I am writing this message today as an endorsement for Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

His contributions to the game, as a player, manager, and general pioneer of the sport, put him head and shoulders above many other figures of his era. As has been confirmed by Major League Baseball’s official historian, John Thorn, and Baseball Hall of Fame researcher Freddy Berowski, Adams’s cultural impact on the game is defined by his contribution of the shortstop position, as well as helping establish the number of players in the field at a given time, the distance between the base paths, and the end of the infamous bound rule, which allowed batters to be put out if a ball they hit was caught on one bounce.

Not only was he a pioneer in how the rules evolved, he was also known as one of the better players in this infant stage of the game.

Simply put, the legacy of Doc Adams is one which should be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Our understanding of the history of the game has evolved, and it would be fitting to include one of the fathers of the game in the Hall, as a reflection of this remarkable and important  period of evolution, progress, and enlightenment in baseball knowledge.

Sincerely,
Jacob Newcomb
Maine Baseball Historian
President, Dirigo Base Ball Club of Maine

This is part of our “Speaking of Doc” series.