Indoor Baseball
From BR Bullpen
"Indoor base ball has taken a firm hold on patrons of the game here . . ." - from Sporting Life, January 31, 1891, about indoor baseball in Chicago
"Indoor baseball, both from a spectacular point of view and from the benefit and pleasure it gives participants, is in every way worthy to take a high place among the Winter sports." - from a New York Times article , November 26, 1900, about the growing popularity of the sport of indoor baseball
The game of Indoor Baseball was popular in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. When it moved outside, it was renamed softball.
It was said to have been invented in Chicago in 1887, and spread to other cities where winters were cold. A national association was formed for the sport, and it became popular in many cities of the U.S.
At least one major leaguer, Al Baschang, played indoor baseball.
Main source: New York Times, November 26, 1900.
She Donahue also played indoor baseball (see his BR Bullpen article).
A number of guides were published by Al Spalding's company.
The 1919 Encyclopedia Americana has an entry for Indoor Baseball, saying that it is played in a hall at least 40 by 50 feet in size. Two outfielders may be "dispensed", leaving seven people on a team. The ball could be as big as 17 1/4 inches around, while the bat could not be bigger than 1 3/4 inches around.
In 1939, the National Professional Indoor Baseball League was started, but professional indoor baseball did not last. Tris Speaker was involved with the NPIBL as league president. Team managers included Gabby Street, Bill Wambsganss, Bubbles Hargrave, Moose McCormick, and Harry Davis. Sources: The Story of Indoor Baseball and Time Magazine article from November 27, 1939.
In 2008, a new indoor baseball phenomenon called Arena Softball is becoming popular. See Arena Softball
Baseball played in fields with domes is also sometimes called "indoor baseball".
"A person . . . should attend some of the indoor games of base ball now going on in this city. . . A game is played somewhere about the city every night, and big crowds are invariably the rule." - a report on indoor basball in Cleveland, from Sporting Life, January 14, 1893
