Clipping:Baseball in the water
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| Date | Sunday, July 15, 1883 |
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| Text | A game of base ball fearfully and wonderfully played was the special attraction at Bay Ridge, near Baltimore, on Wednesday [7/11]. The Newington and Our boys base ball clubs, both of the amateur league, of Baltimore, met in the water off Bay Ridge, and engaged in a game, and after some of the most unnatural playing ever seen the Newingtons bore off the palm of victory. When the game was called in the beginning of the ninth inning, the Newingtons had two runs to their credit and Our boys none. The two runs scored by the Newingtons were made on lost balls—fortunate accidents, for without them there would have been no result at all. The game was called for a reason not often given—the supply of balls became exhausted. Three were lost, that is to say, went to the bottom. The loss of the third ball terminated the game with the Newingtons ahead. The water game began at 4 o'clock and lasted until 6. The players were placed in a line para llel with the shore, but even with this arrangement there was a great variation in their apparent height. The first base and the right fielder stood knee-deep in the water, the batter and battery were up to their waists, while only the head and shoulders could be seen of the left fielder. The rope which marks the bathing limit served as the fence. The bases were life-preservers anchored in the water. The frantic and generally unsuccessful efforts to reach the first base in time made the whole affair look very much like a game between two nines composed exclusively of cripples. In the sixth inning Horner struck a fly to Toffling, the pitcher for the Newingtons, who turns a somersault in his anxiety to take it. In the fourth, fifth and sixth innings William Adreon took the place of Williams, the right fielder of the Newingtons. The uniforms were useful, but decidedly not ornamental, being bathing suits—gray for the Newingtons and blue for the Our Boys. The idea of aquatic base ball, as an interesting variation of the usual way, originated with Messrs. Mann & Benolt. The Philadelphia Sunday Item July 15, 1883 Very few base hits were made. The batter if he succeeded in getting in any sort of a crack would seldom knock the ball further than a few feet, when it would disappear in the briny deep; then he would paddle away for dear life for his base; if possible he would throw himself on the ball in front of him and take it along with him, until the catcher, swimming up to him would upset his plans by grabbing his foot. The ball would be let go and the fugitive would make some further headway toward his base, when the catcher would splutter around waiting for the ball to come to the surface. He would then scramble for it and just as the man thought he had his base he would find the ball a second ahead of him. The scrambling for the ball and awaiting its coming to the surface proved the most amusing and most exciting part of the game. There was always some doubt as to just where it would rise and how deep it had gone. The fielders had the easiest time of all and for the most part amused themselves swimming along the outskirts of the field as unconcernedly as if no game was going on nearer than Oriole Park. The positions were undoubted sinecures. The second baseman made himself useful by swimming to first base, where with the first baseman he succeeded in getting most of the hands out. One or two very good double plays were made. It was a bad day for balls, no less than three being lost, in one case the Newingtons making a run. The loss of the third ball, just as one hand of the Our Boys was out in the beginning of the ninth inning brought the game to a close, when the contestants dragged themselves to the shore, after swallowing enough salt water to preserve them for years and with appetites warranted to dispatch the most leathery steak ever cut from an antiquated ox. All, however, acknowledged that it was capital fun. There is already some talk of these same clubs giving a similar exhibition at Cape May. The Sporting Life July 15, 1883 the Athletics gathering relics of the old club [a letter to the editor] I send you, by bearer, one of the caps won [sic] by the original Athletic nine. This cap was given to me by Mr. Elias Hicks Hayhurst, who treasured it very highly, and only gave it to me as a mark of warm personal friendship, and after frequent asking. It has been in my possession twelve years, and I would not part with it now but for the fact that, hearing that the Athletic managers are gathering relics of the old club, I feel that it is my duty to put it in their hands. I therefore desire to present the cap to them, through The Item—the first and foremost support of Our National Game. J.K.M. The Philadelphia Sunday Item July 15, 1883 |
| Source | Philadelphia Sunday Item |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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