Do You Know Doc Adams (Chapter 1: He Was More Than A Player)
On the Induction Day for the National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2024, our thoughts look forward to our hopes for the Class of 2025. #DocAdamsHOF.
Continue reading →Baseball: The Biographical Encyclopedia
“Baseball : The Biographical Encyclopedia” by the editors of Total Baseball is the ‘complete biographical reference of the national pastime’. There is a lengthy entry for Doc Adams that includes his personal life and leans heavily on the 1896 Sporting News interview. Any of his improvements to baseball would have landed Adams a prominent page in baseball history. Taken together, they earn him the right to be called the true “Father of Baseball.”
Continue reading →Cholera
Daniel Lucius Adams obtained n M.D. from Harvard Medical School in 1838, Following his time in college, he joined his father’s medical practice. The pair worked in Mont Vernon, before the younger Adams relocated twice, first to Boston and then to New York City. Adams also worked for the New York Dispensaries, which provided medical care to poor residents. [He offered his assistance when outbreaks of cholera affected New York City. For providing vaccinations, Adams received yearly pay of $400 for a time. His field of employment gave rise to his nickname of “Doc”, which was given as “Dock” at … Continue reading →
First Pitch: How Baseball Began
With “First Pitch: How Baseball Began”, America’s premier baseball historian has created the first book for young baseball fans that truly tells the story of the origins of our national pastime. While debunking long-held myths, Thorn introduces kids to the first games, first fields, and first leagues. He also shows how the game of yesteryear connects to the game kids love to play and watch today. Featured in the book is the story of his personal discovery of the oldest reference to the sport in American history, a 1791 Massachusetts ordinance banning “Base Ball.” Cartwright did not play in that … Continue reading →
Marjorie Adams In Memoriam Episode Of “Baseball And BBQ”
On March 8, 2021, Marjorie Adams appeared on Baseball and BBQ Podcast Episode #87 (Marjorie Adams-Baseball Royalty) with Len Aberman and Jeff Cohen, and Jeff “Pinetar” Kornhaas. It was a very interesting discussion about her great-grandfather, Doc Adams, and Marjorie’s efforts to spread the word of his role in the development and growth of our National Pastime. The goal of her awareness campaign was to see Doc acknowledged with induction in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. This “Marjorie Adams in Memoriam” episode posted on July 18, 2021, is a follow-up by Len and Jeff with Pinetar participating again, reminiscing … Continue reading →
Doc Adams Base Ball Biography (Base Ball Executive)
In May of 1846, his first full year with the Knickerbockers, Doc was elected Vice-President of the club and would, over his seventeen years of membership, go on to serve six terms as President (’47, ’48, ’49, ’56, ’57 and ’61) and several terms as a Director. In 1848, Doc headed the Knickerbocker committee to revise the original rules and regulations from the 1845 formation of the club. And in 1853 with the formation of the Gothams (1850) and the Eagle Base Ball Club (1853), Doc was appointed (along with two other teammates) to be part of the committee at … Continue reading →
Baseball Americana At The Library Of Congress
In 2018, The Library of Congress hosted the Baseball Americana exhibition. The ‘Laws of Base Ball” authored by Doc Adams was the centerpiece of this major, year-long exhibition. The exhibition explored baseball’s past and present and how the game forged a sense of community for players and fans across the country. “The founding documents of baseball that would shape the modern game as our national pastime were ironed out in January and February 1857 at a convention called by the Knickerbockers Base Ball Club in New York City. Corrections were made by hand as the details were negotiated by New … Continue reading →
Ninety Feet From Fame
The title of the book, “Ninety Feet From Fame – Close Calls With Baseball Immortality” by Mike Robbins has a deeper meaning when discussing Doc Adams. In 2015 Adams was considered for the Hall of Fame for the first (and so far, only) time when he was named to the 2016 Pre-integration Era ballot. This was his first close call, as he received 10 of the 12 votes needed for election. His second close call was when his hand-written “Laws of Base Ball” were re-discovered a couple of months after that vote. However, with all thar in his favor, he … Continue reading →
The Baseball “Patronym” Defined
Baseball Almanac, the “official baseball history site”, has added a “Definition of Father Of Baseball” from the Dickson Baseball Dictionary. The Dictionary has been “hailed as ‘a staggering piece of scholarship’ (Wall Street Journal) and “an indispensable guide to the language of baseball” (San Diego Union-Tribune), The Dickson Baseball Dictionary has become an invaluable resource for those who love the game.” Of the 4 definitions of the “Father of Baseball”, two are of particular interest to us. 2. Patronym sometimes applied to baseball missionary Alexander Joy Cartwright (1820-1892), a bank teller and bookseller, who helped organize the Knickerbocker Base Ball … Continue reading →
Ridgefield Road Trip
In 1865, Doc and Cornelia moved to a home in Ridgefield, CT on Main Street (demolished in the 1950s to make way for Ballard Park). Between 1866 and 1874, Cornelia and Doc had four children: two boys and two girls. “For the higher altitude, … for my mother’s health”. Roger Cook Adams (Doc’s son) on why his family moved to Ridgefield While no longer practicing medicine, Doc became active in his new community. In 1870, he was elected to the State House of Representatives and was also the first treasurer of the Ridgefield Library in 1871. In the same year, … Continue reading →