When I give baseball history presentations, I usually begin by saying that “As we all know, Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown, New York.”  The statement is usually greeted with laughs and smiles reflecting the increasing awareness that Doubleday had nothing to do with baseball’s beginnings. But this relatively frequent reaction should not lead us to become complacent. Any such thoughts got a rude awakening when I recently learned of a sign in Mendham, New Jersey proclaiming that Doubleday, who once lived there, was baseball’s “founder.”  It’s wrong, wrong, wrong!  Not only is there no evidence, Doubleday invented baseball, to … Continue reading →

“Anyone looking for the origins and development of the “New York Game,” what we know as baseball, invariably runs into “Doc” Adams at nearly every turn. The Doubleday and Cartwright founding myths have long been exploded. Yet, the man who was, to use a popular phrase, “in the room where it happened” and actually was the catalyst remains un-honored by the HOF. Now is the time to correct that error.” Robert D. Sampson, Historian “Doc” Adams was selected by a SABR wide election in 2014, as an Overlooked 19th Century Baseball Legend, implying that he is deserving, but not yet … Continue reading →

The Vintage Base Ball community is not being shy about their thoughts about what they hope will be announced at this year’s MLB Winter Meetings regarding baseball pioneer, Doc Adams. They’re wearing their heart on their sleeve (sort of) in an effort to demonstrate their support for the long-overlooked base ball legend that MLB Official Historian, John Thorn, referred to as “baseball’s most important figure not in the Hall of Fame.” Tom “Big Bat” Fesolowich, Mutual Base Ball Club president and founder, and founder of the National Association of Historic Base Ball Clubs came up with a novel and timely … Continue reading →