While Doc Adams was at Harvard Medical School he made the acquaintance of Oliver Wendell Holmes (Sr.), as they roomed at the same boarding house. In a bit of an interesting twist, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. has a tie to baseball as well. According to John Helyar’s classic, “Lords of the Realm,” baseball’s Reserve Clause dated to 1879, when the eight pro teams at the time opted to “reserve” five of their players…
Continue reading →The oldest existing game ball from a scheduled baseball match is on display in Cooperstown. It is from the game between the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club and the Gothams played on September 20, 1854. Doc Adams played in that game, batting 4th, had 6 Hands Lost and 1 Run scored. The Knickerbockers defeated the Gothams 24-13. The Book of American Pastimes (Peverelley) Knickerbockers vs. Gotham Box Score…
Continue reading →Not too long ago, I received an envelope from my friends, and Doc Adams enthusiasts, Michael and Zoe Fimbel, of Doc’s hometown of Mont Vernon, NH. The envelope contained a copy of “The Weir Times” dated 30 July 2026. In this issue was an article of interest, “The Doctors Daniel Adams Arithmetic and Baseball” by Robert Hanaford Smith, Sr. The article is about Doc Adams and his father Daniel. It talks about Doc’s father Daniel, his background, and specifically one of his books, “The Scholar’s Arithmetic, or Federal Accountant”. The article mentions Doc Adams playing with the Knickerbockers, making baseballs, … Continue reading →
The Doc Adams Memorial Classic was held on Saturday, September 16, 2023 to honor baseball pioneer Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams, M.D., one of baseball’s most consequential, yet overlooked, pioneers. Adams was a founding father of base ball and author of 1857 Laws of Base Ball. In 2023, the Doc Adams Birthplace Classic took a brief hiatus, as play shifted to Connecticut as the Doc Adams Memorial Classic. This marked the first time the annual event was hosted in the state where Doc Adams attended college (at Yale) and spent his “retirement” years. After his playing days, Adams moved to Ridgefield … Continue reading →
In 1875, at the invitation of his former Knickerbocker teammate, James Whyte Davis, Doc Adams was requested to play in a Knickerbocker Reunion game. No 17 University PlaceNew York, Sept. 13, 1875My old Knickerbocker friend,My twenty fifth anniversary of membership in the old Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York will occur on Monday the 27th I greatly desire to meet all my old Base Ball a…
Continue reading →The Fashion Race Course games were played between All-Star teams (pick nines) comprised of the finest New York area players versus the finest Brooklyn area players and was the 1st real All-Star Series. It was also the 1st time admission was charged to watch a game. None other than Doc Adams of the Knickerbocker Club was selected to be the umpire for the third and deciding game of this fir…
Continue reading →I’ve had my first research article published in the latest edition of SABR’s Origins Committee Newsletter. The article is titled “A Rediscovery Generations In The Making” and traces the history of the “Nestor of Ball Players” certificate that presented to Doc Adams by the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club upon his retirement in 1862. SABR Origins Committee Newsletter August 2026
Continue reading →In the ‘great’ match between the Knickerbocker and Gotham Clubs, won by Gotham 21-7, Doc Adams led off and tallied 2 runs. Per the New York Daily Times, “There was some fine batting by Dr. Adams…” The New York Clipper didn’t see fit to provide many additional details as “Where all exerted themselves so zealously, it seems out of place to go into details.” “Gotham Club of New York v Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York on 5 September 1856” on Protoball.
Continue reading →Today’s post is a bit of a sidebar. If you follow our site, you are familiar with the ‘Laws of Base Ball’, especially Doc Adams’ handwritten 1st draft. However, you may or not be aware that their provenance passes through Princess Constance Wilcox Pignatelli. She was the granddaughter of William H. Grenelle, who penned the formal copy of the Laws. William H. Grenelle and his wife, Julia Porter Huntington had seven children: Constance Wilcox was the daughter of Mary Hobart Grenelle and George Augusta Wilcox. She married Prince Guido Pignatelli di Montecalvo of Italy, which is how she became a … Continue reading →
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.” … “He was often asked in later years how the …
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