The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-08-25
Corbett's Daily Letter
 On Great Sport Topice
By HOLLAND

Many of the rules that now govern the great national game were written into the records because of peculiar happen ings that came about in the years when baseball was in it's infancy. Among them is the one which permits a batter to over-run first base That baseball reg ulation was adopted to save men from breaking their legs while playing base ball on ice.
 'BasebaH,' relates James Wood, who explained the famous Chicago White Stockings of 1S69-70 was first played more than 70 years ago But that was in a crude way. It became somewhat standardized in 1899. Six years later the first baseball team in America-the knickerbockers of New York-was or ganized. From then on it's popularity grew and in 1860 the eastern people were so wild about the game that they were not content to play it only during the summer. Teams were organized that played all during the winter in an en- closed field in Williamsburg, N. '.
 The players of ice baseball wore skaes, of course, but played the game under the same rules that governed 1t In the summer. However the fact that they wore skates handicapped the boys in observing the rule which forced them Ito stop at each base without over-rua- ming it. Many players were badly in- jured by sliding into bases on the ice. Broken legs and arms were frequent.
 "The captains of the various clubs then got together and decided to permit play CTS to overskate all of the bases without penalty of being touched out, provided they turned to the right on their way back to the base. When the summer baseball season was resumed the ruling made for skater players was adopted for regular baseball. All players were allowed to over-run each of the bases. Bot after a time the rule was amended so that only first base could be over run. And that law governs the game today, although it was made nearly 69 years ago.
 'In the sos and early cos the man who merely could make base hits during game wasn't considered a very valuable asset. The player who scored the runs was the hero. Knocking out a two or three base hit wasn't considered much or an accomplishment. The man had Ito score before it was figured that he had done something
 "But Henry Chadwick conspicuous figure in baseball at that time, and one of it's dominating powers. decided that hits should be counted as well as runs. He realized the value of hitting. In an effort to stimulate it, Chadwick offered bat to the player who made the most safeties in a game played on August 1, 1868, between the Eckford team and the Mutuals of New York. That was the first time in baseball history thal hits were tabulated. I played with the Bedford that Cav. made fesr clean drives and won the trophy II fs in my pos. session today and one of my most cher ished possessions.
 'Sneed was the req asset of pitcher in early days. Curves were unknown If pitcher coi>n't burn the ball over
 he pate he didn't last long as twirl-
 r. So vou can realize how every am- bitioous pitcher tried by every means st his command to throw the ball faster-f and ever faster.
 James F. Creighton ever will appeal to me as the greatest fast ball pitcher that baseball has known. And l have seen every great hurler who has per formed for more than 60 years. But Creighton went to an extreme to develop his pitching arm that is unique in dia- mond history.
 "During the winter of 1S59-6o Creighton