The Massachusetts Game

Today's Boston Globe has a wonderful article by John Thorn. A member of the Society for American Baseball Research and the author of Total Baseball: The Ultimate Besball Encyclopedia, Thorn had a brief moment in the sun last year when he discovered that baseball, or something closely resembling it, had been played in Pittsfield in Western Massachusetts, in 1791, long before previously imagined.

Today, in response to the discovery of a mysterious artifact from a game played in Massachusetts in 1858, Thorn details the conflict between the"Massachusetts Game" and the"New York Game," the two main styles of play in the 19th century. The Massachusetts game was more physically demanding with greater risk for injury. The New York game was more effete, allowing clerks and the like to live up to Victorian ideals of masculinity while not requiring one to be an especially good sportsman.

The New York game ultimately won out, and gradually baseball emerged as it looks today.

By the way -- my singing group in Washington, Fair Game, just called me. Much to my great envy they are singing the National Anthem at the Orioles-Red Sox game in Camden Yards in just a moment -- we are somewhat regulars at O's games, though obviously since I have moved from washington my opportunities to sing with them have been increasingly rare. They are going to call me back momentarily and that little sound coming from Don's pocket will be me singing into my cellphone from across the Atlantic.

Update: They (We -- I did sing along) were absolutely fantastic. My buttons are bursting. Go Sox!!!