1859 college baseball-plain dress

[Collector46227]

This is the published information.

Kind of cool……13 players were selected from each team……..they were selected by ballot by the student body of each school. You had to play the entire game and substitution was only if you were declared disabled. Robert Beecher was the pitcher for Williams, he did hurt his arm but could not leave the game or be substituted, and instead he had to trade positions with another player from the field.

Neither team wore uniforms but the Williams players sported club belts. Each team provided a baseball and a bat. The baseball was a lead pellet wound with yarn and then covered by calfskin. An inning consisted of one out per team but the game still took a very long time it started at 11;00 AM and finished around 2:30.

There was of course a recess between the fifth and sixth innings much like in cricket.

I want one of these club belts if someone has one!!! : )-

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Collector46227

Neither team wore uniforms but the Williams players supported club belts.

The club belts would have supported the players. The players would have 'sported' the belts It was a symbiotic relationship.

(...since Barry isn't paying attention)

[Collector46227]

As the heading read:

Williams and Amherst
Baseball and Chess
Muscle and Mind

There was a chess match the day after the baseball game. Three of the players that played in these matches are listed as E.S. Brewster, Henry Anstice Jr. and Frank "Francis" H. Snow

Williams was not expected to win the baseball game, the Amherst team was made up of older players and it was noted they were more physical then the Williams team, however Williams was expected to win the chess match. This proved to be wrong as Amherst was victorious on both counts. The celebration of the doubleheader victory for Amherst lasted through the evening and carried on to the next day which was July 4th.

Here are the chess players:

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

How did you get your hands on this?

[Collector46227]

As the story goes........

These were obtained from an individual who had quite a large collection of items. They had been stored in the attic for well over 60 years and forgotten only to resurface recently and became available. They are not directly related to the families ancestory.

Not knowing what was truly in this small portion of what I obtained I was pleasantly surprised to learn this connection and the history that had been captured!

[Collector46227]

According to the Fiftieth Anniversary Report, E.S. Brewster was Williams College star baseball player and athlete. He had become ill and was not able to play in the first game but did play in the second game.

Williams College reportedly won the second game held one year later........1860

He was also a mathematical genius and was reported to have been able to play , blindfolded, several games of chess at one time. I wonder how they lost.

He died at the age of 21 after entering into the war.

[jhs5120]

Can we get the paper tested?

[HOF Auto Rookies]

Wow... What an absolutely gorgeous historic piece. Thank you for sharing.