The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1919-09-24
ORIGIN Of
The GA AN! /
G Ss %%AzSt
BASEBALL
4 80 -EL4sf.I 5@sEts 4I2fIEa
Some Interesting Information
Az To. How It Came Into
Popular Favor.

~ 81 PO40VAA0s - LAG &SWVx0 E V06Cs
ball" as designation for the nation
al pastime came into existance in the
thirties Of the last century. according
to historians, and is the evolution Of
the name "roundball" which later be-
came "townball' because the game
was played at town meetings.
There are two schools Of thought on
the origin of thu game of baseball.
Some claim that the game is the evol-
ution 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 to Alexand
er ]. Cartwright, q New York man,
the credit for originating the game
as now played is given by many writ
ers.
In 1912 it is written, Cartwright
broke in on a game of "one-old-cat"
in 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 play
and suggesting a player for each base,
three "scouts" in the outfeld a pitch
er and a catcher. In the early days
when the game resembled cricket and
any ball hit by the batter was "'fair"
the catcher had a scout to assist him.
The game as suggested by Cart
wright took form quickly and on Sep
TENDER %, 1845 the Knickerbocker
club in New York was formed, having
the honor Of being the first baseball
club, according to historical writer's
of the game. The first contest of the
new game was played between the
Knickerbocker club and another New
York team on the Elysian fields, Ho.
boken, N. j. The New York team won
80 to /. The first tabulated score ev.
er kept Of the game, histories record,
was that printed by the New York
Clipper July 16, 1853. The contest
was played on July 5 Of that year be.
tween the Knickerbocker and Gotham
teams.
In the early dayssruhnsEwere called
faces" and a team had to make Fl to
have enough to win. Rule one of the
early set of rules, copies of which
have been preserved, says that all play
ers "must be punctual and observe the
time for the commencement of the
game" This precaution was neces-..
sary because in those days no bases on
balls were possible and it was not IN
common for the pitcher to throw for
half an hour. before the batter decided
to strike. ~ilt@l-14l - Il
Very few chancessin the basic ptiin-
ciples Of the game IL settforth. in the
original twenty rules, made in 1916,
have been made.a An rule two Of the
original set its4fssprovided that "be-
fore the comm1HS&ment Of the game
the president sia1Eappoint an umpire
who shall keepe game in a book
and note all the yiiclations Of the rul-
es" and rule seventeen states that
there shall be do appeal from the unds
pire's decision in case Of a dispute. Id
184488 a rule making it necessary for q
PLAYER to be "touched out" was added
to the original code and at this time
sliding to the bases made its appear
ance. Other changes were made from
time to time making the principles
Of the game the same as they stand
TODAY. ~~.- I. -! ; 80 q.
Beginning with the Knickerbocker
and Gotham clubs ether organizations
sprung into being and a pioneer ccns
cention 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 ffties the game spread
to Boston; Portland Maine took up the
pastime in 1868 ana Buffalo and Roch-
ester, New York followed. Chicago
started the game IN 1890 n
years later was playing match games
with Milwaukee.
When the game spread. to San Fran
cisco in 1859 it developed into q wild
sport. Professions: 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. REVIEWERS when q fieldel
was about to catch the ball:
Records show tina. New Orleans ne
came interested in baseball in 1860
then the Civil War put astop TO tn
sport temporarily but the soldiers u
the camps played and writer's say tn
war had q great deal to do with n
spread over the entire country.
In 1857 the Savannah team, accom-
panied by q. bano and rooters, wen
to Charleston to play for the champion
shin Of the South, it is chroniced.
Harvard University combined Wit
the town boys in 1856 and organizes
- ~ l..>A~N k~a- 1AfA