HISTORY OF THE HARVARD NINE.

REFERENCE was made at the end of my last paper to changes which took place in college base ball playing in the year 1875. The principal of these was the introduction of curve-pitching by Mann of Princeton. The delivery of the ball had already increased in swiftness, and it was about this time that the addition of underhand throwing was introduced.

The '75 Nine was composed for the most part of new men, or of those who had appeared for the first time the previous year. Hooper pitched, but his delivery had ceased to be effective; Thatcher caught; Kent, the captain, played first base; F. W. Thayer, '78, second; Leeds, short stop; Tyng, third; with Tower, Ernst, and Latham in the field. Sixteen games were played, of which only seven were won. Yale won the series in two consecutive games of 9 to 4, and 11 to 4, respectively. Three games with the Bostons proved more disastrous than usual. The Princeton was the only college club over which our Nine was victorious, and the championship went to Yale. Our prestige in base ball had fallen, and after the victories up to '73, a period of defeat had set in.

1876 opened more auspiciously. Thayer was made captain, and all of the '75 Nine remained except Kent and Hooper. Wright, '79, proved an addition on first base, while Dow, '77, and Sawyer, '77, also showed themselves valuable acquisitions. Ernst took the pitcher's position, which he maintained for four years as no other college pitcher has done, while the outfield, Latham, 1, Tyng, m, and Dow, r, was as fine as any in the country. The last introduced the system of assisting a striker out to first: before that a hit to right field had been looked upon as safe.

Thirty-six games were played, of which Harvard won 23, lost 11, and had two drawn. Very strong professional nines were played, and beaten, as, for instance, the Lowells, 3 to 1; Bostons, 7 to 6; Rhode Islands, 11 to o; and the Fall Rivers, 6 to 3. Only one game in the college series was a defeat, and that was the second with Yale, in which the score stood 6 to 7 in favor of the blue. The Nine, imitating the example of the champions of '70, took a trip after Commencement and went as far south as Philadelphia. Leeds led the batting this year, with a record of .503 for total base hits. Taken altogether, the results of the year were eminently satisfactory, and no Harvard Nine since that of Bush showed so well, even with professionals.