Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-09-24
History and Origin
1 of National Game

or the world's series baseball taxes u
paramount place In the thoughts or
many persons. The word "baseball' as
designa ton for the national pastime
came into existence In the thirties OF
the last century. according TO hstor-
ians, and Is the evolution Of the name
'roundball," which later became town
BALI because the game was played at
town meetings.
There are two schools of thought on
the origin of the game of baseball.
Some claim that the game Is the evo-
luton 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
suggest 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 10 AleXnn-
der J. Cartwright. n New York man,
the credit for originating the game as
now played Is given by many writer's.
In 1S42. 1t is written, Cartwright
broke in on a game of "one- d-cat.'
which n gang of New York boys were
playing on the Murray Hill grounds
and with n stick scratched q diamond
in the dust. telling the boys this was
the game they should play and sug-
gesting a player for each base, three
scouts" in the outfield, a pitcher and
catcher. In the early days when the
game resembled cricket and any ball
hit by the batter was fair the catch
err had a scout to assist him.
The game as suggested by Cart
wright took form quickly and on Sept.
%. 1916. the Knickerbocher 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-
bocher Club and another New York
team on the Eiysian fields, Hoboken, n.
]. The New York team won 2S to i.
The first tabulated score ever kept of
the game histories record. was that
printed by the New York Clipper July
l6, 1853. The contest was played on
July of that year between the
Knickerbocher and Gotham teams.
"aces" and a team had to make TWEEN
ty-one 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 OBJ
serve the time for the commencement
of the game" This precaution was
necessary because in those days no
bases on balls were possible and II was
h. tpln 20. 4
for nalf an hour before the batter de-
cided to strike.
Very few changes in the basic prin-
ciples of the game as set forth in the
original twenty rules. made in lSio,
have been made. In rule two OF the
original set 1t is provided that before
the commencement Of the game the
president shall appoint an umpire. VINO
shall keep the game in book and note
all the violations of the rules" and rule
seventeen states that there shall be no
appeal from the umpire's decision IN
case of dispute. In lS4S a rule max
ing it necessary for a player to be
touched OUT was added to the orig
inal code and at this time sliding 10
the bases made it's appearance. other
changes were made from time to time,
making the principles of the game the
same as they stand today.
Beginning with the Knickerbocher
and Gotham Clubs other organizations
sprung into being and a pioneer con-
vention OF baseball clubs was held IN
May, 1857. The next year Twenty-Five
clubs sent delegates to New York and
THE National Association of Baseball
Players" was formed.
In the late fifties the game spread 10
Boston; Portland, Maine. took up the
pastime in 1858. and Buffalo and Roch-
ester. y. Y. followed. Chicago start
ed the game in 1855 and two years lat
er was playing match games with MIL
waukee.
When the game spread to San Fran
cisco in 1859 it developed into wild
sport Professional gamblers who in
Tested the Pacific coast town in the
early days bet heavily on the games.
according to historical accounts, and
the spectators" were in the habit OF
shooting off revolves when fielder
was about to catch the ball.
Records show that New Orleans be-
came interested in baseball in 1850,
then the Civil war put a stop to the
sport temporarily but the soldiers In
the camps played and writer's say the
war had a great deal to do with the
spread Of the sport over the entire
country.
In 1867 the Savannah team, acorn
panied by band and rooters. went TO
Charleston to play for the champion
ship Of the south, 1t Is chronicled.
Harvard University combined with
the town boys in 1866 and organized
the first college baseball team. Later
Tufts and Yale followed. In 1854 ana
1866 the "Atlantics," Of Brooklyn, won
all their games and held undisputed IT,
tie until 1866, when the Philadelphia
Athletics stepped in and handed the
champions a defeat. The two teams
played before a crowd estimated at
10000 on Oct. 1, 1866. and the Ath-
letics won 81 to ].
1t was considered a disgrace to take
money for playing in the early days
but in 1855 three members of the
Brooklyn team were given SO week
| for playing. This, according to his
! torians, was the turning point in the
game toward professionalism. The
first professional team is credited to
| Rockford. ILL.,. where Al G. Spalding or
ganized the Forest City's" team. To
| Harry Wright, who went to Cincin-
natl in 1867 from the Washington Ma
tionals writer's give the credit for i'm
| n1a fnr his