Tag Archives: Early Years

The Bat And Ball Letter

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On June 15, 1832, Doc Adams received a letter from his 11-year old sister that has become known as the “Bat and Ball letter“. In the letter his sister Nancy sent to him at school, she said, “I have not played with your bat and ball as you bid me. I forget it every morning and indeed I have not seen it since you went away”. It is the earliest known evidence of Doc’s interest in the game. Doc was at Yale when he received this letter from his father with all the usual admonitions of you’re not studying hard … Continue reading →

Springfield Letter

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On March 31, 1845 Doc Adams’ father replied to a letter from his son. Below is an interesting excerpt from that letter. Unfortunately, the transcribed letter prior to this is dated June, 1844, so there is no way of knowing more about this “proposition” of “going to Springfield”. It certainly seems that some sort of employment position had been offered to Doc. This letter is also interesting because it is only one of two letters that provide a glimpse into Doc’s possible medical specialty of “stammerers”. Yet, his Harvard Medical School specialty (or maybe it was his graduate thesis?) lists … Continue reading →

The Bat And Ball Letter

Doc Adams Base Ball (Official) Posted on by

On June 15, 1832, Doc Adams received a letter from his 11-year old sister that has become known as the “Bat and Ball letter“. In the letter his sister Nancy sent to him at school, she said, “I have not played with your bat and ball as you bid me. I forget it every morning and indeed I have not seen it since you went away”. It is the earliest known evidence of Doc’s interest in the game.

Continue reading →

Yale And Harvard

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In 1830, Doc enrolled in Amherst College. In 1833, he transferred to Yale College from which he graduated in 1835.  Later that year, Doc entered Harvard Medical School and graduated in 1838.  It was at Harvard that Doc made the acquaintance of Oliver Wendell Holmes (Sr.) where they roomed at the same boarding house. “Having nothing to do at Commencement, it will be a considerable saving of both time and money not to attend” . June 29, 1835

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Springfield Letter

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On March 31, 1845 Doc Adams’ father replied to a letter from his son. Below is an interesting excerpt from that letter. Thanks goodness for baseball that Doc stayed in New York. How would things have changed had he moved to Springfield? Luckily, we’ll never know.

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Cholera

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Daniel Lucius Adams obtained n M.D. from Harvard Medical School in 1838, Following his time in college, he joined his father’s medical practice. The pair worked in Mont Vernon, before the younger Adams relocated twice, first to Boston and then to New York City. Adams also worked for the New York Dispensaries, which provided medical care to poor residents.[He offered his assistance when outbreaks of cholera affected New York City. For providing vaccinations, Adams received yearly pay of $400 for a time. His field of employment gave rise to his nickname of “Doc”, which was given as “Dock” at the … Continue reading →

Doc’s Parents

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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 was a farmer, an author of widely used arithmetic and geography textbooks (the former was in use from 1801 to c.1864), a deacon of his Congregational church, choir master, a member of the New Hampshire Legislature, president of the New Hampshire Medical Society, and an early and frequent orator in support of temperance and abolition. In 1800, he married Nancy … Continue reading →

The Bat and Ball Letter

Doc Adams Base Ball (Official) Posted on by

On June 15, 1832, Doc Adams received a letter from his 11-year old sister that has become known as the “Bat and Ball letter“. In the letter his sister Nancy sent to him at school, she said, “I have not played with your bat and ball as you bid me. I forget it every morning and indeed I have not seen it since you went away”.

Continue reading →

Doc’s Parents

Doc Adams Base Ball (Official) Posted on by

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 was a farmer, an author of widely used arithmetic and geography textbooks (the former was in use from 1801 to c.1864), a deacon of his Congregational church, choir master, a member of the New Hampshire Legislature, president of the New Hampshire Medical Society, and an early and frequent orator in support of temperance and abolition. In 1800, he married Nancy … Continue reading →

Yale and Harvard

Doc Adams Base Ball (Official) Posted on by

In 1830, Doc enrolled in Amherst College. In 1833, he transferred to Yale College from which he graduated in 1835.  Later that year, Doc entered Harvard Medical School and graduated in 1838.  It was at Harvard that Doc made the acquaintance of Oliver Wendell Holmes (Sr.) where they roomed at the same boarding house. “Having nothing to do at Commencement, it will be a considerable saving of both time and money not to attend” . June 29, 1835

Continue reading →