Clipping:Cricket and base ball
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| Date | Sunday, August 15, 1858 |
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| Text | MR. MERCURY: I have been attracted by your observations on the comparative merits of base ball and cricket, and venture to offer a few remarks, which, I assure you, are induced by no envious feelings, nor from any ungenerous motive, but a desire to place on record facts which you can readily verify if you are desirous of eliciting the truth of the question. You call base ball “the truly American game.” I claim that base ball is as much an English game as cricket. Forty-five years ago, base ball was regularly played at all the school grounds that abound in the villages of Newington, Islington, Kensington, Richmond, Chelsea, Fullam, Kennington, in fact, in all the villages around London. The game was generally confined to the smaller boys, as a preparative to cricket, and when the space was not sufficient for the latter game. At that period, I have played at it, times out of all computation, and the only difference between the game played then and that recently (comparatively) started into vigorous life here (and success to it most heartily do I say), is, that instead of the ball being thrown to the bases, it was thrown at the runner, and had to hit him before he reached the base to put him out. My late friend, and your late coadjutor, , thought very different of cricket to what you appear to. I apprehend that the reason why base ball is preferred, is that it can be readily acquired by any active young man. Cricket, on the contrary, needs early training, not only to acquire a scientific knowledge of the game, but to attain the necessary pluck to face the tremendous bowling of the present day. Either game is a healthful training to a vigorous body, but the “noble old game of cricket” will always command the preference of those who are not too lazy to encounter its fatigue, and who dare to face the music. AN OLD USED UP CRICKETER. As regards the origin of base ball, we beg leave to hint to our friend, that no one for a moment doubted, or has doubted, that the game was played in England, and is of English origin. We contend, however, that base ball, as played here at present, under the rules of the convention, is an entirely different game from that practiced by our great-great-grandfathers; and can, therefore, be claimed as an American game. It is an “adopted citizen,” doubtless; but it has been both naturalized and nationalized, and may also be said to have been “born again. |
| Source | New York Sunday Mercury |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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