"A Good Many Different Kinds of Ball"

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In 1867 story, a father recollects boyhood ballplaying

by Tom Altherr, January 2013

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- From the January 2013 NDPost)

Inacharming1867volume,WinnieandWalter’sTalkswithTheirFatheraboutOldTimes,Times(Boston:J.E.TiltonandCompany,1867[1860]),pp.54-56),thefatherdeliveredanextendeddisquisitionaboutballgamesinhisyouthinNewEngland.Thatwasdefinitelybefore1840andmorelikelyinthe1820s,orthe1830satthelatest.(Thebookhadan1860copyrightregistration,sotheauthorpenneditinthatyearorinthe1850s).Thedetailofthisrecountingmeritsfullexcerpting:“IthinktheboysusedtoplayballmorewhenIwasyoungthantheydonow.Itwasagreatgameatthattime,notonlyamongtheboys,butwithgrown-uppeople.Iknowthatplayingballisgettingintofashionagain,butIdon’tthinkitisascommonevenyetasitusedtobe.Wehad,Iremember,agoodmanydifferentkindsofball.Therewas“barn-ball,”whentherewereonlytwoboystoplay,onetothrowtheballagainstthebarnandmakeitboundback,andtheothertostrikeatitwithhisclub.Thentherewas“two-hold-cat,”whentherewerefourboys,twotobeinandknock,andtwotothrow.Thentherewas“base-ball,”whentherewereagoodmanytoplay.Inbase-ballwechosesides,andwemighthaveasmanyaswepleasedoneachside--fiveorfifty,oranyothernumber.“Thentherewas“wicket-ball,”aswecalleditinthepartofthecountrywhereIlived.Inthisgame,twosticks,somefiveorsixfeetlong,werelaidonsomelittleblocksneartheground,andtheball,whichwasalargeone,wasrolledontheground,andtheonethatrolledittriedtoknockoffthisstick,whiletheonethatwasinandhadthebatorclub,wastostriketheballandnotletitknockthestickoff.Ifthestickwasstruckoff,thentheoneknockerwas“out.”Orifhehittheballandraiseditintheair,andanyoneontheothersidecaughtit,hewas“out.”Ifindthatball-playingchangessome,andisdifferentindifferentpartsofthecountry,butitwasaverywide-awakesport,andtherewasnogameinwhichItookmoredelight.On‘Lection-day,asitwascalled,ofwhichIhavespokenbefore,alltheboysandyoungmen,andevenmenwhowereolder,thoughttheymustplayball.Ontown-meetingdaysandtrainingdays,thisgamewasalmostalwaysgoingon.”

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Tom’s Comments:

Allowingforthesomewhat“in-my-day”tone,therearefewinterestingitemsinthispassage.Notetheunusualspellingoftwooldcatortwoo’cat.Wastheresomeactionofholdingtheball,holdingthebat,holdingtherunnerthatinspiredtheuseoftheword“hold?”Theinitialclaimthatballplaywasmorepopularinhisyouthisatfirstahead-scratchergiventhesurgeofpopularityofbaseballinthe1850sand1860s.Butwhatifhereckoningwasaccurate,ifonlyforhispartofNewEngland?Thatwouldbeinterestingevidenceforbaseballhistorianstryingtomeasurethetrajectoryofthegame’sdevelopment.Didwhathecalled“base-ball”moreresembletown-ball,ordidtheword“base-ball”haveawidercurrencythatwehavesuspected?Thedescriptionofwicket-ballseemsslightlyaskewfromotheraccounts--regionalvariationormemorylapse?Last,thecivicholidaysthatballplayaccompaniedwerenotalwaysinclementseasons.Trainingdaystendedtobeduringmilderorhotweather,buttownmeetingandelectiondaysoftenoccurredinMarchandNovember.Theauthor’spointsabouttheimportanceofballplaymaybestrongerthanatfirstglance,iftheplayersdidnotlettheprospectoffoulweatherdiscouragetheirzeal.