rs was popular between 1825 and 1840, but meantime there had been
many other forms of ball playing, one called "town ball," which was played
as early as 1833 by the Olympic Club of Philadelphia, the first
organization of its kind in America.

In New England a game called the "New England," in contrast with the "New
York" game, was played. The "New England" was played with a small and
light ball, thrown overhand to the bat, while in the "New York" a large
and elastic ball was used.

Threw Balls at Player.

Before baseball, as recognized as the game of to-day, came into vogue, the
rules allowed a man to be declared out if he were struck by a thrown ball.
This schoolboy rule was soon abolished, and it was required that a runner
had to be touched to be ruled out. This was the first departure from the
primitive rules.

At this period, too, the game was won by the club making the largest
number of "aces" or runs in a given time. Then was substituted the idea of
team innings, the club scoring the largest number of runs in nine innings
was pronounced the winner in a match.

The rudimentary character of the game in its infancy can, moreover, be
seen from the fact that under the first code of rules the pitcher could
deliver the ball as wildly as he chose, for there was no penalty for poor
pitching. The batsman, on the other hand, could offer at the ball when he
felt so disposed.

In 1845 baseball had become a recognized sport. It had passed the period
when it was looked upon merely as a schoolboy's game, for in September of
that year the Knickerbocker Club, of New York, was formed. At the same
time a code of rules was adopted, and these form the basis of the
elaborate laws of the game to-day.

This first code was as follows:

"Section 1--The bases from 'home' to second base, forty-two paces; from
first to third base, forty-two paces, equidistant.

"Sec. 2--The game to consist of twenty-one counts or aces, but at the
conclusion an equal number of hands must be played.

"Sec. 3--The ball must be pitched and thrown for the bat.

"Sec. 4--A ball knocked outside the range of the first or the third base
is a foul.

"Sec. 5--Three balls being struck at and being missed, and the last one
caught, is a hand out; if not caught is considered fair, and the striker
is bound to run.

"Sec. 6--A ball being struck or tipped and caught either flying or on the
first bound, is a hand out.

"Sec. 7--A player running the bases shal