1830s.38

"A Balk Is A Base"

Salience	Noteworthy
Tags	Pre-modern RulesPre-modern Rules
Location
City/State/Country:	NY, United States
Modern Address
Game
Immediacy of Report
Age of Players	JuvenileJuvenile
Holiday
Notables
Text	"Any one having remembrance of the ball games of his youth, must recollect that in the game of base if the tosser made a balk to entice the individual making the round from his post, the latter had the right to walk tot he next base unscathed. Pity it is that the Hudson folks . . . did not remember that 'a balk is a base' in the games of children of a larger growth."
Sources	Rondout Freeman,June 5, 1847 (Kingston NY)
Warning	Dating this remembered practice to the 1830s is somewhat arbitrary, as the writer's age in 1847 is unknown. Locating the practice in NY State is also uncertain.
Comment	John Thorn, email of 1/31/2023: "This will testify to the antiquity of the balk rule and give a hint that is meant a feint." Edit with form to add a comment
Query	Do we have other evidence on the pre-Knickerbocker usage of a balk rule? Edit with form to add a query
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