The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-31
NATIONAL GAME HAS
MADE GREAT STRIDES
Country Now Is Filled With Ball
Players In All Stages of
Development.
WAS NEAR FATAL
One OF National Leagues First Acts
Was to Prohibit Betting On tho
Game-Players Fixed At Nine In
1858.

The land is now full Of ball players
In all stages of development and per-
lection. There are at present almost
as many of them in one league OF
eight clubs as could BE counted In the
whole country during the first ten
years of the national game. 1t was
sometimes a difflcult matter for the
pioneers to collect a sufficient num-
Der OF players to present a full field,"
and then again there was an overflow
of ambitious and enthusiastic in
dividuals to prove more than enough.
That was no doubt the reason why no
limit was set to the number OF par
Elephants In a game. But since 1853
the number was definitely fixed at
nine. and 1t has remained so to the
present day.
an attempt was made to
introduce tenth man. a right short
stop. but the idea found little encour-
agement. 1t. was adopted here and
there by amateur teams, but the pro-
fessionals apparently never gave II
more than a passing thought, although
the change was favored by more than
one prominent patron OF the game.
In New England before 1853. IN
which year the New England and
Middle States promoters got together
and agreed on uniform rules, the Gus
tom was TO use all the way from ten
TO fourteen men. These could be
placed anywhere on the field, except.
of course. the "thrower" and the
catcher, who perforce were obliged to
than, sol rsau tn ~ Cd
tons. Sometimes two or more play
ers were sent hack OF the home base
to assist the catcher in stopping pass
ed balls or wild pitches or In catch
ing fouls. either on the bound or on
the fly. while the outfleid sheltered as
many as desired to play there.
First Paid In 1897.
In 1855 nothing was said about
compromising players but In 1889
paying them was strictly prohibited.
This decree held good until 1887,
when for the first time players were
allowed 10 receive pay. and were
then classed as professionals this
affecting all who were paid for their
services either by money. place or
emolument" They were not allowed
to join amateur teams. but that prov
ed no bar to a connection between
an envelope and a player, II II were
done on the sly.
Two years later. in 1859, the Gin
c!nnau Red Stockings came upon the
held as through and through profess
SIGNALS. and formed tho first team of
It's kind in the history OF baseball
Following the example of the Reds,
other teams flung of their masks and
boldly entered the professional arena
so long the scene OF purely amateur"
struggles.
In 1871 the first professional league
was organized. called the National
Association of Professional Ball Play
ers, entirely overshadowing the
Amateur Association, which a couple
OF years later went out Of existence
altogether. The pay OF players rang
ed all the way from 500 game to
$50 month ''and found" At present
there are several players who get 800
game, and not one who gets less than
$40 In 1876 written contracts be-
tween the clubs and players were In
troduced for the first time.
Corrupted BY Gamblers.
The professional association lived
FVe years, during which II became
corrupt under the influence of gam
hlers. Therefore, in 1876. the National
League of Baseball Clubs. not players.
was formed. One of its first acts was
10 prohibit gambling by players The
mandate read as follows: ANY play
err who shall In any way be Interested
in any bet or wager on the game in
which he takes part either as umpire
or player or scorer. or who shall pur-
chase or have purchased for him any
'pooF chance-sold or given away--on
the game he plays In, shall be dis
honorably expelled both from the club
or which he Is member and from
the National League"
This had the effect OF making the
players more cautious. but In the very
next year. 1877. four players of the
Louisville club. James Devlin. w. III.
Carver. A. II, Nichols and G. W. Hall
were convicted of throwing games
and were forever placed on the ''black
list"
Thousands of Honest Men.
outside the four black sheen" in
the" glorious procession Of ball play
ers, there were thousands Of honest
young men whose characters remain
ed stainless. and who, after quitting
the game. became useful members Of
society and were given every public
honor just one step short of the presi
dency OF the United States They have
gone into the United States Senate.
into the House OF Representatives.
have become Governors OF States
members of the judiciary. clerRymen
and evangelists. to say nothing Of
State fish commissioners and factory
inspectors. They have also become
successful business men, some lead
ing In their respective pursuits, from
banker to saloonkeeper.
The value of a player has immeas-
urably increased since the DAYS OF
1883. Not only has he advanced in a
pecuniary sense. his salary equaling
that OF Senator or Governor. but
the worth Of his services in money to
club has risen to big figurea In
1880 the services Of Mike" Kelley
were sold to the Boston club by the
Chicago club for $4,000, which was
then the most sensational occurrence
in baseball. Since then the price OF
the services Of player has mounted
steadily until 1t found it's highest
point last season in the purchase of
Eddie" Collins by the Chicago
American Ieague team from the
Philadelphia club for 0.ooe.-1eew
York sun.