Yearly Archives: 2024

Marjorie Adams Named The Inaugural Doc Adams Award Recipient

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On October 9, 2021, the general meeting of SABR’s Smoky Joe Wood Chapter had a 19th Century Base Ball theme. Presentations on the 1884 season by Bill Ryczek, the popular game of Wicket in CT by Joanne Hulbert, Sunday Base Ball by Alan Cohen, and annual Retro All Star selections for 1876 to 1899 by Michael Murphy were enjoyed by attendees. The capstone of the meeting was Chapter President Steve Krevisky announcing Marjorie Adams as the recipient of the Inaugural Doc Adams Award. Marjorie Adams’ tireless efforts to spread the story of her great-grandfather, Doc Adams, enlightened and inspired many … Continue reading →

Historian and Author, Robert D. Sampson, Ph.D., Supports Doc Adams

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As a historian who has researched, written and published a book, several academic journal articles (including two on 1860s-era baseball) and has a manuscript on the early game under review by a publisher, it is clear to me that accuracy is essential. And that develops only out of intensive research revealing verifiable facts—not legends. It is from that perspective that I happily urge the election of Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams to the Baseball Hall of Fame. John Thorn, Major League Baseball’s official historian, and other researchers familiar with the 1840-1860 era have agreed on Adams’ essential role in the game’s … Continue reading →

Tom Fesolowich, President of the Mutual Base Ball Club of New York, On Doc Adams

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Tom Fesolowich is the Coordinator of The Old Time Base Ball Program held at Old Bethpage Village Restoration. The village hosts the longest Vintage Base Ball Festival that had its inaugural event in 1997. In 2015, it was renamed in Doc Adams honor, the Doc Adams Old Time Base Ball Festival. Two years ago [2019], Tom did a live Facebook stream of talk with Marjorie Adams, the great-granddaughter of Doc Adams. Tom shared some of his thoughts on Doc. “Doc Adams is to the true Father of Baseball. The game is so perfectly arranged and would change dramatically if bases … Continue reading →

Vintage Base Ball Association’s Gary Schiappacasse on Doc Adams

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The Vintage Base Ball Association is a strong advocate for getting Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams’s into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams contributions to the game have been documented in the “Laws of Base Ball” first presented to the New York area ball clubs on January 22, 1857. Doc Adams played the game, created base balls and bats, was the President of the Knickerbockers, and was elected as the presiding officer of the first conventions and Rules Committees to standardize the rules of the game. In addition he created the shortstop position, advocated for nine innings, … Continue reading →

Doc Adams Appeared On A Hall Of Fame Ballot For The 1st Time In 2015

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On October 5, 2015, Daniel Lucius ‘Doc’ Adams appeared on a Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, 153 years after he retired from the Knickerbockers. The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced Doc Adams as one of the 10 candidates on the 2016 Pre-integration Era ballot. This marked a major milestone on the road to recognizing Doc Adams with induction as a member of the Hall of Fame. Doc Adams has been dead since 1899; he is too well versed in the art of patience. John Thorn, Official Historian of Major League Baseball For a more detailed announcement … Continue reading →

Should Doc Adams Be In The Hall Of Fame? Of Course! (Part Deux)

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The response to the previous “Of Course” video was so great and so many great videos had been submitted that the folks responsible for it decided to compile a second one. Enjoy! As was explained previously, the vintage base ball community is rallying behind Doc Adams this year. Teams around the country sponsored “A Pitch For Doc Adams” events this year to honor Adams and raise awareness of his role as a baseball pioneer among ballists and cranks alike. As teams have been holding these events, some recorded and submitted clips about Doc Adams’ Hall of Fame case. These clips … Continue reading →

Chadwick Letter

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Baseball Hall of Famer Henry Chadwick and Doc Adams remained friends until Doc’s death. They often corresponded and reminisced about the ‘old days’ as is evidenced by this letter from Chadwick. 257 Green AveBrooklynOct 4 My Dear Doctor, Your most welcome letter of the 3rd Sept was just handed me and I answer it at once. It was not two weeks ago since I passed through New Haven en route to my home after a month sojourn with relations in Canada on my golden wedding trip. When I do happen to enter the Elm City again, I shall certainly call … Continue reading →

Collin Miller Of Mountain Athletic Club Vintage Base Ball Supports Doc

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Derek Jeter entered the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020 as one of the game’s elite shortstops. Coincidentally, not far from where Jeter captained the New York Yankees to many post-season championships, are the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey where the origins of baseball in America was furthered by several New Yorkers including the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club (KBBC) and the inventor of the shortstop (the first man to play the position for the KBBC), a Harvard-educated physician from New Hampshire named Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams, M.D. According to numerous reputable baseball historians, the creation of the shortstop … Continue reading →

Hal Bock’s Vote For Doc Adams

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For many years, Doc Adams contribution to baseball was overlooked. That’s a shame, because without him, baseball would have been a vastly different game. There would be no shortstop because shortstop was Doc’s invention, redefining the geography of the game. And the distance between the bases wouldn’t have been 90 feet because that’s the distance Doc introduced to the game. There might not have been nine players to a team or nine innings to a game. Both were Doc’s ideas. Daniel Adams, equipped with degrees from Yale and Harvard, played baseball for exercise almost 200 years ago and refined the … Continue reading →

Senator Richard Blumenthal’s Support Of Doc Adams

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Senator Richard Blumenthal expressed support for Doc Adams in the early days of our quest. When hoping to see Doc Adams on the 2013 Pre-Integration Era Committee ballot for consideration with a goal of Doc being recognized with induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame for his contributions to the nascent National Pastime. Unfortunately, Doc Adams did not appear on the 2013 ballot. However, with the boost of Doc’s recognition as the Society of American Baseball Research’s 2014 19th Century Overlooked Baseball Legend, Adams appeared on a Hall of Fame ballot in 2016 for the first time, falling 2 … Continue reading →