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Idea: baseball history: 19th century baseball

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Abstract

Postcard depiction of early Baseball game. Click to enlarge.-
Vintage Baseball Ad: Get the ball that started it all! Click
here.- Currier & Ives print of early Baseball Championship Game
at Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey. Click to enlarge.-
Lawson's Patent Game, Baseball With Cards. Click here!- Baseball
history color print. Click to enlarge.- Baseball Rules Banner:
It's 1867. Do you know what the rules are? Click here.- Polo
Grounds, New York 1887. Click to enlarge.- "On the Fly." Click
to enlarge.- Town Ball photo. Click to enlarge.- Ticket
to the First Annual Ball of the New York Magnolia Ball Club, Friday
evening, February 9, 1844. Click to enlarge.- Four Old Cat and
Rounders field diagrams. Click to enlarge.-

I think there are only three things America will be known for 2,000
years from now when they study this civilization: the Constitution,
jazz music and baseball.
Gerald Early 1952-, American Author

Baseball History

T

oday a multi-billion dollar industry, Baseball has come a long way from
its crude and humble beginnings in the fields of 19th century America.
More than a game, Baseball remains an inseparable part of the American
heritage and an intrinsic part of our national psyche. For many of us,
notions of team, fair play, and athletic excellence first occurred on a
red clay diamond cut from a grassy field. Referred to as "America's
Pastime" since 1856, Baseball today is played by men and women of all
ages and skill levels all around the world. Despite its recurrent
scandals and woes, Baseball remains synonymous with the best that
America has to offer.

19th Century Baseball: The Beginning

Contrary to popular belief, Baseball was not invented by a single
individual, but evolved from various European "bat and ball" games.
Russia had a version of Baseball called Lapta, which dates back to the
fourteenth century. It consisted of two teams (five to ten members)
with a pitcher and batter. The ball would be thrown to the batter who
would attempt to hit it with a short stick and then run to the opposite
side and back before being hit by the ball.

Cricket and Rounders

England has played Cricket and Rounders for several centuries. The
first recorded cricket match took place in Sussex, England in 1697.
Cricket is played in a large open circular field and has two sides of
eleven players that attempt to "put out" a "batsman" who tries to
prevent a ball thrown by a "bowler" from knocking over "bails" placed
on "wickets," or three upright sticks. If the batsman makes contact
with the ball, he runs to the opposite side of the "pitch" and
continues running back and forth until the ball is retrieved by the
opposing team.

Rounders, which shares more technical similarities to Baseball, dates
back to Tudor times in England. This game consisted of two teams, six
to fifteen players, including a pitcher, batter, "bowling square,"
"hitting square" and four posts, similar to bases used in Baseball.
Each player had to bat in each "inning" and the game lasted two
innings. The pitcher tossed the ball to the batter who attempted to hit
it. If contact was made the batter ran to the first post. Points were
awarded depending on what post was reached by the batter and the manner
in which the post was reached.
19th century bases now available! Click here.-

Town Ball

Germany played a game called Schlagball, which was similar to Rounders.
The ball was tossed by the "bowler" to the "striker," who struck it
with a club and attempted to complete the circuit of bases without
being hit by the ball. Americans played a version of Rounders called
"Town Ball," which dates back to the early 1800's. In this game, the
first team to score one hundred "talleys" won the game. In 1858 the
rules were formalized as the "Rules of the Massachusetts Game of Town
Ball."

"Base Ball"

Occasionally, early 19th century American newspapers would mention
games listed as "Bass-Ball," "Base," "Base Ball," "Base-Ball," "Goal
Ball" and "Town Ball." The first known printed record of a game that
was slightly different from Rounders and resembled a game closer to
Baseball, is from an 1829 book called The Boy's Own Book, in which the
game is referred to as "Round Ball," "Base" and "Goal Ball." A crude
field diagram was included with specific locations for four stones or
stakes (bases), that were arranged in a diamond. The article described
how to "make an out" as well as how to get "home." The word "party" was
used to describe a team, and the team at bat was called the "in-party."
Each party pitched to themselves, bases were run in a clockwise
direction and players could be put out by swinging and missing three
pitched balls or by being hit with the ball while moving between bases.

The Olympic Base Ball Club of Philadelphia

Perhaps the first town ball club to adopt a constitution was the
Olympic Ball Club of Philadelphia, founded in 1833. It was formed by
combining two associations of Town Ball players. One of the Town Ball
associations may have begun play in the spring of 1831, in Camden, NJ
on Market Street. The original group included only four players,
playing "Cat Ball," but eventually the number of players increased and
the Saturday afternoon gathering usually included between fifteen to
twenty players. With the increased interest the game changed to Town
Ball and then to Base Ball. The other association called itself the
Olympic Ball Club, favored Town Ball and played on Wednesdays. As they
did not meet as regularly as the group in Camden, some of the members
of the Olympic Ball Club began playing in Camden. Ultimately a match
was proposed and played between the two associations. No record of this
match exists, but the two groups did eventually combine into one and
played on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The constitution was first
published in 1838 and consisted of 15 Articles. Duties of the Board of
Directors, Members, and Captains were described. Practice days and a
fine structure were also outlined.

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