Hampstead. president Of
the New York National League club. as
we'll as other managers and several old
time players will visit Cooperstown and
view the site Of the first base
ball diamond in America. Big men
Of the transportation and business
world also will be on hand. The
programme. which includes a parade
and speeches by President l.. r. 1.oree
Of the Delaware and Hudson company.
and John H.. Finley. state Commissioned
Of Education. whose subject will he
James Eenimore Cooper, and the base
ball magnates will be held on Thursday
morning At noon the railroad officials
and baseball men will lie the guests OF
the Cooperstown Board Of Trade at a
luncheon at the Otesaga Hotel.
Back in 1899 Abner Doubleday. Abner
OTdVeS, altNdIlutT 'drtTlknN WV SVNNio'
other lads who were attending Green's
Select School in cooperstown. conceived
the idea Of passing the recess hours In
playing a game which later developed
into the national pastime OF baseball.
Doubleday. Graves and the other ances-
tors Of the national sport did not call
their game baseball nor did they speak
OF runs ''felders' or pitchers.
Runs were called aces. pitchers, throw
ers. and ielders. scouts.
The game was first played near the
school on the present site OF what is
known as Phinney's lot. Ii Is probable
that the matter of erecting a suitable
marker on this spot will be discussed
during the stay OF the baseball men.
In It's first and simplest form the game
consisted of hitting "a ball and running
to q stone. which served as u base.
about nifty feet distant. The players oil
the opposing side. eleven III NUMBER,
we're scattered about the field to catch
the ball and throw IL at the runner II
the latter was hit by the ball before
ne reached the base he was out. After
q time TO add to the interest OF the
game three bases were used. The dia-
mond form was not originated by
Doubleday, however. but by Alexander
Cartright. who afterward formed the
first regular baseball club IN New York
called the k~nickerbockcrs. tooR
part in drafting the first set OF rules
70 govern the game.
Doubleday was born in Ballston spa
IN 1919. and his centenary three years
hence will be made the occasion OF a
great celebration, IL is expected. III
graduated from West Point In ls&2
fought In the Mexican and Seminole
wars and was second in com
mand at Fort Sumter AT the OUTBREAK
Of the civil war. He aimed and nreo
the FIRST gun discharged on the Cnior
side in that historic conflict. In th'
bloody years that followed he played
the mans par, attained the rank o
Mator-General. As a soldier ne wa
brave and able. modest and amiable.
In 1907 a baseball commission. ap
pointed by the National and American
leagues, declared that Cooperstown wa
the birthplace Of this game. This com
mission consisted Of A. G. Mills of New
York. the third president Of the Ma
tional League Arthur +. German. eA
Senator Of United States from Mary
land; Morgan G.. Buckley. ex-Cnite'
States Senator from Connecticut y. I
Young Of Washington, fourth presiden
Of the National League Alfred
Reach Of Philadelphia. George Wrigh
Of Boston and James +. sullivan o
New York.