Baseball

[JWolf]

Re: Baseball

One thing to keep in mind for batting is that batters did not hold their bats with their hands together like in modern baseball- most batters had a couple inches seperating their hands on the bat. With the "dead" balls there also wasn't much power hitting.

Some of the early rule sets prior/during the Civil War also made use of a one bounce out rule in addition to the traditional fly-out.

There's a number of rules differences between 1850s and 1870s baseball.

Jim Wolf

[clairemorris]

Re: Baseball

Intresting image on Ebay here in the UK...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=014&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=330084036775&rd=1&rd=1

Kind Regards

Claire Morris
69th New York (UK)

[maineman]

Re: Baseball

As a Member of the Vintage Base ball ( 2 words back then) Association, Umpire for the Dirigo 9 in Maine, not only base ball, but rounders and town ball was enjoyed in the field and in garrison. A lot of bruising in town ball since you were allowed to "tag" the runner "dead" by actually hitting him with a thrown ball.

[BobSullivanPress]

Re: Baseball

Go to the source. Complete rules for Baseball and the Massachusetts game.

http://www.sullivanpress.com/images/...s/baseball.jpg

[sauguszouave]

Re: Baseball

I looked at the image on e-Bay and what impressed me the most was that there was absolutely nothing about the costume that was Zouave. The hat is not a chasseur's cap, the pants are not chasseur's or Zouave pants, and there is no vest, jacket or sash. I don't have Mark Rucker's book or the SABR references, so I'm curious if there is anything in them that actually documents the existence of a "Zouave" baseball team in Potsdam, NY.

I realize that lots of organizations used Zouave in their titles that didn't wear Zouave or chasseur uniforms, but a statement like, "The flamboyant marching band style uniforms so popular in the 1860’s reached their zenith in the Zouave outfits donned in emulation of Col. Elmer Ellsworth’s Civil War regiment of that name." would make me wonder if the author knew much about Zouaves or E. E. Ellsworth. When I think of flamboyant marching band style uniforms I think of high bearskin busbies, high stiff collars, white crossbelts, and tight pants with stripes down the side, a style of uniform very popular with militia companies during the war, but bearing no resemblance to the "Zouave" uniforms worn by either the U. S. Zouave Cadets or the 11th NYSVI. (The U. S. Zouave Cadets did, in fact, have a dress uniform that fit that description, but they were remembered for their chasseur uniforms, just like they were remembered for their Zouave drill even though they also did Scott's drill.) If the Zouave attribution in these baseball sources is based solely on the uniform, I think they've made a mistake.

Regards,

Paul Kenworthy

[Lone Guard]

Re: Baseball

As a Member of the Vintage Base ball ( 2 words back then) Association, Umpire for the Dirigo 9 in Maine, not only base ball, but rounders and town ball was enjoyed in the field and in garrison. A lot of bruising in town ball since you were allowed to "tag" the runner "dead" by actually hitting him with a thrown ball.

That's the way we used to play in gradeschool. You better not have an unfriendlly relationship with someone on the other team or you will be howling.

[maineman]

Re: Baseball

Your grade school didn't happen to have bars on the windows and concertina on top of the hurricane fence did it?

[Lone Guard]

Re: Baseball

Your grade school didn't happen to have bars on the windows and concertina on top of the hurricane fence did it?

No, it was a test to prove how "tough" we were. I can't remember one kid who didn't cry (this includes me).

Kind of feel bad for the new kids that just moved, they didn't have a clue.

[pvt. hardscrable]

Re: Baseball

At many events I attend there are baseball games arranged between 2 companies or regiments. We use metal plates as bases and gloves were not used.

[Rob Weaver]

Re: Baseball

One of our members carries a ball that we play catch and "baseball" of sorts with often. "The Boy's Book, circa 1825, has rules for rounders that are different from other rules that I've seen, including period rules for baseball such as those already cited. I suspect that it's perfectly legitimate for a pickup game of ball to have all kinds of irregularities, just as they do today: ie, bases not quite far enough (or too far), improvised balls and bats, etc. They were palying for amusement, not as professional or semi-professional clubs. We've used sticks for bats, and once the best we could do was a chunk of firewood. It was hard to land a hit but when you did, it was very satisfying!

[SouthernRifle]

Re: Baseball

I was at a mainstream event in Orange County, NY in October of 2004, where we played a yank vs. reb pick-up game of base ball. We were using a cloth covered ball, and a post from the breastworks as a bat. We were playing with the one out per side & peg the runner rules. The game was great. There were quite a few modern spectators as well as reenactors who were not up for taking theplaying field. Whenever the yanks got up, the confeds in the crowd would start heckling them. When the rebs got up, the yanks did the same to us. Unfortunately, our field was the battleground and was lined on one side by a marsh. Needless to say, about halfway through the game our ball went in the water. It was in so deep that it took a chain of six of us to get the thing out. I was the second to last guy in the chain, but somehow, I got covered in the most mud. That water was freezing.

Rob Weber
Co. D
3d Alabama

[Vicksburg Dave]

Re: Baseball

I found this in the Vicksburg Daily Herald, October 13, 1864:


"The club organized for the purpose of playing Base Ball will meet tonight at Wells' Officers' Club Rooms, at 7 1/2 o'clock. A full attendance is requested."

[billyreb61]

Re: Baseball

whenever me and my friends play, we don't use gloves and we play with a piece of stick we find in the woods. we also play with the rules already posted.