Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 151, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 June 1920 — GAMBLING IN EARLY YEARS OF BASEBALL [ARTICLE]

GAMBLING IN EARLY YEARS OF BASEBALL

Intimately Identified With Game in the Late Sixties. Much Harm Was Done to Sport by Progenitor* of Present-Day Followers of Race Track Through Element of Chance. The old Cincinnati team was the pioneer salaried club of baseball, though there is a conflict in authorities as to the exact year In which the team went under salary, Edwin writes in Leslie's. In the Spalding official, baseball guide the year ij given as 1868, while Albert G. Spalding, in his book of memoirs, “Baseball.” gives the year, as 1869, and cites enough detail to make it evident that the latter date is correct. Anyway, it was in 1869 that the Red Stockings made their phenomenal record. The official records give 81 games won, none lost, and one tied withj.he Haymakers of Troy, N. Y. There is no doubt about the tie game and that no contests were lost, but both Mr. Spalding and Harry Wright, the heads of the team, give 56 as the total of games won. From ancient baseball lore, particularly the reminiscences of Mr. Spalding, who played a leading role in putting the game on Its feet, later saving it from the gambling and commercial element, and did much to popularize American sports generally, it is gleaned that gambling was intimately identified with the game in the late sixties, much harm being done to the sport by the progenitors of the present-day followers of the racetracks and other places affording opportunity for financial gain through the element of chance.