Evening star., 1934-08-14
FIRST BASE BALL
RULESFOUNDH HERE
Rare Old Book Tells OF
Change in Game in
1845.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

BY THOMAS X. HENRY.
Before 1S45 the approved way of
putting out a base runner was for
the infelder to bean" him.
He was out when touched by the
ball. Often the easiest way 10 touch
him" was to throw the ball at him
while he was running. This was all
very well while base ball was a game
confined to school yards and pastures,
but with the formation of the Knick-
erbocker Club of Hoboken, made up of
grown men, in 1845, it was responsible
for some serious casualties. Some of
the infielders became excellent
"beaners."
The story of the change and the
FIRST formulation of base ball accord
ing to definite rules is contained in
what is probably unique old publica-
tion rescued from the dime novels"
and preserved in the new sports sec
ton Of the Library Of Congress. 1t
is "Beadle's Base Ball Player" for
l865-one of an annual series OF 10
cent paper-bound books on the diver
sions Of the time, a unique source
OF material on the manners OF our
srandfathers, which have been res
cued and preserved in locked vaults
by Volta Parma, head of the rare
books division of the library.
It was obvious in the middle forties
that If base ball was to be made
o. professional or professional
game, it must be civilized, and the
Hoboken Club, the unchallenged
champions of the time, undertook to
formulate it.
First Rules Adopted.
These first rules of base ball, adopt
ed by the Knickerbocker Club in
1S45, we're:
The bases shall be from home to
second AZ PAGES; from first to third
a. PAGES equidistant.
The game shall consist Of 81 counts
or aces, but at the conclusion an equal
number Of hands must be played.
The ball must be pitched. rot thrown
3or the bat.
A ball knocked outside the range
OF first or third is q foul.
Three balls being struck at and
missed and the last one caught is
a handout. II not caught, It rs con-
eidered fair and the striker is bound
Go run.
A ball being struck or tipped and
caught either flying or on the frst
bound is q hand out.
No "Beaning" Allowed.
,>l,-~~ ,-,rrin1 I>osas shor re
out If the ball is in the hands OF
the adversary on base, as the runner
is touched by it before he makes his
base-it being understood, however,
that In no instance is the ball to be
thrown at him.
II two hands are already out,
player running home at the time q
base is struck cannot make an ace If
the striker Is caught out.
A player running who shall prevent
an adversary from catching or getting
the ball before making base Is hand
out.
Three hands out, all out.
Players must take their strikes In
regular turn.
No ace or base can be made on q
foul strike.
A runner cannot be put out IN max
ing one base when balk is made
by the pitcher.
But one base is allowed when the
ball bounds out Of the field when
struck.
"It viii be at once perceptible,"
says the writer, ''to all who compare
the above rules to those at present in
force Cn 1850 that the game Of base
ball In that period was not to be COM
pared with the systematic and, to
some extent, scientific game that is
now such an attractive feature OF
American sports and pastimes."
During December Of that year
new set Of rules had been adopted at
the convention of the National Asso-
citation of Base Ball Players.
Victor Gets Ball.
These rules were:
The ball In all match games shall
be furnished by the challenging club
and become the property Of the win
ming club as a token of victory.
The ball shall be pitched as near as
possible over the home base and for
the striker. The pitcher has no right