“Examine the Evidence”, Historian Brian Sheehy

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As an educator and historian it is essential for us to consistently reexamine and reassess our interpretation of history and the impact and influence that people, events, and places have on that history. Thankfully MLB and the Baseball HOF have started this process with reexamining the Negro League and the statistics of those players. I am not going to rehash the many deeds that Doc Adams did to contribute to the game of baseball, as many of my fellow players and historians have already done but I think it is time for the baseball community to acknowledge and celebrate the … Continue reading →

Surprise Support Received For Doc Adams

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At the Fleischmanns 2021 Labor Day Street Fair, Collin ‘Stumpy’ Miller collected signatures for our Doc Adams’ petition. This was the second of two events in 2021 at Fleischmanns that garnered support for Doc Adams (Fleischmanns Mountain Athletic Club & Mudville Base Ball Club Raise Awareness).  Of special interest was the last person to sign the petition at the end of the day, Chris Moore. Moore’s great grandfathers’ uncle was Charle DeBost, who was a teammate of Doc’s on the 1859 Knickerbocker Base Ball Club and pictured to the immediate left of Doc (Doc’s right) in the famous photo on display … Continue reading →

Knickerbockers Vs. The Gothams

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In the ‘great’ match between the Knickerbocker and Gotham Clubs, won by Gotham 21-7m 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.

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Historians, Authors, And Writers Weigh In On Doc Adams

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“Anyone looking for the origins and development of the “New York Game,” what we know as baseball, invariably runs into “Doc” Adams at nearly every turn. The Doubleday and Cartwright founding myths have long been exploded. Yet, the man who was, to use a popular phrase, “in the room where it happened” and actually was the catalyst remains un-honored by the HOF. Now is the time to correct that error.” Robert D. Sampson, Historian “Doc” Adams was selected by a SABR wide election in 2014, as an Overlooked 19th Century Baseball Legend, implying that he is deserving, but not yet … Continue reading →

Baseball Historian Graham Womack On Doc Adams

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As a historian, I care about accuracy and preserving what really happened in baseball’s history. Enshrining Doc Adams in the Hall of Fame would be a great way to honor this. The creator of this website, Roger J. Ratzenberger, Jr. does a nice job of summing up Adams’ accomplishments. I’ll offer them here for anyone who hasn’t read that post yet. Essentially, Adams, the president of New York City’s Knickerbocker Base Ball Club led a committee that codified various rules for the game, including that bases were to be 90 feet apart, games were to last nine innings and teams … Continue reading →

Do You Know Doc Adams?

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Help us SHARE Doc Adams’ story with friends, on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, … Special thanks to Jake Schmidt for all his efforts on the “Do You Know Doc Adams?” videos. Did you know that the game of baseball as we know it today was significantly shaped by a man named Doc Adams in the mid-1800s? He wasn’t just a player; but was a pioneer who helped craft the foundation of the modern game. John Thorn, the official historian of Major League Baseball, referred to Doc Adams as “Baseball’s most important figure not in the Hall of Fame… More than … Continue reading →

The Nestor Of Ball Players

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When Doc Adams retired from the Knickerbockers, he was immediately named an honorary member and presented with a set of resolutions thanking him for his long and meritorious service to the club.” This proclamation/resolution (The Nestor* of Ball Players) was presented to Doc as “a most gorgeously engrossed” scroll which was produced by Ben F. Brady. And so, Doc’s active participation in the game he loved and over which he had a significant and pioneering influence came to a close. *A King of ancient Greece who advised the Greeks at Troy; a patriarch in his field, wise counselor, or leader. In … Continue reading →

Thoughts Regarding A Recent Post

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A recent post got me thinking… When Doc Adams set to work in late 1856, none of these aspects of the game were settled,” said Thorn. “This was some seven years after Cartwright had left New York for Hawaii, never to return. For his role in making baseball the success it is, Doc Adams may now be counted as first among the Founding Fathers of Baseball. “Discovery of 1857 Baseball Documents Could Rewrite History of the Game’s Invention“, SCP Auctions No evidence exists for Abner Doubleday’s having anything to do with baseball. There is, on the other hand, sufficient evidence to … Continue reading →

Memories Of The Father Of Base Ball (part 4)

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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 game originated, but was unable to fix any definite starting point. He believed it developed from the English game of rounders, which was played with bat, ball and bases, although the … Continue reading →