Harvard president Charles Eliot disparages baseball.

(ca.) Eliot is particularly critical of the curve ball, which he calls a “low form of cunning.” He writes, “I heard that this year we won the championship because we have a pitcher who has a fine curve ball. I am further instructed that the purpose of the curve ball is to deliberately deceive the batter. Harvard is not in the business of teaching deception.” He later calls baseball “a wretched game,” and “one of the worst games, although I know it is called the national game of the United States.”