Chronology:Not reported
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1838.14 Possible Game of Base Ball at School
Location:
Age of Players:
"On arriving at the school, Jim was let loose among the rest of the boys, to play. . . . By-and-by he was taken in to a game of ball; but, in five minutes, a round stone instead of the ball, was flung with such violence at one of the small boys, as to knock him down and inflict upon him a severe contusion. Jim protested that it was a mistake. Mr. Strap [his teacher] reasoned with him. He begged pardon and was forgiven."
Sources:
Originally from the New York Mirror, reprinted in the York (PA) Gazette, June 19, 1838.
Comment:
From Richard Hershberger, 2/11/2023: This appears not to be in Protoball. This is from "An Unwhipped Schoolboy" by "T. S. F." originally from the New York Mirror, reprinted in the York, Pennsylvania Gazette of June 19, 1838. It is a morality tale of the virtues of corporal punishment. Mr. Strap runs a school where they do not whip the students. Young Jim Gosling is a problem child. Mr. Strap assures Mrs. Gosling that he can get the boy into shape through sweet reason. She gives him one month. Here is his first day: "On arriving at the school, Jim was let loose among the rest of the boys, to play. He got into a game of marbles, but his antagonists soon perceived that he “cheated,” and turned him out. He then took to the top, but the “fellows,” found that he had brought into the arena a great, long-pegged thing, that cut their little, handsome tops to pieces. No reader that has ever been a boy, need be told that this play, consists in one top’s being spun in a circle, while the rest are spun down at it—sometimes splitting the mark in two. Jim’s top with his accurate aim, split two or three, and the boys protested against such unequal chances. One of them said it was like the horse crying “every one for himself!” when he danced among the chickens. By-and-by he was taken in to a game of ball; but, in five minutes, a round stone instead of the ball, was flung with such violence at one of the small boys, as to knock him down and inflict upon him a severe contusion. Jim protested that it was a mistake. Mr. Strap reasoned with him. He begged pardon and was forgiven."
Richard adds: "It [the story] goes downhill from there, and when the month is up Mr. Strap has reformed his thinking and embraced whipping. Personally, while Jim clearly is a total jerk, the other children seem pretty well adjusted. But of interest here is that the "game of ball" involves throwing the ball at players. They may have been other games that did this, but this likely was baseball."
Note: The term "Games of ball" sometimes apparently referred to what we might see as hand ball, base-running games like cricket, wicket, and stool ball, and field games like bandy and what we know as lacrosse. None is known to have involved featured throwing at participants.
Query:
The game of dodgeball involves throwing a ball at other participants. Protoball is unclear whether that sort of game was common in the early 19th Century. Are many other cites for dodgeball? Did primitive dodgeball have other names?
Year
1838