It Must Be True, It’s In The Encyclopedia Britannica

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In answer to the question, “who really invented baseball?“ Some semblance of what baseball would become can be traced to 1800s New York as groups of men started crafting their own sets of rules. The Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York gets the credit for the first true effort, with a group of men on the rules committee outlining a 20-rule parameter, dubbed the Knickerbocker Rules, which set foul lines, the paces between bases, the limit of three outs, and, (in a safety-first mentality, no doubt) eliminated the dodgeball-style rule that to get a runner out you could hit … Continue reading →

Doc at Shortstop

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Doc Adams on the shortstop position from the February 29, 1896 Sporting News interview. “I used to play shortstop, and I believe I was the first to occupy that place, as it had formerly been left uncovered. At different times I have, however, played in every position except that of pitcher. We had a splendid catcher in the person of Charles S. Debost, who would be a credit to the position even to-day, I am sure. He was a good batter also, and a famous player in his day. Thw Spoering Newa (February 29, 1896) John Thorn tweeted the reason … Continue reading →

Birth Of The National Association Of Base Ball Players

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In Francis C. Richter’s (editor of Sporting Life) book, “Richter’s History and Records of Base Ball” written in 1914, is a comprehensive work among the early books on baseball. This volume is designed to supply the growing need of a concise, yet complete, record of our National Game, from its remote inception and humble beginning to the present period of magnificent development to real national stature. It is also designed to serve this purpose in such form as to make it valuable, possibly indispensable, as a book of special information, of ready reference, and of general interest to all lovers … Continue reading →

Base Ball 1845-1871 By Seymour R. Church

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Written and published by San Francisco historian Seymour R. Church in 1902, “Base Ball 1845-1871” details the history and origins of baseball, from the formation of the New York Knickerbockers in 1845 through the establishment of the first professional league in 1871. It features numerous portraits of notable figures, including George Wright, shortstop for the Chicago Red Stockings, the country’s first professional team. Though intended as the first part in a larger series, later volumes were never published.  Church dscusses Doc Adams’ role with the Knickerbockers and the 1857 base ball convention that resulted in the birth of The National … Continue reading →

The National Association

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When the Knickerbockers met on December 6, 1856, they resolved “to call a convention of the various base ball clubs of this city and vicinity.” The New York Herald, in reporting on this meeting, observed: “We understand the object of this convention is to promote additional interest in base ball playing, by the getting up of grand matches on a scale not heretofore attempted.” The anticipated outcome would be to inaugurate new clubs and to strengthen existing ones, by conforming the rules and making the game more “scientific” and difficult to play—”manly,” in the preferred term of the day, like … Continue reading →

Doc’s Post-Baseball Accomplishments

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When Doc no longer practiced medicine and considered himself fully retired, he became an involved, prominent and respected citizen of the town of Ridgefield.  In 1870, he was elected to one term in the Connecticut State Legislature.  In 1871, he became the first President of the Ridgefield Savings Bank (now the Fairfield County Bank where his photo still hangs in the lobby of the main office), a position he would hold in two separate terms for ten of the next fifteen years.  He was the first treasurer of the Ridgefield Library (founded in 1871) and involved in the Land Improvement … Continue reading →

Peverelly’s “American Pastimes”: 1861

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Doc Adams is mentioned often in Charles A. Peverelly’s 1868 book, “American Pastimes – Containing a History of the Principal Base Ball, Cricket, Rowing, and Yachting Clubs of the United States“. The Book of American Pastimes  is an American classic and one of the most significant baseball books ever written and is considered the first “official” baseball history in existence. 180 pages out of 556 are devoted to the game of baseball and team histories. It contains tough to find information regarding rosters and game scores during the 1850’s-60’s. 

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Doc Moves To Ridgefield

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In late 1865, Doc and Cornelia moved to Ridgefield, Connecticut and in 1866 the first of their four surviving children, Catharine, was born. In a family tape recording made in late 1961 by their youngest and last surviving child, Roger Cook Adams (1874-1962), explains that Ridgefield was chosen because of the “altitude” and for “my mother’s health”. In a December 1865 letter, Cornelia wrote to a cousin: We have hung some of the pictures – have the Resolutions [*] as large as life in the dining room – the glass was cracked in coming up –the only one that was … Continue reading →