The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1919-09-27


coming of the worlds series base
ball takes a paramount place in the
Thoughts of many persons. The
word baseball" as a designation for
the national pastime came into ex-
istence in the thirties of last CEN
fury, according to historians. and
is the evolution of the name round
BALI which later became town
ball" because the game was played
at town meetings.
There are two schools of thought
On the origin of the game of base
ball. Some claim that the game is
the evolution of the old English
game of FOUNDERS while others
claim in their writings that the
sport is of strictly American origin.
Writers of the first group say the
game of FOUNDERS" can be traced
to the Netherlands, and in turn to
Egypt, even going so far as to sug-
gest that the Sphinx may have
been the first umpire"
Those who favor the idea that the
game originated with Americans, by
Americans, and for Americans are
in the majority, however, and to
Alexander J.. Cartwright, a New
York man, the credit for original
ing the game as now played is
| given nv many writers.
In 1912 it is written, Cartwright
broke in on a game Of "one-old-cat'
which a gang of New York boys
were playing On the Murray Hill
grounds and with a stick scratched
a diamond in the dust. telling the
boys this was the game they should
Iplay and suggesting a player for
each base, three scouts" in the
outfield a pitcher and a catcher.
In the early days when the game re-
sembled cricket and any ball hit by
the batter was "fair" the catcher
had a scout to assist him.
The game as suggested bys Cart
wright took form quickly and on
September %, 1S45 the Knicker-
booker club in New York was
formed, having the honor of being
the first baseball club, according
to historical writers of the game.
The first contest of the new game
was played between the Knicker-
booked club and another New York
team on the Elysian fields, Hobo
ken, N. J.. The New York team
won, % to 1. The first tabulated
score ever kept of the game, his
tories record, was that printed by
the New York Clipper July 16.
1853. The contest was played or
July 5 Of that year between the
Knickerbocker and Gotham teams.
In the early days runs were called
"aces'' and a team had to make 81
to have enough to win. Rule one of
the early set of rules, copies of
which have been preserved, says
that all players must be punctual
and observe the time for commence
Iment of the game" This precau-
ton was necessary Because in those
days no bases on balls were pos
sible and 1t was not uncommon for
the pitcher to throw for half an
hour before the batter decided to
strike.
Very few changes in the basic
principles of the game as set forth
in the original 20 rules, made in
1S45, have been made. In rule two
of the original set it is provided
that "before the commencement Of
the game the president shall ap-
point an umpire who shall keep
the game in a book and note all the
violations of the rules" and rule II
states that there shall be no appeal
from the umpire's decision in case
of a dispute. In 184S a rule max
ing it necessary for a player to be
touched out" was added to the
original code and at this time slid
ing to the bases made it's appear
lance. Other changes were made