On December 6, 1857, Porter’s Spirit of the Times published an article on the rules of base ball. It also highlighted several of the principal players of the Knickerbockers’ “First Nine”, including Doc Adams.

At a Knickerbocker meeting held that day, Doc “stated that the object to be the propriety of altering the By-Laws, and of calling a general Base Ball Convention. This seems to he the first step which originated the present ‘National Association of Base Ball Players’.”

The convention would be held at 462 Broome street, in the city of New York, on Thursday the 22d day of January next, at half-past seven o-clock P.M.”