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1850c.54 + (Daniel.Lucius (Doc) A … Daniel.Lucius (Doc) Adams (see entry for 1840), was a member and officer of the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York and the National Association of Base Ball Players from 1845- 1862. Under his chairmanship, the NABBP Rules Committee standardized the now-familiar 90-foot basepaths and 9-inning games.iliar 90-foot basepaths and 9-inning games.)
1860c.27 + (Farnham was born in 1849. This account seems to imply that some minimum number of crossings from base to base was required to avoid an out.)
1845.27 + (From John Thorn, emai … From John Thorn, email of 2/16/2023: "According to David Ball, 'The item is a letter from a correspondent in that city [Philadelphia], and the context is some sort of political reform movement intended to clean up popular amusements.'" This isn't the first attestation of the term "town ball" but it's very early.Protoball Note: As of February 2023, Protoball entries show about 100 references to town ball, including about 70 chronology items and 30 other refs in game accounts, club accounts, and news clippings. Some report local finds, but many and others reflect clarifying commentary by PBall data contributors. Very few mentions are found before 1835.About 50 of these 100 refs are shown on PBall search maps. They show wide distribution across the US, but none are reported in the Greater New York area. (The two New Jersey mentions are not in northernmost NJ).As far as we know, these collected town ball references have not been studied rigorously as of early 2023. w, these collected town ball references have not been studied rigorously as of early 2023. )
1872.10 + (From Richard Hershber … From Richard Hershberger, 150 years ago today in baseball: "Baltimore at Philadelphia where they beat the A's 12-8. . . I am excerpting the box score because it is an interesting format. Notice how strike outs are only indirectly indicated. The reporter, Al Wright, is also the A's official scorer, so this is not merely some journalistic idiosyncrasy. Scoring is not yet regulated on the league level. Individual clubs and scorers are still experimenting."Steve Colbert comments: "I have seen this format a couple of times while digging through box scores in the 1870 and 1871 seasons. When reviewing some of the play-by-play's, apparently missed 3rd strikes were recorded only as errors and not logged as strike outs anywhere that I can tell." t I can tell." )
1872.6 + (From Richard Hershber … From Richard Hershberger, 150 years ago in baseball, May 19, 2022."The umpire question. Umpire selection in the early days was very informal. Sometimes arrangements would be made ahead of time, but even for important matches it was not unknown for the two captains to pick a guy out from the crowd. It would usually be someone they both knew, so it wasn't totally random, but if he had not shown up, they would have picked someone else. Here in 1872 this system is wearing thin. This is the professional era and the stakes are higher. In today's excerpt, we see a radical suggestion: pay the guy. This will start happening soon. It will help, but won't solve the problem entirely. There still is the matter of finding someone both captains agree upon. The next decade or so will see endless overly elaborate schemes to come up with an equitable system. The underlying problem is that even once everyone agrees the umpire needs to be paid, no one wants to pay enough for this to be a full-time job. Employing part-timers means they are using local guys, with all this entails. The bickering will be endless. Or at least it will be until they finally bite the bullet and go with a full-time umpire corps employed by the league. That won't be until the 1880s. Here in 1872, the NA doesn't even have a league structure to run an umpire corps, much less the operating funds. The article here suggests $10 per game. This won't be enough to persuade capable men to put up with grief for two hours. The going rate will settle in at $15. That is roughly equivalent to $300 to $400 in today's money."h grief for two hours. The going rate will settle in at $15. That is roughly equivalent to $300 to $400 in today's money.")
Bittle-Battle + (From https://erenow.n … From https://erenow.net/common/fourbritishfolkwaysinamerica1989/27.php"Another rule-bound version of an English folk sport was called town ball, the Massachusetts game or the New England game. It was played with a bat, a ball and four bases on a field sixty feet square, by eight to twenty players, each of whom kept his own individual tally. The New England game was also descended from a family of English traditional games, of which perhaps the nearest equivalent was called bittle-battle. Its rules were remarkably similar to modern baseball. Bittle-battle was played with four bases (each about a foot square) 48 feet apart. The pitcher stood 24 feet from home base, and each batter was out if the ball was caught, or if it touched a base before the batter reached it. The game of bittle-battle was played in southeastern England, particularly in Kent. It was brought to Massachusetts in the early seventeenth century, and became so common that by the eighteenth century it bore the name of the region."Bell-Irving, "Mayfield: The Story of an Old Wealden Village" (1903), p. 16, says the following: "Stoolball, an old Sussex game, . . . is played by girls, and is similar to cricket, the chief difference being that a round bat is held up against a wicket board one foot square, on a post between four and five feet in height. Tradition says it was originally played by milkmaids, holding up their stools for wickets, hence its name. Another name for the game was 'bittle-battle' (bittle, a wooden milk bowl, bat, a piece of wood)." [ba]ttle' (bittle, a wooden milk bowl, bat, a piece of wood)." [ba])
Madison Square Park + (In other words, the N … In other words, the New York Club’s grounds lay outside today’s Madison Square but within the pre-1844 park; the Parade, as Madison Square was called prior to its formal dedication as a public park in 1847, was originally a twenty-acre tract bounded by Third and Seventh avenues and Twenty-third and Thirty-fourth streets. The “roadside resort” was named the Madison Cottage but was also known as Thompson’s for its proprietor. (Our game blog, Dec. 20, 2021)ec. 20, 2021))
Goal Ball + (Note: For searches, "gool," "gould," and "gool ball" have sometimes given relevant results.)
Lenape Club of Delaware + (On last Friday aftern … On last Friday afternoon, the anxiously looked for contest between the Lenape Base Ball Club of Delaware and the Mansfield Club took place on the Mansfield grounds in a large field adjoining Hedges' Grove on East Market Street. A large crowd estimated at not less than 2,000. The Mansfield Club beat the favored Lenape team by a count of 76 to 28. The batting of Messrs. R.H. Rowland and W. Dougherty was excellent, and the science displayed by L.A. Strong and James D. Bell, in catching showed they were not novices to it. Mansfield Herald, June 12, 1867ices to it. Mansfield Herald, June 12, 1867)
1845.32 + (Richard Hershberger, … Richard Hershberger, 2/3/2021"I don't believe I have seen this before: An advertisement in the NY Atlas October 5, 1845, for the upcoming baseball game between New York and Brooklyn players. It is of particular interest as it lists both the first and last names of the Brooklyn players.""I take the two games as being, on the one side, a function of the New York BBC, and on the other side an unofficial function of some members of the Union Star CC. One of the accounts carefully distinguishes between the New York Club and Brooklyn players."Tom Gilbert, 2/3/2021:"Some known cricketers in there." John Thorn, 2/3/20211:<a>https://protoball.org/1845.32</a> <a>Protoball Chronology #1845.32</a> NY Atlas Advises: THE OLD GAME OF BASE REVIVED Salience Prominent City/State/Country: <a title="Brooklyn, NY">Brooklyn</a>, <a title="NY">NY</a>, <a title="United States">United States</a> Game <a title="Chronology:Base">Base</a> Age of Players <a title="Chronology:Adult">Adult</a> Text <div>"THE OLD GAME OF BASE REVIVED–There will be a game of Base come off on MONDAY, October</div><div>5th, between eight New York players and eight of Brooklyn, on the U.S.C [Union Star] Club ground. The game will commence at 11 o’clock, weather permitting; if not, the first fair day. The following are the Brooklyn players:</div><div> </div><div>John Hunt,</div><div>Theodore Foman</div><div>Edward Hardy</div><div>John Waley</div><div>John Hyne</div><div>Stephen Swift</div><div>William Sharp </div><div> Samuel Myers. " </div> SourcesNY Atlas, October 5, 1845CommentRichard Hershberger, 2/3/2021"I don't believe I have seen this before: An advertisement in the NY Atlas October 5, 1845, for the upcoming baseball game between New York and Brooklyn players. It is of particular interest as it lists both the first and last names of the Brooklyn players.""I take the two games as being, on the one side, a function of the New York BBC, and on the other side an unofficial function of some members of the Union Star CC. One of the accounts carefully distinguishes between the New York Club and Brooklyn players."Tom Gilbert, 2/3/2021:"Some known cricketers in there."John Thorn, 2/3/2021:"Location of the match:<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.covehurst.net/ddyte/brooklyn/ancient.html">http://www.covehurst.net/ddyte/brooklyn/ancient.html</a>" Submitted by <a title="Richard Hershberger">Richard Hershberger</a> Submission Note 19CBB Posting, 2/3/2021 carefully distinguishes between the New York Club and Brooklyn players." Tom Gilbert, 2/3/2021: "Some known cricketers in there." John Thorn, 2/3/2021: "Location of the match: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.covehurst.net/ddyte/brooklyn/ancient.html">http://www.covehurst.net/ddyte/brooklyn/ancient.html</a>" Submitted by <a title="Richard Hershberger">Richard Hershberger</a> Submission Note 19CBB Posting, 2/3/2021 )
1872.9 + (Richard Hershberger, … Richard Hershberger, 8/19/2022:150 years ago today in baseball: "Boston at Cleveland, winning 12-7. This is the last gasp of the Cleveland team, but what interests me is this tidbit about Harry Wright's batting strategy, not swinging until the umpire calls a strike. This will later become a common approach. This is the earliest mention of it I know, making Harry a forward thinker in yet another area of baseball."For Richard's 2014 summary of the called rules, see https://protoball.org/Called_Pitches 4 summary of the called rules, see https://protoball.org/Called_Pitches )
1872.11 + (Richard Hershberger, … Richard Hershberger, 150 years ago today in baseball: The Manhattan Cricket Club beats the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club 26-17. To be absolutely clear, they were playing baseball. Cricket and baseball clubs playing one another in one or both games was an established practice in this era. Generally the baseball team won at baseball and the cricket team won at cricket. When a team won at the other's game it usually was a case of ridiculously great disparity of athleticism. Imagine a modern MLB team, given a reasonable time to learn the rudiments, playing a rec league amateur cricket team. Or, taking it the other direction, an India Premier League team playing an American rec league baseball team.This provides the explanation for the Knickerbockers' loss: They were really, really Not Good. Indeed, they never had been, except for a few years in the mid-1850s when their greater experience sufficed to make them respectable. In their defense, they weren't trying to be good. They were trying to combine exercise and socializing. They were generally successful at this. But on the rare occasions they played an outside game, the results could be ugly. ut on the rare occasions they played an outside game, the results could be ugly. )
Massachusetts Game + (See the article on the Massachusetts game in the Origins Committee Newsletter, September, 2021.)
1768.2 + (Still, it's fairly si … Still, it's fairly significant in that it becomes, by far, the earliest known appearance of baseball in a dictionary. The next earliest one we know of was almost 80 years later, in James Orchard Halliwell's 1847 "Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words." It is quite interesting that "baseball" appears as one whole word, not the two-word "base ball," or hyphenated "base-ball" that were customary in the era. Also of note is the dictionary's indication that the word "base" was an alternate name for baseball. "A Society of Gentlemen" was the pseudonym under which the Encyclopaedia Britannica was first published, also in 1768.nder which the Encyclopaedia Britannica was first published, also in 1768.)
Akron BBC + (The Akron Base Ball C … The Akron Base Ball Club will play a match game of base ball, with Mansfield Club, at 3 o'clock, P.M., on the farm of Peter Bell, on West Fourth Street. Mansfield Herald, July 10, 1867The game of base ball between the Akron and Mansfield Clubs, took place on the farm of Peter Bell, near this place, on last Wednesday and was witnessed by a large crowd. The game resulted in the success of the Akron Club by a score of 63 to 34. Much dissatisfaction was expressed at the conduct of the Umpire who first superintended the game. Same July 17, 1867 he Umpire who first superintended the game. Same July 17, 1867 )
Irish Rounders + (The GAA version of ro … The GAA version of rounders is very similar to <a title="Softball" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softball">softball</a>, the main difference being that the game is played with baseball-sized bats, balls and field. However, baseball-style gloves are not allowed. The main differences between <a title="Baseball" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball">baseball</a> and the English version of the game are that the rounders bat is much shorter and is usually swung one-handed; misses or strikes are not called, so there are no walks or strike-outs; each batter receives only one good ball and must run whether they hit it or not. Other differences include the posts for marking the bases, which should be wooden, and are preferably encased in plastic sheaths, the layout of the pitch, especially the location of the last base; and the bowler's arm motion, which is an underarm pendulum action, as in softball. (from Wikipedia arrticle on Irish rounders)endulum action, as in softball. (from Wikipedia arrticle on Irish rounders))
1859.49 + (The first “match” gam … The first “match” game in New Orleans between two different clubs was played August 12, 1859 between the Empire and Louisiana Base Ball Clubs, won by Empire [Times-Picayune, August 13, 1859]. [ba] Another pair of clubs followed closely. The Southern and Magnolia clubs played in early October. [John Husman, "Ohio's First Baseball Game," July 16, 2004, page 4 (no source given).]l Game," July 16, 2004, page 4 (no source given).])
1829.4 + (The game played was w … The game played was wicket. See the Ilion Citizen, March 13, 1903:One Saturday afternoon, in the fall of 1829 while a party of academics were playing a game of wicket ball on the "green," Philo Petrie, a student, was hit by a bat and almost instantly fell dead. Ozias Nellis was at the wicket, defending it, and in his playing raised his bat to strike the fall; as it came he struck but missed the ball, and momentum of the blow swung Nellis and the bat around, raising the bat as it went, and hit Petrie, who was standing near, on the side of his head. Petrie suddenly clapped both hands to his head, and in a moment fell headlong to the ground. No blame was laid on Nellis; the blow was accidental, but fatal.d. No blame was laid on Nellis; the blow was accidental, but fatal.)
Rocky Mountain Club of Virginia City v Rocky Mountain Club of Virginia City in 1866 + (The < … The Montana Post (Virginia City) June 2, 1866, reports the game between the two nines of the "Rocky Mountain Base Ball Club", won by the first nine by "thirty-three points" (121 to 88). F. G. Heidt is captain of the first nine. A roster is given. This game was played "near the new burying-ground"--presumably Boot Hill, just north of town (at Jefferson and Main Sts.) or the "New" Cemetery just northeast of town.. [ba]Sts.) or the "New" Cemetery just northeast of town.. [ba])
Village Base Ball Club of Philadelphia + (The New York Clipper, Nov. 27, 1869 mentions the following clubs attending the PA state baseball convention: James Page, Village, Olive, Ours, City Item, Experts, all of Philadelphia.)
1864.39 + (The < … The United States Sanitary Commission was a private relief agency created by federal legislation on June 18, 1861, to support sick and wounded soldiers of the U.S. Army during the <a title="American Civil War" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War">American Civil War</a>. It operated across the North, raised an estimated $25 million in Civil War era revenue and in-kind contributionsestimated $25 million in Civil War era revenue and in-kind contributions)
Active Base Ball Club of New York v Onalaska Club of New York on 4 June 1859 + (Tholkes RIM says 5/25.)
Club of Tiraspol + (Today Tiraspol is the capital of Transnistria, a breakaway state in Moldova, where it is the third largest city. Transnistria is not recognized as a county by the U.N.)
Olympic Club of Boston + ([from a biographical … [from a biographical sketch of George Arnold:] In the Spring of 1851 he came to this city and began work with the firm of James Munroe & Col, booksellers. The years following, he, with the late Mr. Albert S. Flye and a few young men, used to meet on the Common as early as five o’clock, a.m., to play ball; here we may trace the origin of what was afterwards known as the “Olympic Ball Club of Boston,” and no doubt the first Club organized in New England. It was formed in the Summer of 1854. Mr. Arnold took an active part in organizing the same. [New England Base Ballist, Aug. 27, 1868--see Hershberger clippings]8--see Hershberger clippings])
Excelsior Base Ball Club of Pana + (<strong id="yui_3_16_0_1_1413030158325_6955" style="font: 700 13px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">"Baseball Pioneers, 1850-1870, The Clubs And Players Who Spread the Sport Nationwide" edited by Peter Morris,, William J. Ryczek, Jan Finkel, Leonard Levin Publisher: McFarland and Company Jefferson, North Carolina 2012<br style="font: 13px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"/><strong id="yui_3_16_0_1_1413030158325_6966" style="font: 700 13px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">Chapter 6, Page 203<br style="font: 13px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"/><span style="font: 13px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"> <br style="font: 13px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"/><strong id="yui_3_16_0_1_1413030158325_6967" style="font: 700 13px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">"...Even more importantly, for every player and club that proved itself on the national stage, there were dozens who became local legends. In Pana, Illinois for example, "the first baseball club was named the Excelsiors. J.C. McQuigg, still a leading attorney of Pana, was the star catcher and batter of the club. He was known as the Babe Ruth of Central Illinois, and won the state championship by knocking the ball out of the state fairgrounds at Decatur, Illinois, for a home run and brought in three men with him, winning the game and the silver cup."<br style="font: 13px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"/><em id="yui_3_16_0_1_1413030158325_5584" style="font: italic 13px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">Jay McAfee note: J.C. McQuigg is James C. McQuigg, son of John McQuigg Sr. & Sarah McAfee of Wayne County, Ohio. James was a Civil War Veteran and was severely wounded at the battle of Chickasaw Bluffs, Dec. 29, 1862. is James C. McQuigg, son of John McQuigg Sr. & Sarah McAfee of Wayne County, Ohio. James was a Civil War Veteran and was severely wounded at the battle of Chickasaw Bluffs, Dec. 29, 1862.)

Eagle Base Ball Club of New York + ( )

1816c.11 + ( < … "Northanger Abbey was published posthumously in 1818, and while most scholars agree the first draft was written in the 1798-99 time period, there is no evidence that Austen's early draft included the baseball reference. It was submitted for publication in 1803 under the name “Susan,” but never went to press. The text was revised between 1816 and 1817, but did not get published until after Austen’s death that summer." (from David Block, 9/16/2020). ock, 9/16/2020). )
Schlagball + (A. Notes from Bill … A. Notes from Bill Hicklin"Schlagball is the German name for its variant of longball, which is still played in schools, and on a club basis in the northern coastal region. It is substantially the same as Gutsmuth's "German Ballgame;" it was touted by German nationalists in the 19th century as just that, the German National Pastime on a par with baseball in America and cricket in Britain. Rules are to be found in almost every German sports manual of the 19th and early 20th century, its popularity peaking in the 1920s before it yielded to the explosive growth of soccer. The last national Schlagball championship was played in 1954. Also played in Austria under the name Kaiserball or 'Imperial Ball.'"Bill Hicklin, submission to Protoball, 2015.------B -- Dakota play. from Terry Bohn" . . . the Dakota Territory was primarily settled by German immigrants (who played baseball). The capital city of Bismarck, North Dakota changed its name from Edwinton to Bismarck in 1873 in hopes the Chancellor would be flattered and help fund the Northern Pacific Railroad. It didn't work."Terry Bohn, 19CBB posting, 11/19/2017. Query: is there evidence that schlagball was played by German immigrants to the US?----C. -- FYI, Protoball's Brother-in-law's grandfather once taught schlagball at a German school. Maybe he can turn up details on schlagball's rules of play? - C. -- FYI, Protoball's Brother-in-law's grandfather once taught schlagball at a German school. Maybe he can turn up details on schlagball's rules of play? )
Detroit Club Grounds + (August 8, 1859</ … August 8, 1859First Game Between Opposing ClubsA form of class warfare was played out on the grounds of the Lewis Cass farm, roughly in the vicinity of Grand River and Cass. The Detroits, organized in 1858, were a group of well-heeled citizens who, bored with cricket, decided to give baseball a try. A second team of clerks and office workers was organized in 1859. Because of their long work hours, they practiced at sunrise and called themselves the Early Risers. In first of several games involving the two teams, the Detroits routed the Early Risers, 59-21. (per vintagedetroit.com)volving the two teams, the Detroits routed the Early Risers, 59-21. (per vintagedetroit.com))
1770c.3 + (Caution:Caution: dating this reference requires some assumptions. Waterhouse was born in 1754, and thus, if this recollection is authentic, he speaks of a penchant for ballplaying [and smoking] he held in his teens. He was born at Newport, RI and remained there until 1780.e was born at Newport, RI and remained there until 1780.)
1778.4 + (Caveat:</strong& … Caveat: It is unknown whether this was a ball game, rather than prisoner's base, a form of tag played by two teams, and resembling the game "Capture the Flag."Note: "Long Bullets" evidently involved a competition to throw a ball down a road, seeing who could send the ball furthest along with a given number of throws. Another reference to long bullets is found at <a>http://protoball.org/1830s.20</a>. t;http://protoball.org/1830s.20</a>. )
1847.7 + (Note -- Actually, an earlier account of California ballplaying was recorded a month before this, in San Diego. See [[1847.15]]. )
1857.3 + (Note" add info on the significance of this club?)
Resolute Club of Boston v Aurora Club of Chelsea on 13 May 1871 + (Note: </strong&g … Note: The Clipper printed this correction two weeks later:"The Aurora Club of Chelsea, Mass, is composed of White and not colored men as was inadvertently stated in the late issue."Note: The article does not specify where these clubs played this match.Can we confirm that the Resolute Club comprised African American players?played this match. Can we confirm that the Resolute Club comprised African American players?)
1440c.1 + (Note: This drawing is listed as "contemporary" on the premise that it was meant to depict ballplaying in the 1400s.)
Pythian Club of Philadelphia v Mutual Club of Washington on 12 August 1871 + (Note: This match between two African American clubs was later described as the US colored championship match, and, is reported as being played the same day as the account was printed. This may be a typo.)
1751.1 + (Note: This match is also reported in item #1751.3)
1751.3 + (Note: This match is also reported in item#1751.1)
1821.8 + (Note: This entry was formerly listed for 1844 from prior sources. The location of the village play in not given.)
1837.8 + (Note: A dollar fine for "pitching dollars?")
1850.6 + (Note: Is the author hinting that boys commonly bet on their ball-games? Isn't this a rare mention of barn-ball?)
1805.4 + (Note: … Note: So, folks . . . was this a baserunning ball game, some version of prisoner's base (a team tag game resembling our childhood game Capture the Flag) with scoring, or what?John Thorn [email of 2/27/2008] has supplied a facsimile of the Post report, and also found meeting announcements for the Diagoras in the Daily Advertiser for 4/11 and 4/12/1805.David Block (see full text in Supplemental Text, below) offers his 2017 thoughts on this entry: Email from David Block, 2/19/2017:"Gents,Just a quick note to follow up on John's blog post from last week about the 1805 "bace" game. My opinion on whether that game was baseball or prisoner's base has gone back and forth over the years. As of now I tend to lean 60-40 to baseball. Other than the example from Chapman that John cited, I've never come across a use of the term bace to signify either game. Even if I had it wouldn't mean much as the word "base" has been used freely over the years for both of them. The mention of a score in the 1805 article is significant. Rarely are scores indicated in any of the reports of prisoner's base (prison base, prison bars, etc.) that I've come across. Usually they just indicate one side or the other as winner. There are a couple of exceptions. I know of one English example from 1737 where a newspaper reported on a match of prison-bars between eleven men from the city of Chester against a like number from the town of Flint in Wales. "The Cheshire gentlemen got 11, and the Flintshire gentlemen 2," it noted. I've also seen another English report from 1801, also of prison-bars, where one side was said to have "produced a majority of five prisoners." Still, George's example is American, where I suspect that, even at that early date, baseball was probably the more popular game of the two.Regarding "baste," I have seen at least two dozen examples of the term "baste-ball" used in England in the 18th and 19th centuries. It's clear from context that this was an alternate spelling of base-ball, along with bass-ball. I don't doubt the same was true for the few instances of baste-ball's use in America."My opinion on whether that game was baseball or prisoner's base has gone back and forth over the years. As of now I tend to lean 60-40 to baseball. Other than the example from Chapman that John cited, I've never come across a use of the term bace to signify either game. Even if I had it wouldn't mean much as the word "base" has been used freely over the years for both of them. The mention of a score in the 1805 article is significant. Rarely are scores indicated in any of the reports of prisoner's base (prison base, prison bars, etc.) that I've come across. Usually they just indicate one side or the other as winner."Best to all, David"John Thorn email of Feb., 25, 2024: "Hi, George. I found this thesis invaluable for my understanding of early ball play in New York, and thus for EDEN. Do you have it? Here's a Dropbox link [omitted] in case you don't. Once upon a time we had wondered about the location of the Gymnastic Ground, near Tyler's. I found this pretty compelling (before this pleasure ground was Tyler's, it was Brannon's):Some idea of the garden during Brannon's tenure can be gotten from scattered sources. In 1842, for a suit in the Court of Chancery involving the ownership of the Church Farm, a group of elderly men and women gave depositions describing this part of the city as they recalled it in the eighteenth century. Several testified that the garden was enclosed by a fence; one testified that Brannon maintained a ball alley; and another owned that between 1789 and 1793, during his days as a student at Columbia College (then located on Church Street between Barclay and Murray), he and "the collegians were in the habit of frequenting . . . Brannon's Garden." [“Chancery Reports (Sandford), 4:716, 724, & 730.]I also have bound volumes of these chancery reports, which to my knowledge have not been digitized; I suppose I could check!Also, I append an item possibly missed by all of us, from the New-York Herald (New York, New York) May 4, 1805Note that the Columbia College clubs' game of bace is here rendered as basse. The mention of "hands in" fully persuades me that this is a game of bat and ball."the game report first appeared in the New-York Evening Post of May 1, and next in The Herald of May 4.David Block agrees he mention of "hands in" fully persuades me that this is a game of bat and ball." the game report first appeared in the New-York Evening Post of May 1, and next in The Herald of May 4. David Block agrees )
1818.4 + (Note: … Note: The original source of the 1818 reference may have been lost. Bob reports that Dean Sullivan thesis cited Harold Peterson's The Man Who Invented Baseball (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1973), page 24. However, Peterson gives no source. A dead end?), page 24. However, Peterson gives no source. A dead end?)
1700c.2 + (Note: This book is in the form of a chronology. Barber gives no source for the wicket report.)
1850s.50 + (Note: … Note: This describes a scrub form of tutball/rounders. It suggests that all hitting was forward, thus in effect using a foul line, as would make sense with a single fielder.The claim that tutball and stoolball used the same rules is surprising; stoolball is fairly uniformly described as having but two bases or stools, and using a bat.y described as having but two bases or stools, and using a bat.)
1844.6 + (Note: Understanding the author's intent here is complicated by the fact that he was Canadian, Sam Slick was an American character, and the novel is set in Britain.)
1494c.1 + (Note: We need better sources for the Columbus story.)
1824.6 + (Note: see item #[[1829c.1]] below for Holmes' Harvard ballplaying.)
1788.2 + (Note: "Nines seems an unusual name for a ball game; do we find it elsewhere? Could he have been denoting nine-pins or nine-holes? John Thorn, in 2/3/2008, says he inclines to nine-pins as the game alluded to.)
1864.58 + (Note: … Note: A few days earlier, Richard had noticed the use of "battery" in a July 26 game report: see Supplementary Text, below.The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, page 86, citing the Chadwick Scrapbooks, had the first use of "battery" as 1868 (third edition). first use of "battery" as 1868 (third edition). )
1733.1 + (Note: A bat had been described in Willughby's c.1672 account of hornebillets. See [[1672c.2]].)

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