INTRODUCTION.
The American national game of base ball has reached a period
in its history, when it no longer needs to be referred to as a field
exercise, calling for particular mention of its peculiar merits. It
is now the established favorite game of ball of the American peo-
ple, and occupies a position in public estimation which no other
field sport in vogue approaches. The game has attained its pres-
ent position of popularity, not only from its adaptability to our
peculiar national characteristics, as regards its possession of special
points of attraction; but also from its value as a field sport which
presents sufficient excitement in itself to draw thousands of spec-
tators, without the extrinsic aid of betting as its chief point of
interest, the latter attraction being something which pertains to
nearly every other popular sport. Then, too, it should be borne in
mind that base ball first taught us Americans the value of physi-
cal exercise as an important aid to perfect work in cultivating the
mind up to its highest point. It is to the introduction of base ball
as a national pastime, in fact, that the growth of athletic sports
in general in popularity is largely due; and the game pointed out
to the mercantile community of our large cities that " all work and
no play " is the most costly policy they can pursue, both in regard
to the advantages to their own health, and in the improvement in
the work of their employes, the combination of work and play
judiciously, yielding results in better work and more satisfactory
service than was possible under the old rule. Thus, the game has
acted like a lever in lifting into public favor all athletic sports.
A great deal is said about the special attraction of this and that
leading sport of the day. The turfman thinks there is nothing
approaching the excitement of a horse race, which from the start to
the finish occupies but a few minutes of time. The rower regards
a three mile " shell" race as the very acme of sporting pleasures;
while the yachtsman looks upon all other contests as of trifling
importance compared with that ending in the winning of his club
regatta cup; andso on through the whole category of sports of the
field, the forest and the river. But if any one can present to us a
sport or pastime, a race or a contest, which can in all its essentials
of stirring excitement, displays of manlycourage, nerve and endu-
rance, and its unwearying scenes offskillful play and alternations
of success equal our national gameof ball, we should liketo see it.
What can present a more attractive picture to the lover of out-
door sports than the scene presented at a base ball match between
two trained professional teamslcole peting1 for championship hon-
mrs, in which every point, of play isiso-well looked after in the field,
that it is only by some extra displaySof skill at the bat, that a single
run is obtained in -na i full nine-innings game? If it is considered,
too, that baseball isa healthy, recreative exercise, suitable for all
classes of our people, there can be no surprise that such a game
should reach the unprecedented popularity it has.
(e)