The New York herald., 1921-12-18
Did a Great Deal to Make the
Game Popular in EARLY
Days.
CRINOLINE AND PLUG HAT
These Graced the Contests at
Elysian Fields-First
Set Of Rules.
By DANIEL.

Giants and pennant winning Yankees
OF 1921 to the Elysian Fields. near
Hoboken, and the Knickerbockers and
Gothams Of 1854! What q world of
progress baseball has made since the
worthy gentlemen who organized the
ISnickerbocker Club on September 23,
1S45, drew up the first set OF rules to
govern the game In this section of the
country A grea. game and a most
interesting history.
Let's take q look at the accompany
ing picture-a game between the
Knickerbockers and the Washington
Club OF New York at the Elysian
Fields on June IL, 1851. The Knicker-
lockers won by % to 20 in ten innings.
A nifty scene that-for Hobolxen. We
note the absence Of a steel stadium,
hugo bleachers, teeming thousands
we note, too. that even In that early
day the ladies' took an interest in base
ball.
Out in the right field we observe
what was known ss the pavilion. In
front of which are gathered many
the period with number of equires
OF danes bowling here and there, and
without doubt explaining the intrica-
cies of the new national pastime.
Taking lady to the game" was just
as delightful and conversational a job
as 1t is now.
Plug HATS Present.
In tho foreground we note the splen-
did press stand. the eager looks OF the
reporters. the plug hats among the fans
seated on camp chairs which very likely
were borrowed from McCarty's Hotel,
the nonchalant bravado of the young
man who is lying directly behind the
umpire. And note. too. tho peculiar po-
sitIon of that official. who stands with
bat in his hand, ready for all manner OF
debate.
There Is no home plate. The umpire
was not called on to judge balls and
strikes, and the ny game had not yet
been adopted. Not until 1864 was this
done. The catcher stands far behind
the batter. and he has no glove, nor
has he a mask. Not until Jim Tying
OF Harvard wore one which had
been invented by Fred Thayer IN 1876
did backstop use mask. And It was
not until that year that players wore
gloves. The pitcher. who had 20 use an
underhand delivery back in 1851 and
who knew nothing about curves. appears
TO be right on top of the batter. The
rules stipulated that he had TO be at
least fifteen PAGES from home.
A merry scene indeed In that old
woodcut The game shown in the pict-
tlre was the first extra inning affair in
the history of baseball, and the accom-
lnodations depicted therein were at the
time regarded as the last word in base
ball progress. The knickerbocker Club.
which was the first baseball organization
in the United States, was the outgrowth
of a lot of scrub games on the GROUNDS
which later were covered by the Harlem
J,iver Railroad depot and on which
Madison Square Garden now stands.
Began at Cooperstown.
These games began In 1912, four
years after baseball was originated at
Cooperstown. N Y, by Abner DOUBLE
day. who later became a general and
served with great honor and distinction
IN the civil war. 1'bs march OF prog
ress. ever insistent than as 1t is now.
soon forced tho players from their lot at
T'wenty-seventh street and they moved
10 Murray Hill, "bctwcen the railroad
cut and Third avenue
In 1916 Alex Cartright suggested that
q regular club be organized and that
recruiting committee be formed. AZ a
preliminary meeting the members real
jzed that they would be forced to move
soon from Murray Hill too. so they de-
cidcd to cross over. to New Jersey. One
afternoon they met at the Barclay street
ferry, crossed the Hudson and began to
move north, looking for suitable grounds
They stopped at the Elysian Fields and
there they settled.
The first rules of the Kniclserbockers
will be OF intense interest to the present
generation OF baseball devotces They
show how great has been tho advance
OF the game and how elementary was
the sport which now attracts forty thou
sand persons to the Polo Grounds and is
played by professionals who get 100000
for one season. Professional players
were not known in that era. Not until
~ Reachs day I'm 1864 was the pro-
fessional recognized. Reach. by the way
also was the first player cold, Brooklyn
Athletics The flrst rules OF the knicls-
erbockers were as follows;
The Rules of 1S45.
I. Members must strictly observe the
time agreed upon for exercise and be
punctual in their attendance.
.. When assembled for exercise the
president. or in his absence the vice
president, shall appoint an umpire, who
shall keep the game in a book provided
for that purpose and note all violations
OF the bylaws and rules during the time
OF exercise
2. The presiding officer shall desig-
-Hto two members as captains, who
shall retire and make the match TO be
played, observing ut the Same time that
the players put opposite to each other
snail be as nearly equal AS possible; the
choice of sides TO be then tossed for. and
the first in hand to be decided In like
manner.
4. The bases shall be from home TO
second base. forty-two PAGES from first
10 third base. forty-two PAGES. equidis-
tant
b. No stump match shall be played
un a regular day OF exercise.
9. IL there should not bo sufficient
number of members Of the club present
ht the time agreed upon to commence