Clipping:A description of baseball
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| Date | Sunday, October 14, 1866 |
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| Text | The history of this justly popular and healthful amusement is, we believe, not generally know, nor is it our purpose to give it in detail at this time. The game is deduced from English origin, as are all our manly out-door sports; but, whilst cricket is the ruling game amongst our English Cousins, Base Ball has become quite an American institution. The first Club in the United States which attained any celebrity, as the “Knickerbocker” of New York, which organized in 1845, and still continues in all its pristine vigor. Imitative New Yorkers soon organized other Clubs, all of which prospered greatly, until continued success begot emulous rivalry, Philadelphia, Brooklyn and other cities soon disputed the claimed superiority of the Gothamites. Now after a lapse of twenty years almost every city and many large towns and villages boast of their Clubs. The clubs by their proficiency do honor to their opportunities, and the general interest the people feel in the sport, indicates the great popularity of the institution throughout the country. We are heartily glad to know that all who engage in this manly and invigorating pastime, should thus be encouraged by such very general approbation. A few words explanatory of the game, and a reference to the Club in our midst, and we have done. The field in which the game is played should be at least 400 feet square. The bases are four in number, placed at equal distances from each other, and securely fastened upon each corner of a square, whose sides are respectively thirty yards. The base from which the ball is struck is designated the home base, and is directly opposite the second base; the base on the right hand is the first base, and that on the left the third base. The pitcher's position or base is fixed on a line drawn from home to second base, and is distant from the former fifteen yards. The first, second, and third bases, are canvas bags filled with some soft material, and the home and pitcher's bases are circular iron plates.--Players must make their bases in regular order, and on making the home base are entitled to score one run. The game consists of nine innings on each side but may be decided on the fifth or seventh inning. An inning is concluded at the time the third hand is put out. Eighteen persons constitute a full field, nine on each side. The side having the inning numbers nine batsmen; the side in the field is disposed into catcher, pitcher, short stop, first, second, and third basemen, and right, left, and centre fieldsmen. At the conclusion of their inning the side at the bat change places in detail with the side in the field. To particularize the special part of each individual players, in not our purpose, and if it were, we have neither time nor space to indulge it. We comment, however, the different publications to those designing information on the subject; some of them being very succinct and satisfactory. It gives us great pleasure to state that the ancient and tranquil borough of Chestertown, through the exertions of J.A.Pearce, Esq., and others, has moved in the matter of organizing a Club, and from the material, as reported to us, we look forward to the no distant time when the Chesterown Club will be known, admired, and dreaded throughout the entire county. When the famed Athletics and Atlantics will be compelled to “pale their ineffectual fires” before the meridian splendors of the Chestertown “Ozenies,” a name, by the way, appropriate from its local associations, being the Indian name for the Chester river. The Oziene Club was organized on 25th of Sept. last, and a constitution and By-law adopted. On 1 st of October the following officers were elected for the ensuing year; President J.A. Pearce, Vice President J. A. Burgess, Secretary E. W. Newman, Treasurer, C.A.A. Stanley, Directors, W.A. Vickers, W.H. Steward and J.E.Gilpin. Through the kindness and courtesy of the visitors, of Washington College, the Club have secured the College campus as a field for exercise, a place commodious in size, accessible in distance, an deasily adapted to the purpose. The Club practice on Monday, Friday, and Saturday afternoons, and already attain a tolerable proficiency. May their success exceed their expectations, ALPHA. Chestertown (Md.) Transcript October 13, 1866 preparations for the Atlantic-Athletic match in Brooklyn The proprietors of the Capitoline Grounds, Brooklyn, in view of the match between the Atlantic and Athletic, have made the following arrangements: No one will be permitted to enter upon the field except the players during the entire day. Over a hundred policemen will be present, and as the crowd enter, they will be shown their seats or standing-places, and there they will have to remain. There are to be seven separate entrances to the ground opened on this occasion, with eighteen doorkeepers. No tickets are to be sold, and no change will be made at the office or at the gates; all going in, therefore, will have to provide themselves with twenty-five cents in change. The gates will be opened at 10 A.M., and no seats will be reserved, except those for ladies–admitted free on this, as on all occasions, on the Capitoline grounds–and those for the Athletic Club having badges, the number being limited. The only parties who will be allowed to take places on the field, or within the embankment, are the players, the two scorers–at separate tables–and those reporters of the local press who regularly report base ball matches, about ten in all. Members of the press of other cities will have seats with the Philadelphia club, as full reports will be given in the local journals, from which the outside papers can copy. This arrangement is made necessary by the fact of the crowd of members of the press who claim seats as reporters, when it is well-known that but few make a specialty of the game giving daily reports of the doings of the fraternity. Therefore, the seats on the field for reporters will be limited to twelve. |
| Source | Philadelphia Sunday Mercury |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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