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

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On April 24, 2016, 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 … Continue reading →

Rules Adopted – 160 Years Ago

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The 1857 Convention of Base Ball Players met for the second and final time on February 25 at Smith’s Hotel, the headquarters of the Knickerbocker Club, with the following clubs represented: Knickerbocker, Gotham, Eagle, Empire, Putnam, Baltic, Excelsior, Atlantic, Harmony, Harlem, Eckford, Bedford, Narrau, and Continental. The clubs elected Daniel Adams of the Knickerbockers as president of the convention and then appointed a rules committee, made up of one member of each represented club. This was perhaps the most important meeting in the history of baseball. It was a meeting of the baseball clubs of New York City, and unlike … Continue reading →

MLB Has More Than One Daddy

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Harold Uhlman recently wrote a very interesting article on Think Blue LA titled “MLB has more than one Daddy” that explores the origin of baseball. It illustrates the misinformation of the past creation myths and shows that people are interested in the truth about baseball’s history. The story of Doc Adams and his contributions to the game continues to spread and will hopefully result in his election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020. The article is definitely worth a read.

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1857 Convention of Base Ball Players – 160 Years Ago Today

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The 1857 Convention of Base Ball Players met for the first time on January 22 at Smith’s Hotel, the headquarters of the Knickerbocker Club, with the following clubs represented: Knickerbocker, Gotham, Eagle, Empire, Putnam, Baltic, Excelsior, Atlantic, Harmony, Harlem, Eckford, Bedford, Narrau, and Continental. The clubs elected Daniel Adams of the Knickerbockers as president of the convention and then appointed a rules committee, made up of one member of each represented club. This was perhaps the most important meeting in the history of baseball. It was a meeting of the baseball clubs of New York City, and unlike the previous … Continue reading →

The Father of Base Ball ca. 1895!

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In doing some Doc Adams research, Cathy Ratzenberger, came across the article to the left. It was in the June 30, 1895 edition of the Saint Paul Daily Globe and pre-dates the seminal Sporting News article of February 24, 1896, “Dr. D.  L. Adams: Memoirs of the Father of Base Ball“. The full page containing the article can be found at the Library of Congress site. The most interesting aspect of the article is that Dr. Daniel L. Adams is referred to as the “The Father of Base Ball” and the “Originator of the National Game”. There is also a very nice … Continue reading →

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 →

Knickerbocker Meeting – 160 Years Ago Today

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By John Thorn, author, Baseball in the Garden of Eden When the Knickerbockers met on December 6, 1856, they resolved “to call a convention of the various base ball clubs of this city and vicinity.” The New York Herald, in reporting on this meeting, observed: “We understand the object of this convention is to promote additional interest in base ball playing, by the getting up of grand matches on a scale not heretofore attempted.” The anticipated outcome would be to inaugurate new clubs and to strengthen existing ones, by conforming the rules and making the game more “scientific” and difficult … Continue reading →

Doc Adams #17 On 40 Most Important People In Baseball History

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Graham Womack recently wrote a piece, “The 40 most important people in baseball history, ranked” on The Sporting News website. “The greatest thing about baseball, perhaps, is its history. In nearly 150 years of play in leagues and informal competition that goes back further, many people have made baseball’s history what it is today.” The article lists 40 players, but top executives, media members and even Supreme Court jurists who have done the most to shape Major League Baseball. Doc Adams appears as #17 on the list!

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