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.

A Burlesque Of Base Ball

Fourteen females of various ages occupied the floor of Armory Hall yesterday afternoon and executed rather tame feats in running, sliding and screaming for the entertainment of 200 persons who stubbornly refused to say they were entertained. Divided into two squads they constituted two sevens, who furnished diversion in the shape of a burlesque of base ball. The features of the play are not worthy of notice, and it is only necessary to state that the management in appealing to gross tastes for support was signally unsuccessful in extracting funds from the public. The women wore long dresses and jockey caps and acted in a mechanical way that showed they had no love for the game. As there was no object for either team to play no public score was kept and neither players, spectators, nor admirers manifested any interest in the result.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 20, 1883

Blondes Vs. Brunettes

The Philadelphia aggregation of female base ball players, consisting of nine blondes and nine brunettes, having failed to induce the ungallant foot ball kickers to give them Sportsman's Park for this afternoon, have engaged the large hall of the Armory building, and will exhibit there every afternoon during this week and Saturday night. Their first appearance will occur on Monday at 3 p.m.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 18, 1883