Base Ball vs. Baseball

[ruth-gehrig]

I've searched the internet with no luck. I'm trying to figure out the history of the spelling "base ball" as opposed to the more modern word of "baseball". I've got a couple broadsides with "base ball" on them but was wondering when the transition to "baseball" took place? Anyone know? Thanks, Michael

[Jcfowler6]

Michael does this help at all?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origins_of_baseball

[sycks22]

I believe the game was originally called "base". I don't know the exact time when it switched to baseball. Best of luck in your search.

[william_9]

Generally speaking, it was a gradual transition from roughly the turn of the century into the 1930s or so. It really depended on the context and who was writing the copy. Both were accepted spellings until baseball eventually won favor.

[Butch7999]

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=126241

[BrandonG]

This was a tough subject when it came to writing pieces of my book and even the title. So I went with what the ball itself was called. Up until the late 1950's, Spalding was still calling its product a Base Ball. All of the packaging still separated the two words making it pretty clear that you were playing with a Base "Ball". I recently had a publisher (whom was trying to make an offer on my book) try to tell me I was 100% wrong about it being referred to as Base Ball. He was pulling up articles written in 1908 and 1940's calling the sport baseball. He didn't go over very well with me so I just stopped emailing, insulting a potential client isn't the best way to start a relationship. Anyway Like Bill was saying both spellings were acceptable. But when referring to the ball itself, it was still a Base Ball through the 1950's, and a good way to explain that is you're not playing baseball with a baseball ball, you were playing with a Base Ball.