What the hell was indoor baseball?!!!!

[Shoeless Moe]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-1904...item53f7682303

I've seen this over the years, and seen vintage baseballs marked "indoor" baseball, but where did they actually play these games????

I can't envision any superdome type arena's where they could actually have a raised high enough ceiling.

[tachyonbb]

http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports...9/NP1989zv.pdf

The Library of Congress has a number of digitized Spalding Guides including a bunch of "Official Indoor Baseball Guides".
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/browse/L...ts,+Recreation
click on the Spalding Guides link.

Base lines were between 28 and 35 ft long. The ball was 16 3/4 inches in diameter. The precursor of softball. The bat was 1 3/4th inches in diameter. Seven to nine players on a side.

Played in gymnasiums and National Guard Armories. Competed with basketball.

[steve B]

We played it in gym calss for maybe a month. Tough version of the game, no curves possible, but even a mediocre high school fastball is just about impossible to hit. We used a half court setup and balls hit off the dividing wall were in play. Over the dividing wall - through a 2-3 ft high space 20ft up with girders in the way as well - was a home run. And right field was screened from all but line drives by the basketball net/backboard- also in play.

The ball we had was really soft. I'd think hitting it anywhere over 100ft would be a very hard hit ball.

Steve B

[jcmtiger]

Here is a Ty Cobb Indoor bat sold by W.B. Jarvis in 1913-14 era. Cobb was invested in this company which had stores in Detroit Michigan and Grand Rapids Michigan.

Joe