It quickly swelled into the shape of a gigantic question mark, the middle of which was a vivid crimson, and as this thunderhead-like column billowed upward through the sky, she could see a red ball of fire at its core.

-Agawa, Hiroyuki
  Of the atomic explosion, Hiroshima. Haru no shiro (Citadel in Spring, translated by Lawrence Rogers), ch.9.

This stone commemorates the exploit of William Webb Ellis, who, with a fine disregard for therules of football as played in his time, first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, thus originating the distinctive feature of the Rugby game.1823.

-Anonymous
ADPlaque at Rugby School.

The British'Sphere of Influence'öthe cricket ball.

-Anonymous
Mr Punch's Book of Sport.

The Master: records prove the title good: Yet figures fail you, for they cannot say How many men whose names you never knew Are proud to tell their sons they saw you play. They share the sunlight of your summer day Of thirty years; and they, with you, recall How, through those well-wrought centuries, your hand Reshaped the history of bat and ball.

-Aristotle
  'To  John Berry Hobbs on his Seventieth Birthday'.

I bowl so slow that if after I have delivered the ball and don't like the lookof it,I can run after it and bring it back.

-Barrie, SirJ(ames) M(atthew)
Quoted in Colin  Jarman The Guinness Dictionary of Sports Quotations (1990).

I gave you the end of the golden string; Only wind it into a ball, It will lead you in at Heaven's gate, Built in Jerusalem's wall.

-Blake,William
c.1804^1807  Jerusalem, plate 77.

Every ball isfor methe first ball, whether my score is 0 or 200, and I never visualize the possibility of anybody getting me out.

-Bradman, Sir Don(ald George)
Quoted in Colin  Jarman The Guinness Dictionary of Sports Quotations (1990).

Yet, when confinement's lingering hour was done, Our sport, our studies, and our souls were one: Together we impell'd the flying ball; Together waited in our tutor's hall; Together join'd in cricket's manly toil.

-Rochdale
  Hours of Idleness,'Childish Recollections'. Of his childhood days at Harrow public school.

There'snoskill involved.Just goup thereand swing atthe ball.

-DiMaggio,Joe (Joseph Paul)
Of baseball. Quoted in Colin  Jarman The Guinness Dictionary of Sports Quotations (1990).

Here lies, bowl'd out by Death's unerring ball, A cricketer renowned, by name John Small; But though his name was small, yet great was his fame, For nobly did he play the'noble game'. His life was like his inningsölong and good; Full ninety summers had Death withstood, At length the ninetieth winter cameöwhen (Fate Not leaving him one solitary mate) This last of Hambledonians, old John Small, Gave up his bat and ballöhis leather, wax and all.

-Egan, Pierce
  Epitaph on cricketer  John Small. Pierce Egan's Book of Sports.

The big houses sat in self-congratulatory propinquity on their level green lawns†stout matrons seated elbow to elbow, implacably chaperoning a ball.

-Gill, Brendan
  On a residential boulevard of Rochester, NewYork.  A New York Life.

  It cannot reasonably be doubted, but a little miss, dressed in a new gown for a dancing-school ball, receives as complete enjoyment as the greatest orator, who triumphs in the splendour of his eloquence, while he governs the passions and resolutions of a numerous assembly.

-Hume, David
^2  Essays Moral, Political and Literary,'The Sceptic'.

Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body, and stamp no character on the mind.

-Jefferson,Thomas
Quoted in Colin  Jarman The Guinness Dictionary of Sports Quotations (1990).

Turner looks a bit shakyand unsteady, but I think he's going to bat onöone ball left!

-Johnston, Brian
Radio commentary, during an England Test match after batsman Glenn Turner was hit on the box by a cricket ball on the fifth ball of the over.

If the wild bowler thinks he bowls Or if the batsman thinks he's bowled, They know not, poor misguided souls, They too shall perish unconsoled. I am the batsman and the bat, I am the bowler and the ball, The umpire, the pavilion cat, The roller, pitch, and stumps and all. See Emerson 313:39.

-Lang, Andrew
'Brahma'. Quoted by Alan Richardson in a letter to The Times, 18 May,1963.

Bodyline was devised to stifle Bradman's batting genius. They said I was a'killer with the ball', without taking into account that Bradman, with the bat, was the greatest killer of all.

-Larwood, Harold
  Of the'Bodyline'controversy. Quoted in Colin  Jarman The Guinness Dictionary of Sports Quotations (1990).

Conversation is like playing tennis with a ball made of Krazy Putty that keeps coming back over the net in a different shape.

-Lodge, David John
  Small World, pt.1, ch.1.

Let us roll all our strength, and all Our sweetness, up into one ball: And tear our pleasures with rough strife, Through the iron gates of life. Thus, though we cannot make our sun Stand still, yet we will make him run.

-Marvell, Andrew
c.1650^1652  'To His Coy Mistress' (published1681), closing lines.

If it be true That light is in the soul, She all in every part; why was the sight To such a tender ball as th'eye confin'd?

-Milton,John
Samson  Agonistes, l.91^4.

   All winter long, I am one for whom the bell is tolling; I can arouse no interest in basketball, Indoor fly casting or bowling; The sports pages are strictly no soap! And until the cry Play Ball! I simply mope.

-Nash, (Frederic) Ogden
  Quoted in Colin  Jarman The Guinness Dictionary of Sports Quotations (1990).