Tag Archives: #DocAdamsHOF

Benjamin F. Brady

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John Thorn shared a very interesting obituary with me. The obituary was for an “expert penman” who died 136 years ago on March 30, 1888 at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. It was published in the April 2, 1888 edition of the New York Times. For anyone who may not be familiar with the term, n expert penman is someone highly skilled in the art of penmanship and calligraphy. Benjamin Franklin Brady (1834–1888) was a well-known artist in New York City and particularly recognized for his penmanship. He created a memorial for Congressman Webster Wagner, who tragically lost his life in a train wreck. Brady’s artistic … Continue reading →

Buy Me Some Peanuts and Cracker Jacks…

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To celebrate Opening Day in 2024, Kerry J. Byrnes, wrote an article, “Crackerjack, immortalized in baseball anthem is a grand-slam recipe at home, too.” It highlights the history of that “salty, sweet, and crunchy” snack that has been associated with baseball for over a hundred years. John Thorn, the Official Historian of Major League Baseball provided historical context for the article. Cracker Jack was already a popular ballpark snack when Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer wrote their iconic anthem in 1908, “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.” Byrnes also includes a recipe so you can make your own … Continue reading →

Doc Resigns From The Knickerbockers

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On March 26, 1862, Doc tendered his resignation from the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club. I shall not be able to attend the meeting of the Club this evening, and furthermore feel compelled to tender my resignation of membership. I do this with great reluctance, but in accordance with a determination, long since formed, never to remain an inactive non-playing member. It will be impossible for me to play during the coming season, but although absent in body I shall be present in spirit. My interest in the Club will never cease, nor can I forget the many happy hours spent … Continue reading →

1860 NABBP Convention

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The Rules Committee, chaired by Dr. Daniel Adams of the Knickerbockers, had met in February to make recommendations to the convention on rule changes, and Adams reported that the committee was unanimously in favor of the fly game. A debate then ensued, with Judge Van Cott supporting the bound version and Dakin and Frank Pidgeon of the Eckfords arguing in favor of the fly game. Thirty-seven delegates voted for the fly game while 55 voted against it. For another year, at least as far as the official rules were concerned, the bound game would be the game of National Association … Continue reading →

Spreading Doc Adams Awareness in Japan

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Not long ago I received an email from Tetsuro Tanino, a staffwriter for a Japanese newspaper, the The Tokyo Shimbun. He was “in the process of researching baseball shortstop and learned that Daniel Adams was the world’s first shortstop.” He had asked to use Doc’s picture and just recently sent a copy of the article (see below) with a note (translated by an AI translator). He said that, “The article is about 170 years ago, there was a wonderful man named Daniel Adams in the United States, and he was the first person to defend the shortstop in baseball. Baseball … Continue reading →

“The Father of Baseball”: A Biography of Henry Chadwick

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Henry Chadwick remains one of the titans of baseball history. As a pioneering baseball journalist and author, an innovator of scorekeeping practices and statistics, and chairman of the first rules committee, Chadwick left an indelible mark on the history of the game. This deeply researched biography is the first book-length work on the Hall of Famer, known at the time of his death as the “Father of Base Ball.” It covers Chadwick’s driving role in the symbiotic rise of baseball and sports journalism, and demonstrates how Chadwick helped baseball to become firmly established as an American cultural institution. Appendices provide … Continue reading →

2nd Base Ball Convention Convened

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On March 10, 1858 the 2nd Base Ball convention was held in New York. The chairman named the following committees: On Rules: D.L. Adams, C. Place, Jr., T.G. Voorhis, G. Van Cott, T.F. Jackson, W.A. Sears, Francis Pidgeon, W. Cauldwell, A.B. Taylor. “Baseball’s 19th Century Winter Meetings, 1857-1900, SABR, Robert Tholkes (2018) Logically, the meeting before the 1858 season would concentrate on fine-tuning the 1857 changes after a season’s experience with them. Proposals not accepted in 1857 would resurface, among them the “fly rule,” called strikes and the use of flat bats. Also, contentiousness over which was the “champion club” … Continue reading →

Unveiling Baseball’s Historic Rules At The Hall of Fame

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I just received the latest copy of Memories and Dreams, official magazine of the Hall of Fame. I was a bit taken aback by the article referring to the soon to be unveiled “Taking the Field” exhibit. This exhibit will include the “Laws of Base Ball” and the “Rules for Match Games of Base Ball”. The rules of baseball are engrained in the American culture to a magnitude unlike those of almost any other game. But those regulations changed repeatedly as they coalesced in the national consciousness. Beginning Memorial Day Weekend, visitors to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and … Continue reading →

Remembering The First Baseball Convention

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On March 7, 2023, Fox News recalled 166th anniversary of the first national convention of base ball players. In the article, “On this day in history, March 7, 1857, baseball adopts nine players, nine innings as standard of competition“, The article does, albeit briefly, mention Doc Adams: The forgotten titan of the game is Cartwright’s fellow Knickerbocker Daniel “Doc” Adams, say baseball historians. “Considered by some to be the true ‘Father of Baseball,’ ‘Doc’ Adams was elected president of the first Base Ball Convention in 1857,” Miklich writes. “On this day in history, March 7, 1857, baseball adopts nine players, nine … Continue reading →

Base Ball Arithmetic

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Doc’s father, Daniel Adams MD (1773-1864) was born in Townsend, Massachusetts and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth College in 1797 and from the second class of Dartmouth Medical School in 1799. As well as being a practicing physician, he also authored widely used arithmetic and geography textbooks (the former was in use from 1801 to c.1864). In the measurement section of his Arithmetic book, question # 11 (below) is of particular interest. Someone who would have no difficulty solving that problem was his son, Daniel Lucius ‘Doc’ Adams. Doc Adams started playing base ball in 1839. He played for … Continue reading →