Evening star., 1945-08-26
BY John Clagett Proctor

BY John Clagett Proctor
The Washington Base Ball Club is
doing fine work, up to date this season.
and it should not surprise any one If
1t finished at the top of the American
League.
But whether the Senators finish is
first place or lower down the line,
baseball is a fascinating sport, and
Washingtonians in great number will
keep track of the home team and its
position in the league. Age seems to
make but little If any difference, SO far
as enthusiasm is concerned, and even
when a fan becomes too old to hobble
to an occasional game, he will listen
to it over the radio or read about it
In the sport pages.
Most any old-timer loves to look back
TO his early baseball days and to talk
of the teams of his city and of the
boys who used to line 'em out, and
those who scooped 'em up, and to sing
the praises of the pitchers and catchers
who made baseball fame.
Bygone Teams
But while the old stager may be justi-
fed In praising the ball tossers OF old.
and he just can't help 1t, yet he must
confess that the Washington aggre-
cation, at least for the time being,
seems to be a great improvement over
many teams we went to see play in
bvgone days. Professional ball play
ing it seems, was not taken seriously
nor given the right backing here-until
early in 1905, when the control OF the
team, then in the American League,
was taken over by w. H. Rapley, Scott
C. Bone, Thomas c. Noyes, Henry L.
West, Benjamin S. Minor, Henry P.
Blair, Corcoran Thorn and E. S. Walsh,
and who met and elected Mr.. Noyes
president, Mr.. Minor secretary and
business manager and w. H.. Fowler
treasurer.
OF course, an effort had been made
from 1901, the first year the Wash
ingtons played in the newly formed
American Lea que, to bolster up the club,
but no one was willing at that time
or before to dig deep enough into their
pockets for the wherewithal to pur-
chase a team of first-class players. IN
deed, in 1904 the Washington team was
so poor that it distinguished itself by
making the disgusting record OF winning
80 games and losing lib, an undesir-
able record, which is believed still
holds good in the American League.
However, do not misunderstood the
writer as intimating that the Washing
tons never had any good players until
recently, for this he does not mean. The
thought he does wish to convey is that
washington teams until within the last
two decades or so always had big holes
in the lineup that could have been
closed or strengthened if the right play
ers had been purchased, and that there
has never been a time when such play
ers could not have been secured Tor
proper consideration in cash.
Washineton's First Team
AS to the exact date of the beginning
Of baseball in Washington there may be
some question, but on November 4, 1853,
The Star published an account OF what
was probably the first baseball club
organized in Washington 1t says:
"A baseball club has just been formed
in this city and promises to prove an
eficient organization. 1t is called the
Potomac has 81 members, with McLane
Tilton as president, Leonard c. Gun
nell as vice president and Richard B.
Irwin as secretary. 1t is good sign to
see such promoting exercises
taking the place of insipid enervating
amusements."
The National Club could not have been
far behind the Potomacs, for THE Star
of May 7, 1860, we find recorded con-
test between these teams, and the re-
porter was good enough to tell us what
part of the city the clubs hailed from
the National Club from Capitol Hill and
the Potomac Club from the first ward,
which subsequent to 1920 included the
area west of Fifteenth street to Rock
Creek.
An Early Thriller
In the early days of the sport the
teams that made 81 runs first won the
game, but this one was allowed to 60 to
the score Of IS to 13, as the following
account states:
Base Ball,-A game Of base ball was
played on Saturday last on the Mall be-
tween the Potomac Club Of the first ward
and the National Club of Capitol Hill,
in which the latter club was worsted, IS
to 13, in seven innings The Potomac
Club has challenged club in Baltimore
to play match game here on the 9th
OF June next. and it was understood
that the National Club accepted the
challenge, which gave only 4S hours
notice to prepare in, more to get the
first-warders in good play for the COM
ing match with Baltimore than to ex-
hibit its own skill. The Capitol Hill Club
has only been organized lately, and is
composed Of noyices, while the Potomac
Club has in its ranks several first-rate
performers, who understand the game
perfectly and have had much practice. /.