Some interesting trivia about early baseball

Currier & Ives print of early Baseball game. Legend reads, “The American National Game of Baseball. Grand match for the championship at the Elysian Fields, Hoboken, N.J."

They did not play nine innings until 1857.Before that the winner was the first to score 21 runs.

Gloves were not used until the late 1870's and were not common until the 1890's. Vintage Base Ball teams today almost always play barehanded.

Before 1865 an out could be made if the ball was caught before it touched the ground OR on the first bounce (called the Bound Game).A foul ball was still an out if caught on one bounce until 1883.

Until 1876, a batted ball was fair or foul depending on where it hit the ground first.It did not have to stay fair past the bases.

Balls and Strikes were not called before the early 1860's and then only at the discretion of the umpire.The early 1870's saw limits of 3 balls and 3 strikes and the batter could request where he wanted the ball to be pitched.In 1879, nine balls constituted a walk, in 1880 eight, 1884 six, 1887 five (and four strikes), and finally today's three strikes and four balls in 1889.

Pitchers could only deliver the ball below the waist until 1883.They pitched from a 3X6 pitching box 45 feet away in the early 1860's.The pitching rubber was introduced in 1893.