1840’s baseball american baseball history. i. early baseball 1840’s before 1846 baseball was a...
TRANSCRIPT
1840’s BaseballAmerican Baseball History
I. Early Baseball 1840’s
Before 1846 baseball was a folk game
Cricket clubs existed before baseball clubs
Only six games in a season
Irregularity is what marks the game:Not a set schedule
Made up rules as they went along
I. Early Baseball 1840’s cont…
1830’s Baseball evolves into two groups:Massachusetts Game - Town Ball
New York Game
II. Massachusetts Game
Massachusetts Game (i.e., Town Ball):
II. Massachusetts Game cont…
Ball = smaller than a tennis ball:2 ½ inch diameter
wood
II. Massachusetts Game cont…
Bases = wood stake
Score a “round”
4 ft. batter’s box:Catcher’s interference common
II. Massachusetts Game cont…
35 ft. distance from pitcher to home
Put a player out with a one bounce catch
One out = switch inning
Tallies, aces, rounds = runs
“100 Tallies” = game over
Player cannot quit unless disabled:No substitutes
III. New York Game
Open to anyone - particularly the middle class
1846 became more formal game
Social value – middle class players
Rules written down
Nine players on a side
“Gentlemen’s Game”
Teams composed of players with the same occupation
III. New York Game
Offense important
“21 aces” = game over
NY and Mass. Game compete with each other
NY is successful compared to Mass.:More commercial activity in NY
Larger population
III. New York Game
Field dimensions: