Spalding’s Trade Marked Base Balls. Our line of Base Balls is now so well known to the trade, and they are so thoroughly appreciated by the base ball players of the country, that it see ns almost unnecessary to call special attention to their superior merits, Spalding’s League Ball, hav- ing stood the severe test of the National League for the last seven years, and having again been adopted as the official ball of that leading organization for 1886, as well as most of the other prominent associations, gives it a reputation and sale une- qualed by any other ball on the market. It is made of the very best material, in accordance with the latest League require- ments, and with every League Ball sold is given a guarantee that it will stand a full game without ripping or losing its shape. Beware of cheap imitationsj no League Ball is genuine without our trade mark on each box and ball, and the autograph of on each label. To further protect ourselves and customers from the impositions of certain unprincipled manufacturers, and for the better protection of the balls, we have this season adopted a new feature of sealing each of our trade marked balls (from the $1.50 “League Ball” to the 25c. “Boys’ Favorite”) in a separate box, and purchasers ofour goods will serve their own interest by noticing that the seals are not broken or the balls tampered with. With the general improvement made in the quality of our full line of balls, and the new and valuable feature ofputting up all our trade marked balls in separate boxes, sealed and labeled to prevent counterfeiting, together with the extremely low- price made on some of the goods, especially on the cheaper grades, we believe we are offering the best line of base balls' now on the market. Special trade prices quoted to dealers on application. A. G. SPALDING & BROS., 108 Madison St., CHICAGO. 241 Broadway, NEW TORK, SPALDING’S Base Ball Guide -AND- Official League Book for 1886. A COMPLETE HAND BOOK OF THE NATIONAL GAME OF BASE BALL. CONTAINING REVIEWS OF THE VARIOUS ASSOCIATION SEASONS, WITH SPECIAL ARTICLES ON BASE BALL TOPICS OF INTEREST. TOGETHER WITH THE SEASON'S AVERAGES OF ALL PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS FOR 1885, AND ALSO The College Club Statistics for 1885. ADDED TO WHICH IS THE Complete Official League Record for 1835* Including the Playing Rales in their Revised Form; Official Record of all League Games and Players; and the Official Schedule of League Games for 18S6, AS ADOPTED AT THE MEETINGS OF THE LEAGUE. PUBLISHED BY A. G. SPALDING & BROS, NEW YORK AND CHICAGO. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1886 , by A. G. Spalding & Bros la the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. PUBLISHERS’ NOTICE. M Spalding’s Base Ball Guide ” again greets the base ball public with the official records of America’s national game. First issued in 1877, it has grown in popularity, has been enlarged and improved from year to year, and is now the recognized authority upon base ball matters. The statistics contained in the “ Guide ” can be relied upon, nearly all of them having been compiled from official records. The “Guide” has attained such a size— 160 pages -—as to preclude the possibility of publishing in the same issue the League Constitution in full, and other interesting League matter. We are therefore com- pelled, in addition, to publish the “ Official League Book,” which contains only official League matter as furnished by Secretary Young, including the League Constitution in full. Copies of the “ Guide ” 01 “ League Book,” will be mailed to any address upon receipt of ten cents each. Trade orders supplied through the News Companies, or direct from the publishers. A. CL SPALDOTG & BROS*, 103 2>v<£a,d.ison. St., £2^1 Broadway^ CHICAGO. HEW TOEK. Washington, D. C., March 3, 1886. By the authority vested in me, I do hereby certify that 111 Messrs. A. G. Spalding & Bros., of Chicago, ., have been granted the exclusive right to publish the Official League Book for 1885. N. E. YOUNG, Secretary National League of Professional Base Ball Chibs , THE SPALDING TRADE MARK. Experience has shown that in Sporting Goods, as in all other lines of business, unprincipled persons are always eager to prey on the reputa- tion gained by honest dealing and good business management. We regret to state that we have not escaped the attention of such parties, who have appropriated our original designs, styles and umes, and by using similar illustrations and descriptions, deceive the public into believing that the articles were manufactured ’fey us, and that we are re- sponsible for their inferior quality. A wide acquaintance with sportsmen, and an extended experience with the various sports, has enabled us to anticipate the wants of our patrons in secur- ing outfits, and to offer only such articles as were perfectly sat- isfactory for our own use, knowing by practical tests that they would serve the purpose properly, and be unfailing to the purchaser. In order to protect our customers, and to preserve our rep- utation, we have found it necessary to place our “ Trade Mark” on the higher grades of goods that we manufacture and introduce. The care and discrimination exercised in selecting only articles of the highest quality as being worthy of bearing our trade mark, has resulted in giving them a reputa- tion as being practically the best of their kind that could be produced. In our opinion a satisfied customer is the best advertisement that vre can have, and dealers and individuals will please bear in mind that on whatever article our Trade Mark appears, we guarantee it to be exactly as represented, and wherever just cause fqr complaint exists, we will thank the purchaser for re- turning the article to us, and receiving a perfect one in return, or the refunding of the purchase money. A. G. SPALDING & BROS., 108 Madison St., OHIOAGO. 241 Broadway, NEW YOBiS. OUR PUBLICATIONS* The popular encouragement given to the pursuit of Athletic Sports, Recreative Amusements, Gymnastic Exercises, etc., and the comparative scarcity of mediums of instruction on these subjects, suggested the publi- cation of our Library of Athletic Sports. The benefits of Athletic and other manly exercises, from an educational as well as from a moral and recreative point of view, are now so generally recognized that the right method of promoting man’s physical welfare should be readily accessible. No. x. Spalding’s Official Base Ball Guide Price each, IOC. “ 2. Spalding’s “ League Book a IOC. “ 3. Spalding’s Illustrated Hand Book of Pitching and Fielding a 25c. “ 4. Spalding’s Illustrated Pland Book of Batting and a Base Running . 25c. “ 7. Spalding’s Illustrated Foot Ball Rules and Refer- ts ees’ Book IOC. <( “ 8. Spalding’s Lawn Tennis Manual IOC. u “ 9. Spalding’s Manual of Roller Skating 25c. u “ 10. Spalding’s Official ^Croquet Manual IOC. “ 11. Spalding’s Manual of Boxing, Indian Club Swing- ing and Manly Sports t < 25c. “ 13. Spalding’s Hand Book of Sporting Rules and Training 6 ( 25c. “ 14. Practical Gymnastics without a Teacher 50c. Any of the above books mailed upon receipt of price. OUR COMPLETE CATALOGUE. We have just issued the largest and most complete Sporting Goods Catalogue ever published, containing over 1,000 separate illustrations of various articles used in sport, together with- a carefully prepared price list and description of each article. We have endeavored to make the illustra- tion and description so plain that customers from a distance can select an article quite as intelligently as if they had called at our Chicago or New York Stores in person. In addition to its value as a catalogue, it contains a complete and valuable set of Sporting Rules, embracing Athletic Sports, Archery, Badminton, Bagatelle, Bicycling, Billiards, Pool, Boating, Box- ing, Bowling, Caledonian Games, Club Swinging, Cricket, Croquet, Curl- ing, Fly Casting, Foot Ball, Fencing, Gymnastics, liana Ball, Lawn Tennis, Lacrosse, Polo, Quoits, Racquet, Running, Shooting, g’kating, Walking, Wrestling Rules. With each Catalogue purchased of us a certificate is inclosed entitling the holder to use it as 25 cents toward payment of goods where the amount equals or exceeds $1 .00. Mailed to any address upon receipt of 25 cents. A. G. SPALDING & BROS., 3,08 Madison St., CHICAGO. 241 Broadway, NEW YORK. CORRECT DIAGRAM OF A BALL GROUND Centre Left "Right' INTRODUCTION It is now over a quarter of a century since the game of base ball be- came popularized as the game of games for American youth; and within that period it has so extended itself in its sphere of operations that it is now the permanently established national field game of America. Unlike many sports taken up by our people, which have ridden into general favor on the wave of a public furore, base ball has come to stay. Not even the great war of the rebellion could check its progress to any great extent; in fact, in one way—through the national army—it led to its being planted in a Southern clime, and now base ball can be said to “ know no North, no South, no East, no West.” It has even crossed the border into Canada, and in addition, like cricket, has found its way at times to foreign shores. Within the past fifteen years, too, the national game has burst its youthful bonds, and from the amateur period of its early growth it has entered upon the more advanced condition of its career under the professional system, which system has developed its innate attractions within a single decade to an extent it otherwise could not have reached in thrice the amount of time.