The vintage base ball community rallied behind Doc Adams in 2024. Teams around the country sponsored “A Pitch For Doc Adams” events to honor Adams and raise awareness of his role as a baseball pioneer among ballists and cranks alike. As teams held these events, some recorded and submitted clips about Doc Adams’ Hall of Fame case. These clips were reviewed, selected, and compiled into…
Continue reading →On October 9, 2021, the general meeting of SABR’s Smoky Joe Wood Chapter had a 19th Century Base Ball theme. Presentations on the 1884 season by Bill Ryczek, the popular game of Wicket in CT by Joanne Hulbert, Sunday Base Ball by Alan Cohen, and annual Retro All Star selections for 1876 to 1899 by Michael Murphy were enjoyed by attendees. The capstone of the meeti…
Continue reading →On October 5, 2015, Daniel Lucius ‘Doc’ Adams appeared on a Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, 153 years after he retired from the Knickerbockers. The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced Doc Adams as one of the 10 candidates on the 2016 Pre-integration Era ballot. This marked a major milestone on the road to recognizing Doc Adams with induction as a member …
Continue reading →Baseball Hall of Famer Henry Chadwick and Doc Adams remained friends until Doc’s death. They often corresponded and reminisced about the ‘old days’ as is evidenced by this letter from Chadwick. 257 Green AveBrooklynOct 4My Dear Doctor,Your most welcome letter of the 3rd Sept was just handed me and I answer it at once.It was not two weeks ago since I passed through New Haven en route to my home after a month sojourn …
Continue reading →In 2018, the highlight of Mont Vernon, NH’s annual Lamson Farm Day was the unveiling signs recognizing Mont Vernon as Doc Adams’ birthplace and his role as a Founding Father of Base Ball. It was even more special with Doc’s great-granddaughters, Marjorie Adams and Nancy Downey, in attendance. The signs were attached to the Welcome to Mont Vernon signs on Route 13, becoming the 1st permanent tributes…
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: “I really hope you will favor me with your company and with old associations and memories dear to all lovers of the game in the good old fashioned Knickerbocker style.” On September 27, 1875, the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club held the reun…
Continue reading →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 →
