On July 30, NewsWorks.org asked me to cover a demonstration of old-time “Base Ball” — yes, spelled with two words. Players from the Athletic Base Ball Club of Philadelphia ran a lesson on how the game was played according to the 1864 rules. Participants included players from Mt. Airy Baseball and the Potter Pirates (a travel team from the D.C. suburbs of Maryland and Virginia), and anyone else who happened upon the New Covenant campus in Mt. Airy. Scott Alberts from the Athletic Base Ball Club schooled the participants in the differences between today’s game and that of 1864:
- players did not use gloves in the field
- fly balls could be caught on one bounce and still count as an out
- pitchers would get a warning before the umpire (called an “arbiter” in 1864) would call the first ball
- batters (called a “striker” in 1864) would get a warning before the first called strike
- three balls was a walk, three strikes an out
- catchers used no additional equipment
- players wore wool uniforms, caps and bow ties
- pitchers must throw underhand
Click the first image below to view the full gallery.