April 7, 1849, Doc Adams was elected to his third term as President of the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club in New York City. The Club’s meeting was held at Abell’s, 474 Broadway. This was the last year of his first 3-year stint as president. In total, he served as president for 6 years.
Continue reading →Doc Adams was elected president of the Knickerbockers for the fourth time, winning an election held at the club’s April 5, 1856, meeting. This started his second 3-year stint as president. In total, he served as president for 6 years.
Continue reading →In April of 1905, a call went out from Albert Spalding looking to learn about the “origin of baseball”. Based on the Knickerbocker members he listed; his call was about ten to fifteen years too late. Now granted, the Knickerbockers weren’t really the first base ball club. And yes, Spalding had a personal agenda that eventually led to the establishment of the Abner Doubleday myth. Was Spalding even aware of the Doc Adams interview in the February 29, 1896, issue of the Sporting News (et al)? Not likely. Adams was humble and could not foresee what baseball would become; however, … Continue reading →
On March 31, 2023, Doc Adams was profiled in Fox News Digital’s “Meet the American Who” series by Kerry Byrne. The article is well done and helped increase awareness of Doc Adams and his contributions to the game. The article captured Doc’s love of the game and the role he played in baseball’s development and growth during the National Pastime’s nascent period. The article can be read here. “… Baseball had no ‘fadder’; it jest growed.” Henry Chadwick, Hall of Fame Member, On Being referred to as “The Father of Baseball” Chadwick probably said it best. Baseball did not have … Continue reading →
On March 31, 1845 Doc Adams’ father replied to a letter from his son. Below is an interesting excerpt from that letter. Unfortunately, the transcribed letter prior to this is dated June, 1844, so there is no way of knowing more about this “proposition” of “going to Springfield”. It certainly seems that some sort of employment position had been offered to Doc. This letter is also interesting because it is only one of two letters that provide a glimpse into Doc’s possible medical specialty of “stammerers”. Yet, his Harvard Medical School specialty (or maybe it was his graduate thesis?) lists … Continue reading →
John Thorn shared a very interesting obituary with me. The obituary was for an “expert penman” who died 136 years ago on March 30, 1888 at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. It was published in the April 2, 1888 edition of the New York Times. For anyone who may not be familiar with the term, n expert penman is someone highly skilled in the art of penmanship and calligraphy. Benjamin Franklin Brady (1834–1888) was a well-known artist in New York City and particularly recognized for his penmanship. He created a memorial for Congressman Webster Wagner, who tragically lost his life in a train wreck. Brady’s artistic … Continue reading →
To celebrate Opening Day in 2024, Kerry J. Byrnes, wrote an article, “Crackerjack, immortalized in baseball anthem is a grand-slam recipe at home, too.” It highlights the history of that “salty, sweet, and crunchy” snack that has been associated with baseball for over a hundred years. John Thorn, the Official Historian of Major League Baseball provided historical context for the article. Cracker Jack was already a popular ballpark snack when Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer wrote their iconic anthem in 1908, “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.” Byrnes also includes a recipe so you can make your own … Continue reading →
On March 26, 1862, Doc tendered his resignation from the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club. I shall not be able to attend the meeting of the Club this evening, and furthermore feel compelled to tender my resignation of membership. I do this with great reluctance, but in accordance with a determination, long since formed, never to remain an inactive non-playing member. It will be impossible for me to play during the coming season, but although absent in body I shall be present in spirit. My interest in the Club will never cease, nor can I forget the many happy hours spent … Continue reading →
The Rules Committee, chaired by Dr. Daniel Adams of the Knickerbockers, had met in February to make recommendations to the convention on rule changes, and Adams reported that the committee was unanimously in favor of the fly game. A debate then ensued, with Judge Van Cott supporting the bound version and Dakin and Frank Pidgeon of the Eckfords arguing in favor of the fly game. Thirty-seven delegates voted for the fly game while 55 voted against it. For another year, at least as far as the official rules were concerned, the bound game would be the game of National Association … Continue reading →
Not long ago I received an email from Tetsuro Tanino, a staffwriter for a Japanese newspaper, the The Tokyo Shimbun. He was “in the process of researching baseball shortstop and learned that Daniel Adams was the world’s first shortstop.” He had asked to use Doc’s picture and just recently sent a copy of the article (see below) with a note (translated by an AI translator). He said that, “The article is about 170 years ago, there was a wonderful man named Daniel Adams in the United States, and he was the first person to defend the shortstop in baseball. Baseball … Continue reading →