Tag Archives: Doc Adams

Rules Adopted!

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The 1857 Convention of Base Ball Players met for the second and final time on February 25 at Smith’s Hotel, the headquarters of the Knickerbocker Club, with the following clubs represented: Knickerbocker, Gotham, Eagle, Empire, Putnam, Baltic, Excelsior, Atlantic, Harmony, Harlem, Eckford, Bedford, Narrau, and Continental. The clubs elected Daniel Adams of the Knickerbockers as president of the convention and then appointed a rules committee, made up of one member of each represented club. This was perhaps the most important meeting in the history of baseball. It was a meeting of the baseball clubs of New York City, and unlike … Continue reading →

Reminiscences Of The Late Dr. Daniel Adams

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On January 31, 1899, Henry Chadwick wrote to the editor of the Sporting Life with reminiscences of his late friend and baseball pioneer, Dr. Daniel Lucius ‘Doc’ Adams. The letter was published on the front page of the February 4, 1899 edition. On that same day, Doc Adams was also remembered by Mr Chadwick in The Sporting News.

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1857 Convention Of Base Ball Players

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The 1857 Convention of Base Ball Players met for the first time on January 22 at Smith’s Hotel, the headquarters of the Knickerbocker Club, with the following clubs represented: Knickerbocker, Gotham, Eagle, Empire, Putnam, Baltic, Excelsior, Atlantic, Harmony, Harlem, Eckford, Bedford, Narrau, and Continental. The clubs elected Daniel Adams of the Knickerbockers as president of the convention and then appointed a rules committee, made up of one member of each represented club. This was perhaps the most important meeting in the history of baseball. It was a meeting of the baseball clubs of New York City, and unlike the previous … Continue reading →

Doc Adams Passed Away 124 Years Ago

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January 3, 1899, Doc Adams passed away at the age of 85 at his home in New Haven, Connecticut. In his years playing base ball (1845-1862) in New York City with the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club), he created and developed the shortstop position (1849/50), made all the balls and supervised the manufacture of all the bats. In 1857, in his ‘Laws of Base Ball’, he set the bases at 90 feet, and proposed nine innings/nine players per side and more. You can find more of Doc’s obituaries here. The New York Clipper according to its masthead, was “The Oldest American … Continue reading →

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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Doc Adams – SABR’s Overlooked 19th Century Baseball Legend

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On July 31, 2014, Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams (1814 – 1899) was selected as the 19th Century Overlooked Baseball Legend by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). This recognition came in the bi-centennial of his birth. Each year SABR honors a 19th century player, manager, executive or other baseball personality not yet inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Adams joined the New York Base Ball Club in 1840. By 1845, he became a member of the famed Knickerbocker Base Ball Club and was elected as its president two years later. In 1848, he … Continue reading →

Reminiscences Of The Late Dr. Daniel Adams

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On January 31, 1899, Henry Chadwick wrote to the editor of the Sporting Life with reminiscences of his late friend and baseball pioneer, Dr. Daniel Lucius ‘Doc’ Adams. The letter was published on the front page of the February 4, 1899 edition. On that same day, Doc Adams was also remembered by Mr Chadwick in The Sporting News.

Continue reading →

Doc Adams Passed Away 123 Years Ago

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January 3, 1899, Doc Adams passed away at the age of 85 at his home in New Haven, Connecticut. In his years playing base ball (1845-1862) in New York City with the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club), he created and developed the shortstop position (1849/50), made all the balls and supervised the manufacture of all the bats. In 1857, in his ‘Laws of Base Ball’, he set the bases at 90 feet, and proposed nine innings/nine players per side and more. You can find more of Doc’s obituaries here. The New York Clipper according to its masthead, was “The Oldest American … Continue reading →

Doc Adams Base Ball Biography (Recognition)

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Some recent highlights: 2011: John Thorn ‘re-discovers’ Doc Adams in his classic, “Baseball in the Garden of Eden”. 2011: Friends of Vintage Base Ball sponsor Doc Adams Day 2014: Selected as SABR’s Overlooked 19th Century Base Ball Legend 2015: The Old Time Base Ball Fesival held at Old Bethpage Village Restoration, the longest running annual Vintage Base Ball Festival of its kind, was renamed Doc Adams Old Time Base Ball Festival. 2016: Appeared on The National Baseball Hall of Fame Pre-Integration Era ballot, garnering 10 of 12 votes necessary for election. 2017: First Doc Adams Birthplace Classic Vintage Base Ball … Continue reading →