A Woman Explains Baseball

"You must come down and visit me when the base ball season opens," wrote the Detroit girl to her country girl chum.  "It's great fun to see the games.  There is so much skill and grace displayed.  The pitcher, I think--but, my! you never saw a game.  I will explain it to you.  The pitcher--a dear little thing--stands in the middle and throws a ball at another who stands in front with a long stick in his hand.  The thrower tries to hit this stick and the other young man, who is called the knocker, tries to so swing the club that it will be impossible for the thrower to hit the stick with the ball.  Some of the knockers become very good at this, and some of the darlings could stand there all day and never have their clubs hit once.  The catcher stands behind the knocker, and is just too brave for anything.  We girls think he is the nicest one in every club.  Some of the horrid men say they 'work the grand stand,' but I don't know what they mean.  I think the catchers are very cute and heroic."

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, April 30, 1884


I have to admit that I found that to be funny.