Category Archives: Uncategorized

“To Me, That’s A Bad Election”

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Here are thoughts on the Early Baseball Era Committee. Similar thoughts apply to the Early Baseball Historical Committee that generated the ballot of 10 candidates. The 16-member Early Baseball Era committed elected two former Negro League players into the Hall of Fame last Sunday, and while Bud Fowler and Buck O’Neil are certainly worthy of the honor, five other candidates were left on the outside looking in. One of the 42 for 21 committee members that Jay Jaffe spoke to in Friday’s episode of FanGraphs Audio offered a blunt appraisal of the process when addressing SABR’s Southwest Michigan chapter on Saturday morning. Gary Gillette … Continue reading →

Early Baseball Era Committee Members

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No words… none at all. The 16-member Hall of Fame Board-appointed electorate charged with the review of the Early Baseball Era features Hall of Fame members Bert Blyleven, Fergie Jenkins, John Schuerholz, Ozzie Smith and Joe Torre; major league executives Bill DeWitt, Ken Kendrick and Tony Reagins; and veteran media members/historians Gary Ashwill, Adrian Burgos Jr., Leslie Heaphy, Jim Henneman, Justice Hill, Steve Hirdt, Rick Hummel and John Thorn. “Golden Days Era Committee, Early Baseball Era Committee Ballots To Be Considered Dec. 5 “, BaseballHall.org

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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 →

Baseball’s Book Of Firsts

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‘Baseball’s Book of Firsts‘ by Lloyd Johnson is a “A comprehensive guide to the record-setting achievements of baseball’s greatest players”. Now what would a baseball book of firsts be if it didn’t recognize the first ever shortstop, Doc Adams, the pioneer credited with creating the position. On February 29, 1896, the Sporting News published an article on Dr. D. L. Adams sub-titled ‘Memoirs of the Father of Base Ball’ in which Doc talks about his contributions to the nascent National Pastime.  In this article, Doc Adams is quoted as saying, I used to play shortstop, and I believe I was … Continue reading →

Echoes From The Ballpark

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‘Echoes From The Ballpark‘ by Alan Ross is a brief history of the National Pastime. In it, Doc Adams is recognized as a founding father of baseball. In 1904, Henry Chadwick, an early American sportswriter and baseball statistician, famously remarked, “Baseball never had no ‘fadder’; it jest growed.”… Although there may be no single, True Father of baseball, John Thorn (Official Baseball Historian of MLB) said it best in Doc Adams’ profile in the SABR Baseball Biography Project: “For his role in making baseball the success it is, Doc Adams may be counted as first among the Fathers of Baseball.”

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Peverelly’s “American Pastimes”: 1850

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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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Doc Adams – SABR’s Overlooked 19th Century Baseball Legend

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On July 31, 2014, Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams (1814 – 1899) was selected as the 19th Century Overlooked Baseball Legend by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). This recognition came in the bi-centennial of his birth. Each year SABR honors a 19th century player, manager, executive or other baseball personality not yet inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Adams joined the New York Base Ball Club in 1840. By 1845, he became a member of the famed Knickerbocker Base Ball Club and was elected as its president two years later. In 1848, he … Continue reading →

Doc Adams Old Time Base Ball Festival Is On!

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The 23rd Doc Adams Old Time Base Ball Festival will take place at Old Bethpage Village Restoration on August 1-2. The longest running Vintage Base Ball festival was renamed in honor of Doc Adams in 2015. This is an important year as hopefully Doc will be elected by the Early Base Ball Era Committee in December for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2021.

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Doc Adams Finally Appears On Hall of Fame Ballot But Falls 2 Votes Short

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On December 7, 2015,  the Pre-integration Era Committee announced the results of the voting on the 10 candidates on the 2016 ballot at the MLB Winter Meetings. Candidates needed to receive 12 of 16 votes (75%) for election. The committee failed to elect any one of the 10 candidates. Doc Adams received the highest vote total,  just 2 shy of the required votes required for election. This was Doc’s first time appearing on a Hall of Fame ballot. Although he was not elected THIS time, being the top vote getter, so close to election, was a major accomplishment. As recently as … Continue reading →