Clipping:Indoor baseball 7

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Date Monday, January 13, 1890
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The Thirteenth Regiment Baseball Association is to be congratulated on the progress made in its experiment of . When the scheme was inaugurated about a month ago the obstacles encountered were so many and so discouraging that it was generally thought the plan would be abandoned. The boys have succeeded in overcoming most of the difficulties, and the exhibition game of Saturday evening last may be considered a success. Nine full innings were played in two hours and a half and, as a rule, the boys played good ball. It could hardly be expected that they would do as well as the crack amateur teams which play in this vicinity during the Summer. A majority of the regimental players are beginners at the game, and their showing is therefore the more praiseworthy.\

The principal drawback noticeable Saturday evening was the weakness of the light. The fixtures were excellently distributed, but there was not a sufficient pressure of gas on. One of the officers of the Association told the reporter that the burners on the fixtures were old and were not capable of burning a larger flame. If this defect can be remedied it will help the boys materially. With better light the catchers would have fewer passed balls and the time of playing a game would be shortened.

The ball used in this indoor game is much lighter than the regulation outdoor ball. It is also less solid. In consequence it is more difficult and tiring to pitch it and the catchers find it hard work to get the ball down to second base ahead of a base-runner. The main advantage, in fact the necessity of suing this light ball, is found in the batting. If the ordinary ball were used there would not be much left of the inside beauty of the armory after one or two games. As it is, the ball must be hit with great force to send it to the “outfield.” If it strikes the woodwork it rebounds without doing any damage.

The diamond used in the armory is not of a rectangular nature. It is elongated, and the distance from home to second is greater than from first to third. This also militates against the catchers, as the base lines are only seventy-five feet long—fifteen feet shorter than the regulation. The catcher must throw the ball just about as far as he would on a ball field, while the base-runner has fifteen feet less to run. This helps the base-running, which is after all one of the most attractive features of the game.

Source New York World
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Submitted by Richard Hershberger
Origin Initial Hershberger Clippings

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