BASEBALL HISTORY 1840-1902

BASE BALL ORIGINS

• ABNER DOUBLEDAY 1839 LEGEND: BASEBALL AS RURAL PAST TIME IN NEW YORK STATE.

• CRICKETT, ROUNDERS, STICK-BALL • “TOWN BALL” IN NY AND NEW ENGLAND • 1845 KNICKERBOCKERS CLUB IN NY • KNICKERBOCKERS, FIRST ORGANIZED BASEBALL CLUB. EARLIER TEAMS.

• BASEBALL RULES: DIAMOND-SHAPE FIELD, 21 ACES, ONE-BOUNCE OUT FLY, RUNNERS THROWN-AT, NO STRIKE ZONE, NO BASE ON BALLS, SPIN PITCHES, PITCHER’S ROLE= TO FEED THE BALL, NO GLOVES.

CARTWRIGHT RULES, 1845

• ALEXANDER CARTWRIGHT, KNICKERBOCKERS BASE BALL CLUB • BASES SITUATED AT “42 PACES” DISTANCE • 21 ACES RULES • EQUAL NUMBER OF HANDS OR INNINGS • FOUL LINES • BALL CAUGHT FLYING OR ON THE FIRST BOUND IS OUT • BALL SHALL NOT BE THROWN AT THE RUNNER FOR AN OUT • NO BASE RUNNING ON FOULS

KNICKERBOCKERS CLUB

• MIDDLE CLASS WHITE COLLAR WORKERS • AMATEUR PLAYERS, BACHELOR CULTURE, MODERATE EXERCISE FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES.

• NEW RULES: LIMIT=9 INNINGS, FLY CATCHES, • NEW YORK LEAGUE, NY AND BROOKLIN TEAMS • 1846 GAME VS NEW YORK CLUB (23-1) • SOCIAL CLUB, DANCES, DINNERS, ETC

BASE BALL IN THE 1850s

• 1857 GAMES 9 INNINGS-LONG RULE AND FIVE-INNINGS LEGAL RULE.

• 1857 NY CONVENTION (25 TEAMS) • 1858 FLY RULE, ONCE-BOUNCE OUTS DISCONTINUED.

• 1858 ALL-STAR GAME NY vs BROOKLYN • 50 CENTS ENTRY FEE, FIRST PRO EVENT • 1858 NABBP, 60 CLUBS, YEAR SCHEDULE, SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES • 1860 PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS, OLDEST NICKNAME IN BASEBALL USED TODAY.

BASE BALL AND MUSCULAR CHRISTIANITY

• BB BENEFITS: DEVELOPMENT OF CHARACTER, PROMOTION OF HEALTH AND IMPROVEMENT OF MORAL STANDARDS.

• NON-AGGRESSIVE RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY.

• OPEN SPACE-DAY TIME, IDEAL FOR BOYS AND YOUNG BACHELORS.

• RECONNECTION WITH COUNTRYSIDE VALUES vs NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF URBAN LIFE.

• POSITIVE BENEFITS, MORAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH.

• RESTORATION OF MEN’S PHYSICAL ATRIBUTES AND MORAL VALUES DIMINISHED BY URBANIZATION.

BASEBALL POPULARITY

• “PASTORAL” LANDSCAPE, GLAMOURIZED VERSION OF A HEALTHY OUTDOOR RECREATIONAL “COUNTRYSIDE TRADITION”, INVENTION OF TRADITION FROM RURAL AMERICA.

• TIME-LESS, EGALITARIAN, NON-VIOLENT, HEALTHY • IDEAL AFTER-WORK SPORT FOR MEN ACCORDING TO “MUSCULAR CHRISTIANITY” DOCTRINE • HEALTH-MORAL BENEFITS FOR BODY-SPIRIT • “PURE AMERICAN” TRADITION • 1860 BASEBALL CLUB IN SAN FRANCISCO • 1860 FIRST GUIDEBOOK

BASEBALL POPULARITY

• HENRY CHADWICK, B.1824 ENGLAND, EMIGRATED AT 12 TO THE U.S.

• CRICKETT PLAYER IN NYC • NEWSPAPER REPORTER IN NEW YORK.

• 1856 BB “A NATIONAL SPORT FOR AMERICANS” DERIVED FROM ROUNDERS BUT EVOLVED INTO A GAME PURELY BASED ON “AMERICAN SPIRIT”

BASEBALL POPULARITIY

• CHADWICK WRITINGS, BASEBALL: • 1868 BOOK “THE GAME OF BASEBALL: HOW TO LEARN IT, HOW TO PLAY IT, HOW TO TEACH IT” (RULES, STRATEGY, FUNDAMENTALS) • “A MORAL RECREATION” • “REMEDY FOR MANY EVILS BOYS AND MEN FACE IN U.S. CITIES” • MORAL RATIONALE OF BB SIGNIFICANCE.

• BOX SCORING INVENTOR • INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS FOR PLAYERS • STATISTICS BASES FOR BASEBALL

BASEBALL AFTER THE CIVIL WAR

• HARRY WRIGHT, B. 1835 ENGLAND, CRICKETT PLAYER FOR THE NY ST.GEORGE DRAGONSLAYERS • BASEBALL PLAYER FOR THE NY KNICKERBOCKERS • 1868 SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH CINCINNATI CLUB • 1869 ORGANIZED THE CINCINNATI RED STOCKINGS, FIRST ALL PROFESSIONAL BB TEAM

BASEBALL AFTER THE CIVIL WAR

• CINCINNATI RED STOCKINGS • 1869 UNDEFEATED SEASON • WRIGHT, TEAM MANAGER, ORGANIZER • UNIFORM PROTOTYPE, CAMPAIGN HATS WITH FRONT BILLS INSTEAD OF WIDE BRIMMED HATS.

• TEAM LETTERS ON SHIRT, COLOR SOX.

• MEDIA SUCCESS, PRESIDENT GRANT INVITATION TO PLAY IN D.C.

BASEBALL AFTER THE CIVIL WAR

• WRIGHT ALL STAR TEAM • 1870 LOST TO BROOKLYN ATHLETICS 8-7 (15,000 FANS) $50cts TICKETS • 1870 LOST SEVERAL GAMES • OWNERS FIRED WRIGHT AND HIGHEST PAID PLAYERS • 1871 WRIGHT MOVED TO MASS. CREATED THE BOSTON RED STOCKINGS, A NEW ALL PRO. TEAM

BASEBALL DIFFUSION

• CIVIL WAR – SOUTHERN STATES • RAILROAD-URBANIZATION INDUSTRIALIZATION • SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR 1898 • 1880s AMERICAN CAPITAL/WORKERS IMPORTATION: CUBA, MEXICO, PUERTO RICO, CENTRAL AMERICA • AMERICAN CREWS, TEAMS PLAYED IN CAMPS. AMERICAN ENGINEERS-WHITE COLLAR WORKERS, EXHIBITION GAMES AT COUNTRY CLUBS ABROAD.

BASEBALL AFTER THE CIVIL WAR

• CINCINNATTI RED STOCKINGS 1869 FIRST PROFESSIONAL TEAM • 1876 NATIONAL LEAGUE OF PROFESSIONAL BASE BALL CLUBS • EIGHT TEAMS (NY, SL, BO, CHI, CIN, PHI, HARTFORD, LOUISVILLE) • PLAYERS “BOUND FOR LIFE, UNLESS SOLD, TRADED OR RELEASED” BY TEAM OWNERS • ADMISSION PRICES, NO SUNDAY GAMES

AMERICAN LEAGUE 1882

• CINCINNATTI KICKED OUT NL FOR PLAYING SUNDAYS AND SELLING BEER • AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF BASE BALL CLUBS (SIX TEAMS) • BREWING COMPANIES, NEW INVESTORS AND TEAM OWNERS • CHEAPER ADMISSION FEES, SUNDAY GAMES • BASEBALL BASE AUDIENCE EXPANSION TO LOWER&BLUE COLLAR CLASSES • BASEBALL, NEW WINDOW FOR ENTERTAINMENT&ADVERTISING&CONSUMPTION

BASEBALL 1880s

• WALK RULES: 9 TO 4 BALLS • RULE CHANGE: FROM PITCHING ONLY UNDERHAND AND SIDEARM, OVERHAND PROHIBITION LIFTED IN 1884.

• 1885 CHICAGO WHITE STOCKINGS, FIRST SPRING SEASON IN ARKANSAS • 1887 FIRST STRIKE ZONE (SHOULDERS TO KNEES) BATTER REQUEST NO LONGER ALLOWED FOR HIGH/LOW PITCHES • 1887 DETROIT WOLVERINES vs ST.LOUIS BROWNS FIRST NL vs AL SERIES (BEST OF 15 GAMES)

BASEBALL IN THE 1880s

• BASEBALL POPULARITY, MUSICAL PLAYS, BOOKS, MANUALS . JOHN MONTGOMERY “HOW TO BECOME A PLAYER” PUBLISHED.

• INFORMAL RULES FOR ADMITTING AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LATIN AMERICAN PLAYERS.

• CHARLES COMISKEY, 1B AND MANAGER OF ST.LOUIS ENDORSES “MENELL’S PENETRATING OIL”.

• LOUISVILLE COLONELS PLAYERS WALK OUT OVER SALARY DISPUTES, ESPECIALLY THE $100 FOR AN ERROR POLICY.

BASEBALL IN THE 1890s

• 1893: 60 FT 6 INCH. PITCHING DISTANCE RULE.

• 1894 BROOKLYN BRIDEGROOMS NICKNAME.

• 1894 LAST BAREHANDS INFIELDER JERRY DENNY.

• 1895 OVERSIZED MITTONS RULE (CATCHERS AND FIRST BASEMEN) • 1898 JOHN T.BRUSH CINCINNATI OWNER: CAP SALARY PLAN AND PURIFICATION PLAN vs PLAYERS “INDECENT LANGUAGE”

COMMERCIALIZATION

• BASEBALL SPORTING GOODS • ALBERT G. SPALDING STORY • CATALOGUE-MERCHANDISE • DOUBLEDAY-COOPERSTOWN MYTH BY N.L. AND SPALDING • BEER SPONSORSHIP • ADMISSION FEES, OUTFIELD FENCES • BASEBALL ORIGINAL FOOD: HOT DOGS

BASEBALL NEW ORIGINS

• 1907 NATIONAL LEAGUE COMMISSIONER ABRAHAM MILLS AND ALBERT SPALDING, FORMAL COMMISSION TO IDENTIFY ORIGINS OF BASEBALL.

• BASEBALL “NATIONAL SPORT” NEVER LINKED TO ROUNDERS OR CRICKETT • ABNER GRAVES LETTER • 1839 COPPERSTOWN, NY ABNER DOUBLEDAY PRESENTED A SET OF RULES TO HIS FRIENDS.

BASEBALL 1900

• OVERHAND PITCHING ONLY • BB, SO, PITCHERS’ GOLDEN ERA • COMMERCIAL ENTERTAINMENT • NATIONAL PASTIME/ NATIONAL SPORT • 1910 PRESIDENT TAFT FIRST PITCH THROWING • 1903 FIRST “WORLD SERIES” • COMMERCIAL SUCCESS