We’d like to highlight an effort that brings Doc Adams and the Knickerbockers to life, The Knickerbocker Experience. It is the brainchild of Jeff “Pinetar” Kornhaas,

The Knickerbocker Experience, offers an opportunity to play the game as historically accurate as possible.  “Rules aren’t bent” or “exceptions made” to make it work.  The intent is to provide an historically accurate game of base ball. That is the point of the “Knickerbocker Experience”. Play the game as it was played in 1858, 1864 or 1865.  Give people that chance to try or watch it, unrestricted by “variations or customs”.  Just pure base ball.

The players adhere to the terminology and playing style of the day. The point is to bring the ballists (players) and cranks (fans) alike back to that specific point in time. 

The goal is a different, unique ”Experience”; something not found elsewhere. Where the game of base ball, as it was played in the 19th century, can be played and enjoyed while providing a memorable “Experience” that honors Doc Adams and the Knickerbockers.

The Knickerbocker Experience Facebook group (Jeff Kornhaas, Corky Gaskell, Colin Miller) is a place where you can find out more information about what it takes to be a part of the new Knickerbocker Experience. Its charter is to create a group of base ball history lovers and those that respect the game and the impact that the Knickerbocker club had on the development of the game. It is also a way to continue to honor Doc Adams and his role, and continue to push for his rightful induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

I hope you all enjoy a look back into history with respect and representation to the New York Knickerbockers and Doc Adams who was a major part of that team because he was quite notable in 1857 for handwriting the Laws of Base Ball that really started to bring everything together in a sharp clear organized way (and also he had many other significant contributions to the game of baseball.

Jeff Kornhaas, founder of The Knickerbocker Experience

The Knickerbocker Experience debuted at the Great Gettysburg National 19th Century Base Ball Festival & Tournament on July 16-17, 2022.

The new Knickerbocker Experience team will be slated to play in 4 base ball games on hallowed grounds of Gettysburg this year and recreate the team that started it all with 21 rules first written down in 1845 to launch the game of base ball on the road to what we have today. On that team was Daniel Lucius Adams (Or Doc Adams as we know him), Who hand wrote the first laws of base ball in the year of 1857. He also created the Short Stop position and set the base paths at 90’ and argued for the fly game and was president of the club and Nestor of baseball as he directed the game and its growth. (There is more to Doc and the foundational fathers of the game that I am not fully detailing here.)

Gettysburg or Bust! Best Base Ball Festival of the year !! (Jeff Kornhaas)

For those in Connecticut, you can follow planned Vintage Base Ball events at Base Ball and History 19th century style, origins of game. This group is about “playing and learning about base ball in the beginnings and having fun with great people who will organize and play this great game by its original rules and customs. You may want to play, or you may want to watch, or you may want to study the history of it all or you may want to learn to umpire and be a part of this game. I hope this group grows and has no special borders, but it just gives base ball minded people a place to meet and find games and events.”

See The Knickerbocker Experience in action on Saturday, September 16 as they play the Connecticut Bulldogs in the Doc Adams Memorial.