The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1917-05-17
Baseball

1t is said that more than eight million
boys play baseball each year in the United
States. Add to this several thousand who
play it in Canada and England, and many
thousands who play the game in Japan,
Porto Rico, Cuba, and Mexico, and we
have, outside of professional players, about
nine million boys who annually enjoy one
OF the oldest games known to man. Base
ball is supposed to have had its origin in
England and then to have been passed to
the United States, but the game was long
ago known to the American Indians, and
before they played it, the sport was
common in China and India. AS the re-
search of man into how ancient peoples
lived and played progresses, we begin to
feel with the prophet that "there is nothing
new under the sum- For with our own
Cherokee Indians, residents of this con-
tinent long before any white man ever saw
the land, baseball was popular game. 1t
was played with goals and bases, and called
for great skill in handling the ball. So
popular was the vigorous use of the ball
lone of the best exercises anyone can enjoy)
with the Cherokees, they had a Legend
about it. The Cherokee story-tellers claim
the moon is ball which was thrown
against the sky in game long time ago.
They say two ball teams we're playing
against each other. One of the teams had
the best runners and had almost won the
game, when the captain of the other team
picked up the ball with his hand and tried
to throw it to goal. But it struck against
the solid sky vault and was fastened there
as warning to all future players never to
try to cheat. Why warning? The rules
of baseball in the days of the beginning of
the game forbade the ball ever being touched
with the hand. This made the game more
difficult than it is today. 1t was cheating
ever to touch the ball with anything but the
bat, the primitive bat much resembling a
modern tennis stick. The Cherokees say,
when the moon grows small and pale, as it
does after the full period, that it is because
of sorrow for those on earth who indulge in
cheating. The Chinese and East Indians
played baseball all of a thousand years
before the Christian era began. They used
net bats, and the ball could not be touched
with the hand. One day, as the legend
runs, favorite of Chinese emperor was
playing the game before his master and was
L
be victor he grasped the ball in his hand
when his opponent was not looking. and
threw it toward the coveted goal. But the
ball, so the legend says, was so angry at
being used to cheat that it bounded back
and struck the unfortunate favorite. He
was struck so hard he was driven off the
earth and became lone star in the heavens.
He gives forth light every night to warn
others who are tempted to cheat, of their
possible fate. The interesting feature of
these legends-one from our own land and
one from distant China-is the lesson they
convey out of the early days of man: cheat
ing in spor, or anything else is dishonorable
and brings its own bitter punishment.
Baseball is delightful! game. The game
quickens the wits, hardens the body. But
it is not worth the while, any more than
any other sport, if foul play and cheating
are permitted to enter into. Honesty in
work: it carries with it the consciousness
that you have done your best and if victory
does NOT perch on your banner YOU have
fairly lost and can sincerely congratulate
the winner -EG.