CHARLES A. PEVERELLY
In its early years, professional baseball was much different than the game it is today. Players didn’t make millions of dollars, games were all played during the daytime, and baseball was much more of a community sport. This excerpt traces the origins of baseball and how it became “America’s Pastime.” It is an unintentionally stilted, but interesting, look into the days of baseball’s founding, written by Peverelly in 1866.
The game of Baseball has now become beyond question the leading feature of the out-door sports of the United States, and to account for its present truly proud position, there are many and sufficient reasons. It is a game which is peculiarly suited to the American temperament and disposition; the nine innings are played in the brief space of two and one half hours, or less. From the moment the first striker takes his position, and poises his bat, it has an excitement and vim about it, until the last hand is put out in the ninth innings. There is no delay or suspense about it, from beginning to end; and even if one feels disposed to leave the ground, temporarily, he will generally waive his desire, especially if it is a close contest, from fear of missing some good point or clever effort of the trial.
An American assemblage cannot be kept in one locality for the period of two or three hours, without being offered something above the ordinary fun of excitement and attraction. They are too mercurial and impulsive a race not to get drowsy and dissatisfied with anything which permits their natural ardor to droop even for a brief space of time. Hence their congeniality with, and partiality for Base Ball, which game caters to their inclination and desires to a nicety; in short, the pastime suits the people, and the people suit the pastime.
It is also, comparatively, an economical recreation; the uniform is not costly, the playing implements, colors, and furnishing of a neat club-room, need not occasion an extravagant outlay when divided, pro rata, by the members of a full club . . . Base Ball does not demand from its votaries too much time or rather, too great a proportion of the day. In the long sunshiny days of summer, games are frequently commenced at for [sic] and even five o’clock in the afternoon, and completed some time before sunset. Consequently the great mass, who are in a subordinate capacity, can participate in this health-giving and noble pastime.
The game stands today in a proud and fairly-won position—scarcely requiring eulogy from any source. Dating from the years when the old Knickerbocker Club, closely followed by the Gotham, Eagle, and Empire, gave their colors to the breeze as rallying points for the lovers of the game to master at, it has grown with giant strides until its organization are the pride of numberless villages, towns, and cities, all over the land. Wherever established, it has quickly had the sentiment and good feeling of the community with it, and with scarcely an effort, achieved solid popularity. Having no debasing attributes, and being very worthy of the presence of the good and the refined, it has everywhere been countenanced and encouraged by our best citizens; and of the thousands who gather at important matches, we have always noted with sincere gratification that the lades constituted an honored proportion.
220
The game originated in Great Britain, and is familiarly known there as the game of Rounders . . . the merest outline of what is now termed by the American press and public The National Game.