GATEWAY to the MAJORS ppt

[...]... In 1893, the National League (organized baseball’s governing body, founded in 1876) lengthened the distance between the mound and home plate to sixty feet and six inches to placate batters and restore balance to the game In the wake of these changes, catchers wore padded gloves and protective equipment for the first time and positioned themselves directly behind the batter to 9 Gateway to the Majors receive... the above rules 9 The above rules will be rigidly enforced and the person violating them will be subject to a fine of $2 or more, according to the nature of the offense The WG&B reported that ‘ the Association believes that the players selected will at all times conduct themselves as gentlemen, and so recommends them to the public.’’ Beyond the need for discipline inherent within any organization, these... permitted 5 They shall be held responsible for such masks, gloves, and other property as may be furnished them by the association 6 No taunting or slurring one by another will be allowed, as it is liable to breed bad feeling 7 When away from home for the purpose of playing ball they shall report to the manager at the hotel where they are stopping at 10:00 . 8 The captain shall report to the manager... libations usually followed the exchange of fraternal greetings by the respective club members Central to the festivities was the presentation of a gilded game ball, inscribed with the score and date of the game, to the victors These rituals cemented the reconciliation of the baseball brotherhood following intense competition After defeating the Erie Excelsiors on August 18, 1866, the Williamsport club hosted... supplanted the gentleman’s game of the previous decade The exploits of skilled professional players and teams such as the Cincinnati Red Stockings, publicized by the sporting press of the day, stoked fan interest in the professional game Though Williamsport’s amateur teams still played, their match games were sedate affairs when compared to the raucous barnstorming exploits of the Red Stockings and the skilled... of the city and its newfound wealth, the lumber barons intended to spend liberally on luring the best players Around 1882 they began the movement to organize Williamsport’s first professional baseball team Their drive coincided with the proliferation of professional baseball leagues all across the country and the entry of smaller cities into the professional game during the 1880s In the wake of the. .. the games Three of those games lasted only to the seventh inning, owing to frequent disputes that erupted on the field and in the stands Williamsport and the State Association Williamsport entered professional league play for the first time in 1886 when the club joined Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Lancaster, Lewistown, and Altoona as members of the 17 Gateway to the Majors Pennsylvania State Association or... evening complimentary dinner for the visitors at the renowned Herdic Hotel The postgame banquet was reported to have been a meal that ‘‘would tickle the most epicurean taste.’’ Following innumerable toasts to their respective cities, the Erie team presented a team photograph to the Williamsport club, while the hosts responded with a ‘‘handsome set of engraved resolutions’’ for the Excelsiors While vestiges... Williamsport Though rounders and townball—early versions of baseball—had long been played upon the city’s common grounds, this first Gateway to the Majors baseball game ushered the city into the sports and leisure revolution sweeping countless urban and industrialized communities in America during the second half of the nineteenth century The partisan nonpaying crowd saw its hometown nine, the Williamsport Athletic... railroad to attend games, and substantial money was wagered on the outcome of the series William Baldwin, then general superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad at Williamsport, was renowned for rolling out his private rail car and inviting friends to accompany him on the road trip to Lock Haven To accommodate larger crowds, the Portboys relocated from the Pleasant Green to the infield concourse of the . class="bi x0 y0 w0 h0" alt="" GATEWAY to the MAJORS 8602$$ $$FM 04-02-01 10:26:49 PS Image not available GATEWAY to the MAJORS Williamsport and Minor. xiii Introduction 1 1 Town Ball to Pro Ball: The City Adopts a Game 7 2 Boosters, Promoters, and Promotions 45 3 Bowman Field: Gateway to the Majors 77 4 The New York-Pennsylvania