NOTE: The following are double entries. Original entries February 2, 1921
The Beginning - Abner Doubleday (1813-93), U. S. army officer, is the reputed inventory of the game of baseball, likely in the 1840's. Baseball specifications are 3 inches in diameter, 9 inches around - circumference and 5 ounces weight. Round wood bats. (Aluminum bats had replaced most wooden bats except in professional baseball by year 2000.) Game played on a diamond-shaped square with 90 feet equal distance lines beginning at home plate and proceeding counter-clockwise to 1st base, 2nd base, 3rd base and return to home plate. A batter must complete this circuit to score a run.
Considering the present popularity of baseball, it is difficult to realize that the sport has developed almost entirely since the United States Civil War (1861-65). Before that time there were sporadic attempts to arouse interest in baseball, but it was not until the soldiers, who learned the game while in the army camps returned to their homes that the sport became a national pastime.
Baseball in 1862 required 9 men on a side as today, but was played without gloves, masks, or protectors, while pitchers tossed the ball to the batter in much the same manner as batting/hitting practice. These factors doubtless account for the phenomenal scoring power of the team at bat. Two scores, one from each team, were needed to record the tallies. . Some scores of the early years were 66-48 with the game lasting nearly four hours, 54-23, 83-57, 115-42 (8 inning game) State of Iowa Baseball tournament held in Burlington, Iowa, October 1867 with total prizes more than $1,000 was one of the earliest tourneys. During the year 1866, groups were organized in towns and cities throughout the country and records exist of a few ball teams in Iowa that year. By 1867 the baseball season had opened and teams were formed which contended for supremacy with neighboring groups.
Couple of renowned Iowa baseball players in the Baseball Hall of Fame are "Cap" Anson (1851-1922) of Marshalltown, Iowa, who was baseball pioneer in the early day era; Bob (Rapid Robert) Feller (1918 - living 2004) of Van Meter also renowned, pitched for the Cleveland Indians 1935 - 1956 military service 4 years).