BASE-BALL, GAME OF, is sometimes said to be the national field-game of the United States, holding the same position in this country as cricket in Great Britain; it has, moreover, the advantage of being a more spirited pastime and far more interesting both to players and to spectators. The average time of a base-ball match is from 2 hours to 2i hours, whereas a match may extend to 3 days, and then remain unde cided. Base-ball was founded an the old English game of "rounders." but bears hardly any resemblauce to it in its present form. The first regular B. B. society, called the "knickerbocker club," was founded at New York in 1845. In Th57, the popularity of this game had increased to such an extent that a national association of base-ball players was formed out of the Knickerbocker, Gotham, Eagle, Empire, Baltic, and Harlem clubs of New York; the Putnam, Excelsior, Atlantic, Eckford, and Continental clubs of Brooklyn, and the Union of Morrisania, all of which were founded between 1845 and 1856. Prior to 1857, the club that was the first to score 21 aces, or runs, was declared winner of the game. but the national association decided to award the victory to the club that scored the largest number of runs, after each side had played 9 inninos. The war of the rebellion was a serious interruption to all sport of this character, but in 1865,- base ball began to regain its popularity and to be studied as a profession by ninny who devoted to it their whole time and energ.y, becoming experts and receiving pay. It natu rally followed that baseball players were classified as either professionals or amateurs, and thr.t. the latter could not be expected to play with the same degree of excellence aa the former; the amateurs, therefore. broke up the old association and founded, in 1871, the national association of amateur base-ball players. The other class organized the national association of professional base-ball players, which gave way in 1876 to the league association of professional clubs. In the summer of 1874, the Boston base-ball club and the Athletic club of Philadelphia sailed for Europe. to play a series of exhibi tion matches in England and Ireland, and caused much surprise at their skill in the game of cricket, acquired by their training as base-hall fielders. From 1871 to 1876. the Boston club, called " Red Stockings," held the championship pennant of the league association of professional clubs.
The ground chosen for a game of base-ball should be a clear, level piece of turf, not less than 500 by 300 ft.; a square of 90 ft. is then marked out by locating its diagonals, ansi a base is placed at each angle; the home base at the upper point. the second base at the lower point; standing on the home base and looking down the ground, the apex of the triangle on the right hand is the center of the first base, and the apex of that on the left hand the center of the third base. Forty-five feet from the front angle of the home base. is then to be measured down the diagonal of the square, in order to fix the center of the pitcher's position, which is 6 ft. square. Lastly. the lines which join the home with the first and third bases respectively, are prolonged, and posts, called foul-ball posts, are set on these lines not less than 100 ft. from the centers of the first and third bases. A ball is fairly hit if it first touches the ground, a player's person, or other object, on or in front of the foul-ball lines. There are nine players on a side, and the theory of the game is that one side takes the field and the other side goes to the bat; the positions of those in the field are as follows: The pitcher stands on his square facing the batsman at a distance of 45 ft. from the home base. The catcher stands at an optional distance behind the bats
man at the home base, and a man is placed near behind each of the other three bases. The short-fielder is between the second and third bases, behind the pitcher, as a general backer up of the in-field. The out-fielders are in the left, center, and right fields, at some distance behind second base, to catch the balls and return them to the pitcher or the base men. One of the nine generally acts as captain, stationing and giving directions to his men during the game. After the choice of first innings has been settled by a toss, the pitcher delivers the ball to the batsman by a toss, a jerk. or an underhand throw. If the batsman hits the ball and it is not declared a foul by the umpire, he must endeavor to reach the first base, and afterwards, as occasion offers, the second, third, and home bases. But if, before the batsman can reach a base for which be is ninning, a fielder, holding the ball, touches that base, or the person of the runner; or if the ball, bit by the bat, is caught before touching the ground; or if a foul bail be caught after touching the grOund but once; or if, after the batsman has struck at the ball three tunes in vain, he fails to touch the first base before the ball is legally held there—he is declared out by the umpire. After a batsman has reached the first base he is not compelled to leave it until the next batsman has struck a fair ball. A run is scored when a base-runner reaches the home base after touching the others in numerical order; if three players of the side are out before the runner makes all his bases, he fails to score. The umpire must be thoroughly conversant with the game, and all the minutia' of the rules. He is the sole arbiter of every point of play; whether pitching, catching, fielding, striking, or running. The catcher's duty is to catch all balls pitched to the batsman. The pitcher holds the most difficult position of the field side. His tactics are to deceive the batsman as to where a ball is coming, and he must be able to catch any balls bit straight at him. The first, second, and third basemen must all be sure catchers, swift and accurate throwers, and good judges of which base to send the ball to. in order to put an opponent out. The right; center, and left fielder must all be sure catchers, good long-distance throwers, and active runners. The ball must weigh not less than 5 or more than 51 07S., avoir dupois; must not be less than 9 or more than 91 in. in circumference, and be com posed of 1 oz. avoirdupois of vulcanized india-rubber, covered with worsted and leather. The bat must be of wood, a round stick suitable for handling and striking, and 42 in. long. The bases must be 1 ft. square. No game can be scored unless 5 innings have been concluded on each side, and no game can be drawn unless the play is stopped by darkness or the weather when the scores of the two sides are even. A ball which hits the bat without being- struck at, or hits the person of the batter or umpire, is a dead ball, and out of play. The foul-ball lines are unlimited in length, and extend in a straight line from the front angle of the home base, through the centers of the first and third bases respectively. A ball is fairly hit if it first touches the ground, a player's per son, or other object, on or in front of the foul-ball lines.
The eight clubs which represent the league this year (1880) are Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Buffalo, Boston, Providence, Worcester, and Troy.
BASE-COITItT (bmge-cour), the outer court of a feudal mansion, which contained the stable-yard and accommodation for servants. 'It was distinct from the principal quad rangle, and was sometimes constructed of timber.