Joe Williams Reflects On His Baseball Journey And Doc Adams

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My Baseball Journey and Support of Doc Adams’ Election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by Joe Williams This post is long overdue. My friend, Roger Ratzenberger, has politely asked me on many occasions to write something for Doc Adams Base Ball in support of Doc Adams for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. I tried writing something over the summer, but I could not figure out what I could add to what has already been written for the site. Doc Adams Base Ball already covers everything about Doc’s life and baseball accomplishments in a wonderful way. I told … Continue reading →

Doc Umpires Deciding Fashion Race Course Game

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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 first championship “series” between New York and Brooklyn. In the game, umpire Adams called non-swinging strikes, the first time that new rule was applied. The second bane of Chadwick’s existence, in addition to swift pitching, … Continue reading →

Introducing Doc Adams

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If you want to learn about Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams, his life, and his contributions to our National Pastime and have a little time (about a half an hour), then check out this video presentation. If you don’t have that much time you can get a reader’s digest (e.g. social media reel) version of his baseball contributions in: Do You Know Doc Adams?

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Doc Adams, A True Pioneer By Author Andrew J. Schiff

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There’s a plaque in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, for a reputed figure in early baseball history. His name is Alexander Cartwright. He is credited for making the bases 90 feet apart, establishing nine innings as a game, and nine players for a team. He is also credited with spreading baseball throughout the United States when he left New York on his way to Hawaii. These are wonderful contributions for the man credited as The Father of Baseball. However, even though he has a plaque in the Baseball HOF, he is not the person responsible for … Continue reading →

“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 →