Category Archives: 2021

If I Had A Vote – Jay Jaffe

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Prior to the Pre-Interation Era ballot in 2015, Jay Jaffe of Fangraphs expressed his opinion on Doc Adams’ candidacy in his article “Breaking down the Hall of Fame’s Pre-Integration Era ballot, Part 1” in Sports Illustrated. Below is an extract from that article. Doc Adams, pioneer Roll over, Abner Doubleday, and tell Alexander Cartwright the news. No less an authority than MLB official historian John Thorn called Daniel Lucius Adams “first among the Fathers of Baseball” in a 1993 essay for Total Baseball and “the most significant figure in the early history of baseball” in his 2011 book Baseball in … Continue reading →

The Countdown Resumes

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We were this close last year when, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Early Baseball Era Committee election was postponed for a year. The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced that it was delaying the Era Committee Elections scheduled for the 2020 Meetings until next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, Doc Adams had to wait another year for an opportunity to appear on a ballot. This was the second delay to Doc Adams’ second chance at being honored with election into the Hall. Doc waited 153 years before appearing for the first time on a ballot in 2015 … Continue reading →

In Remembrance Of Marjorie Adams And Doc

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The Wethersfield Red Onion played the Woodstock Hilltoppers at Cove Park in Wethersfield CT in remembrance of their dear friend, Marjorie Adams, and Doc Adams.The spirited game was played by 1864 Base Ball rules. It was a beautiful day and a great time was had by all. The Hilltoppers outlasted the Red Onion, 10-9.

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Peverelly’s “American Pastimes”: 1849

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Doc Adams is mentioned often in Charles A. Peverelly’s 1868 book, “American Pastimes – Containing a History of the Principal Base Ball, Cricket, Rowing, and Yachting Clubs of the United States“. The Book of American Pastimes  is an American classic and one of the most significant baseball books ever written and is considered the first “official” baseball history in existence. 180 pages out of 556 are devoted to the game of baseball and team histories. It contains tough to find information regarding rosters and game scores during the 1850’s-60’s. 

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Vintage Base Ball Clubs To Boost Doc Adams Awareness

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On Saturday, August 28th at noon, the Fleischmanns Mountain Athletic Club (M.A.C.) return home to host the Mudville Base Ball Club from the Boston area for a doubleheader of 1860’s style baseball. The event will highlight the contributions of Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams, MD to the National Pastime and raise awareness for his inclusion on the Early Baseball Era Committee ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame elections taking place in December. “John Thorn, the Official Historian of Major League Baseball and extensive researcher of the formative years of baseball in America has stated that ‘he’s the true father of … Continue reading →

Knickerbocker and Excelsior Clubs

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August 20, 1858. Doc Adams played 3rd base and tallied 1 run. Harry Wright, in his first playing season with the Knickerbockers, played at short. Eleven years later he managed and played for the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first professional ball club. But he got his start in base ball with the Knickerbockers!!

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Memories Of The Father Of Base Ball (part 2)

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Buffalo, New York August 1939 Written by: Roger Cook Adams “During the present year when the centennial of the first out-break of base ball is being celebrated at Cooperstown, it may be of interest to record the important part played in the development of the game by an early member of the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York.” … “The first five years of the existence of the Club were evidently the hardest. Enthusiasm waned and attendance lagged. There was no inter-club rivalry, and often Dr. Adams would go to Elysian Fields and find only two or three others … Continue reading →

Baseball In The Garden Of Eden Flashback

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Back in 2016, The Sporting News celebrated the start of the 2016 baseball season by listing the best books ever written about the National Pastime. In “The 25 best baseball books of all time, ranked“, “Baseball in the Garden of Eden” by John Thorn was listed in the Top 10, crediting it with almost getting Doc Adams inducted into the Hall of Fame Class of 2016. The vote of the Pre-integration Era Committee came up just 2 votes short of the number required for Doc’s election. The subsequent re-discovery of Doc Adams’ handwritten “Laws of Base Ball”, will hopefully provide … Continue reading →

Henry Chadwick On The Father of Baseball

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On August 16, 1898, Henry Chadwick wrote Doc Adams responding to Adams’ letter congratulating him on the title of Father of Base Ball. Mr. Chadwick wrote: “That title of ‘Father of Base Ball’ is out of place. Base like Topsy ‘never had no fader’ it growed up.” Mr.Chadwick was being modest, however there were others who could share that title.

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1862 Knickerbocker Base Ball Club

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This is photograph of the New York Knickerbockers Base Ball Club taken in December 1862. This picture chronicles many of the key member of one of baseballs first organized clubs. Standing (L to R): Duncan Curry – First elected Knickerbocker President, 1845 and instrumental in formalizing the first set of base ball rules. Walter T. Avery – Played in the first Knickerbocker game on June 19, 1846 at Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey. Was elected Vice President in 1861 and 1864. Henry T. (Tiebout) Anthony – Early member of the Knickerbockers, was elected Treasurer in 1851 and 1852 and … Continue reading →