The League That Failed

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“The League That Failed” (by David Quentin Voigt) cuts through the haze that surrounds 19th-century baseball history, and portrays a classic, colorful era when baseball was chaotic, struggled over by players, coaches, sportswriters, fans, and owners. It recounts the stormy atmosphere after the Inter-League Wars of 1890 and 1891, when the victorious National League made a bald-faced bid to monopolize major league baseball in the United States, succeeding for eight years with the self-styled “Big League,” which dominated the game while simultaneously gaining infamous notoriety for such high-handed acts as unilaterally capping players’ salaries, failing to protect umpires from physical … Continue reading →

Doc Adams Base Ball Card?

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Yes, actually there are a couple of Doc Adams baseball cards. Ars Longa is the Latin translation of a phrase from an aphorism written by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates. The aphorism contains the phrase: ars longa, vita brevis, which is commonly translated as “Art is long, Life is short.” After finding the Ars Longa card, we were surprised to find another card. Tri-star Obak produced a card, #62 in the “Game Changers” subset of the set their 2010 set. There is a bit of controversy about the source of the photo used on this card as was reported in … Continue reading →

Baseball in the Time of Cholera (John Thorn)

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We have previously shared Dr. Daniel Lucius Adams’ (Doc Adams) contributions during the New York Cholera epidemic of 1854. In his Our Game Blog on March 22, 2020, John Thorn (the official historian for MLB) provided much more context of the mid-1800s, New York epidemics in “Baseball in the Time of Cholera“.

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Yale And Harvard

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In 1830, Doc enrolled in Amherst College. In 1833, he transferred to Yale College from which he graduated in 1835.  Later that year, Doc entered Harvard Medical School and graduated in 1838.  It was at Harvard that Doc made the acquaintance of Oliver Wendell Holmes (Sr.) where they roomed at the same boarding house. “Having nothing to do at Commencement, it will be a considerable saving of both time and money not to attend.” Daniel Lucius Adams, June 29, 1835

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A Stroll Through Time…Ballard Park

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Doc Adams was mentioned in an 068 Magazine March/April 2022 article. The article, “A Stroll Through Time“, by Jack Sanders is about “one of Ridgefield’s most historic pieces of land. Treasured today as a place of recreation and relaxation, Ballard Park has for centuries been a home of noteworthy people who’ve contributed to not only the town but also the nation.” Here’s more on Doc Adams’ Ridgefield residence, the Ridgefield Savings Bank, and the Ridgefield Library.

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Bad Timing And Missed Opportunities

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Although A.G. Spalding had ulterior motives, as we all now know, he did recognize the Knickerbockers, including Doc Adams. “Are not some of these gentlemen still living? Or perhaps some of their heirs might throw some light on the early history especially the origin of baseball.” . Salt Lake Tribune (April 2, 1905) Sadly, Daniel Lucius Adams, M.D. had died a little over 5 years earlier. Some people, however, did hear the call, and we know how that turned out. For Doc, this was the first of several miss-timed opportunities. Will Doc Adams be named on the Classic Baseball Era … Continue reading →

Doc Adams Elected For 3rd Term As KBBC President

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April 7, 1849, Doc Adams was elected to his third term as President of the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club in New York City. The Club’s meeting was held at Abell’s, 474 Broadway. This was the last year of his first 3-year stint as president. In total, he served as president for 6 years.

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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 →