Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-02
BASEBALL ON THE ICE IN '68
Another Page About the National
Game from the Scrapbook of
AL Reach

MTHEN baseball was in its infancy IT did
w many curious ,nings to attract the at
tention of the dignifed and matter-of-fact
world which had not yet begun to take its
arrival seriously.
Nothing short of some great national need.
such as the raising of funds for the Red
induce the leading ball clubs Of this day to
play game on skates. But that's what
some Of them did fifty years ago.
In this old scrapbook of Al Reach's the
yellowed pages of which are now spread be-
fore us. we find an account Of such a game
between the Athletics and the Camden club.
THE contest was played last Saturday on
the Skating Pond In Camden says the re-
port, but as no date Is given in connection
with the clipping we can only approximate
the time. 1t must have been In the winter of
'Gs or 80. Five very slippery innings were
played and the final score was 27 to 10 In
favor of the Athletics.
"A very large number of spectators wit
messed the contest" says the report, many
of whom were upon skates, and 1t was a
very moving sight to witness the evolu-
tions of the players on their steel runners,
not infrequenty coming abruptly in contact
with ore another as they bounded over the
glittering ice after the fast receding ball.
The batting was done under difficulties, as
1t was almost impossible to get fair 'swpe'
at the ball, as the moment the striker swung
the bat his feet swung out from under him
and he was In eminent (slc, say edi-
torially) danger OF taking seat on the cold
ice. But the greatest fun witnessed
while the players were running the bases.
Here you would see one putting In his big
licks for the first. second or third base
when the men playing these bases. in their
endeavor to head him off. and while going
at a 40 speed would fetch up all standing
pr he hV pnl-
liding with each other"
The 80 40 speed" was some going in the
COS. The great Dexter--or was It Flora
emple?--havng first accomplished 1t about
that time on the racetrack.
Al Reach played second base for the Ath-
letics In this queer contest land gave a good
account Of himself making five runs and
no outs. Dick McBrde-and by the
way, his full name was John Dickson
McBride-did the pitching and headed the
batting order Berkenstock also figured
prominently. On the Camden side the names
of Wood. Fisher and Birdsall are all that
figured at all prominently In baseball In
after years. I'VE suppose" comments the
reporter. after giving the box score, "that
this game Is but forerunner of others that
will take place between these and other
clubs as most Of the clubs in Philadelphia
have enclosed ponds. Out of the three clubs
that practice on the Union Grounds a suni-
cient number of good skaters could be se-
lected TO form two mines, all of whom would
be willing to participate In the game for the
sport It would afford to themselves and the
spectators
This suggestion bore fruit. Shortly there
after, in game played at the Union
Ground at Fourth and Diamond streets be-
tween the Athletics and Hamiltons, Dick
Mcbride pitched for the Hamiltons and
Charlie Gaskell, another regular Athletic
player. was on his side The Athletics won
by score of TO o. a bunch of figures low
enough to be almost modern.
There Is preliminary talk. too. in this old
scrapbook OF a cricket match on Ice In a
carnival to be arranged by the Satellite
Cricket Club, but II anything came of Il
the book doesn't tell It.
All such matches We're but freaks of snort
anyway and never achieved real popularity.
T. A. ID,