Oregon Historical Society’s “Baseball’s Magna Carta: Setting the Rules of America’s Game” Exhibit Opens

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The Oregon Historical Society’s Baseball’s Magna Carta: Setting the Rules of America’s Game Exhibit opens today and runs through October 9. The public debut of the “Laws of Base Ball” authored by Doc Adams recently sold for a baseball document record $3,263,246. The papers are first being exhibited in Portland because the new owner, who chooses to remain anonymous, is a “friend of the historical society.” The documents “thoroughly change the early history of baseball,” the historical society states. The 1857 documents are the “first written-down rules of what became the modern game,” Oregon Historical Society Executive Director Kerry Tymchuk … Continue reading →

First Base Ball Game At Elysian Fields – 170 Years Ago Today

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What is often referred to as the first recorded game played under the Knickerbocker Rules (now believed to be yet another intrasquad game), took place on June 19, 1846, when the Knickerbockers lost to the New York Baseball Club (aka “the New York Nine”) 23–1 in four innings. Elysian Fields First Game

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Hallowed Baseball Documents Arrive Safe At (Temporary) Home: The Oregon Historical Society

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The “Laws of Base Ball” authored by Doc Adams, which recently sold for a record $3,263,246, arrived at the Oregon Historical Society this week. To find out more about the arrival of these historic documents and see photos of that exciting moment, read the article from the The Oregonian (see link below). Read “Hallowed baseball documents arrive safe at (temporary) home: the Oregon Historical Society”. The ‘Laws’ will make their public debut at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland next month and  will be exhibited from July 1 to October 9. The papers are first being exhibited in Portland because the new owner, who … Continue reading →

Oregon Historical Society to Host First Public Exhibit of ‘The Magna Carta of Baseball’

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The “Laws of Base Ball” authored by Doc Adams, which recently sold for a record $3,263,246, will make its public debut at the Oregon Historical Society next month. The artifacts will be exhibited in Portland from July 1 to October 9. The papers are first being exhibited in Portland because the new owner, who chooses to remain anonymous, is a “friend of the historical society.” The documents “thoroughly change the early history of baseball,” the historical society states. The 1857 documents are the “first written-down rules of what became the modern game,” Oregon Historical Society Executive Director Kerry Tymchuk told The … Continue reading →

James Whyte Davis’ Grave Marker Dedicated

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It was great to see James Whyte Davis, former teammate of Doc Adams, receive a proper headstone at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York thanks to SABR and Major League Baseball. Ralph Carhart of SABR organized a wonderful dedication ceremony on May 14, 2016. More on the event can be found in the New York Daily News. If you are interested in contributing to SABR’s 19th Century Grave Marker Project, more information can be found here.

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Doc Adams Elected Knickerbockers’ Vice-President 170 Years Ago

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The Knickerbockers held elections annually to determine who would serve as officials. 170 years ago, at the club’s second election, held on May 5, 1846, Adams was named the Knickerbockers’ vice president. At an April 1847 meeting, he became the president of the team, and was re-elected in 1848 and 1849.[40] He was the leader of a “Committee to Revive the Constitution and By-Laws” of baseball in 1848.

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“Laws Of Base Ball” Sell For $3,263,246

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The last hours of the auction for the “Laws of Base Ball” authored by Doc Adams lived up to its billing and did not disappoint as the closing bid came in at $3,263,246 setting a new record for the highest priced baseball document. “Adams’s hand in the sport’s early rule-making is not a revelation; instead, it is the physical record of his central role memorialized in the three surviving pages of his document.” This compelling artifact surely establishes that Daniel Lucius ‘Doc’ Adams is unequivocally a key Founding Father of baseball and deserves to be enshrined in the National Baseball … Continue reading →

And Now It Gets Exciting!

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The auction for baseball’s seminal baseball artifact, the “Laws of Base Ball” authored by Doc Adams now enters the home stretch. There always seems to be a lot of excitement when you near the finish line. Less than 24 hours remain in the auction and the bidding stands at $417,733. “Adams’s hand in the sport’s early rule-making is not a revelation; instead, it is the physical record of his central role memorialized in the three surviving pages of his document.” This compelling artifact surely establishes that Daniel Lucius ‘Doc’ Adams is unequivocally a key Founding Father of baseball and deserves to be enshrined in … Continue reading →