1875 Knickerbocker Base Ball Club Reunion Game

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In 1875, at the invitation of his former Knickerbocker teammate, James Whyte Davis, Doc Adams was requested to play in a Knickerbocker Reunion game: “I really hope you will favor me with your company and with old associations and memories dear to all lovers of the game in the good old fashioned Knickerbocker style.” On September 27, 1875, the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club held the reunion game between the 1855  and 1865 teams. The youngsters whitewashed the veterans by a score of 21-0. The following summary was published in Forest & Stream on September 30, 1875.

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Doc Adams Birthplace Classic To Be Held Tomorrow In Mont Vernon, NH

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If you are looking for some outdoor fun this weekend, head out to Lamson Farm Day in Mont Vernon, NH, the birthplace of Doc Adams for the Doc Adams Birthplace Classic. Lamson Farm Day will be held on Saturday and the weather looks to be spectacular. In 2016, the inaugural Doc Adams Invitational was held in Andover, MA. In 2017, it was was moved to Doc’s hometown of Mont Vernon, New Hampshire and subsequently renamed the Doc Adams Birthplace Classic. The Birthplace Classic is now part of the annual Lamson Farm Day. Lamson Farm Day, the last Saturday in September, … Continue reading →

Oliver Wendell Holmes

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While Doc Adams was at Harvard Medical School he made the acquaintance of Oliver Wendell Holmes (Sr.), as they roomed at the same boarding house. In a bit of an interesting twist, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. has a tie to baseball as well. According to John Helyar’s classic, “Lords of the Realm,” baseball’s Reserve Clause dated to 1879, when the eight pro teams at the time opted to “reserve” five of their players apiece each year, preventing high salaries and free agency. The arrangement soon drew heated opposition, including in 1915 when owners of the short-lived Federal League brought an … Continue reading →

KBBC Game Ball (HOF)

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The oldest existing game ball from a scheduled baseball match is on display in Cooperstown. It is from the game between the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club and the Gothams played on September 20, 1854. Doc Adams played in that game, batting 4th, had 6 Hands Lost and 1 Run scored. The Knickerbockers defeated the Gothams 24-13.

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Doc Adams Birthplace Classic To Be Held In Mont Vernon, NH Next Weekend

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On September 24, the Doc Adams Birthplace Classic will be held in Doc’s hometown as part of Lamson Farm Day. Daniel Lucius ‘Doc’ Adams was born in Mont Vernon, New Hampshire on November 1, 1814 to Daniel Adams, MD and Nancy Mulliken Adams. He and his family lived there until 1846 when they moved to Keene, New Hampshire. The Doc Adams Birthplace Classic is an annual celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Daniel Lucius Adams, an early founder of base ball and native son of Mont Vernon, New Hampshire. This event is being conducted both with and for … 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 →

Knickerbockers Vs. The Gothams

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Doc Adams led off and tallied 2 runs in the ‘great’ match between the Knickerbocker and Gotham Clubs won by Gotham 21-7. Per the New York Daily Times, “There was some fine batting by Dr. Adams…” “Gotham Club of New York v Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York on 5 September 1856” on Protoball.

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Talk About Big Shoes To Fill

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It’s always a challenge for children to live up to their celebrity relatives.This article in the “Argus and Patriot” (Montpelier, VT) dated August 28, 1895 illustrates that this is not a new phenomenon. The article is a recount of a game between National Life Insurance Company and the Vermont Mutual Fire Insurance Company. The game was played on Seminary Hill in Montpelier, Vermont on a rather inclement day. The final score was 14-7 in favor of the “fire boys”. The game account is written in the ‘flowery style” of the day and interesting for that alone. However, about halfway into … Continue reading →

Everyone Should Now Be Able To Express Themselves

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Just a quick note concerning blog post feedback. It seems that not everyone has been able to share their thoughts with us. A small number of folks have reported experiencing difficulties when attempting to submit comments to posts (Access Denied). After spending some more “quality” time with GoDaddy support, we believe they have resolved the issue. To those who were affected, thank you for your patience. Feel free to express your thoughts on future posts (or contact us should you encounter any additional issues).

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Marjorie Adams On “My Baseball History” Podcast

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Marjorie Adams talked with Dan Wallach on his “My Baseball History” podcast about her great-grandfather, Daniel Lucius ‘Doc’ Adams, M.D. To steal a line from SABR, Marjorie draws on her family archives and ephemera in addition to more traditional sources to provide an in-depth look into the man John Thorn called “the true father of baseball – and you’ve never even heard of him!” “Liner notes” for this podcast episode can be found at “My Baseball History: 202 – Marjorie Adams“.

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