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<p><strong>Note </strong>that this enigmatic excerpt does not directly attribute to Crapo these references to ballplaying. </p>
<p><strong>Note</strong> that there is reason to ask whether these games, or the ones described in [[1853.7]], were known as "rounders" when they were played. As far as we know, his sources did not use the name rounders, and Fuess may be imposing his assumption, in 1917, that base ball's predecessor was formerly known as rounders. His book observes, elsewhere, that in warm weather students "tried to improve their skill at the rude game of "rounders," out of which, about 1860, baseball was beginning to evolve." </p>
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<p><strong>Note:</strong> This assumes that the elevens at Haverford (see #[[1848.8]] above) don't qualify for this honor.</p> +
<p><strong>Note:</strong> This brochure seems to imply that New York rules governed this game, but does not say so.</p> +
<p><strong>Note:</strong> We have other no evidence that the term "<strong>Massachusetts Game</strong>" was actually in use as early as 1854. The earliest it is found is 1858.</p> +
<p><strong>Note</strong>: Whaaaat? See #1828.1 above, and the <a href="http://retrosheet.org/Protoball/Rounders">Rounders Subchronology</a>.</p> +
<p>A claim that the Live Oaks, or the Olympics, preceded the Flour Citys appears above - see #1855.14.</p> +
<p>About 30 years later, reporter William Rankin wrote that Alexander Cartwright introduced familiar modern rules to the Knickerbocker Club, including 90-foot baselines. </p>
<p>As of 2016, recent scholarship has shown little evidence that Alexander <span class="sought_text">Cartwright</span> played a central role in forging or adapting the Knickerbocker rules. See Richard Hershberger, <em>The Creation of the Alexander <span class="sought_text">Cartwright</span> Myth (</em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Baseball Research Journal</span>, 2014), and John Thorn, "<em>The Making of a New York Hero" dated </em>November 2015, at <a href="http://ourgame.mlblogs.com/2015/11/30/abner-%3Cspan%20class=">cartwright/.">http://ourgame.mlblogs.com/2015/11/30/abner-<span class="sought_text">cartwright</span>/.</a></p>
<p>John's concluding paragraph is: "Recent scholarship has revealed the history of baseball's "creation" to be a lie agreed upon. Why, then, does the legend continue to outstrip the fact? "Creation myths, wrote Stephen Jay Gould, in explaining the appeal of Cooperstown, "identify heroes and sacred places, while evolutionary stories provide no palpable, particular thing as a symbol for reverence, worship, or patriotism."</p> +
<p>According to Peter Morris in <em>Base Ball Pioneers </em>(McFarland, 2012, p. 253), the first club, the Excelsior, took the field in 1858. Source: William R. Griffith, <em>The Early History of Amateur Baseball in the State of Maryland</em>, (Baltimore, n.p.1997), p. 4.</p> +
<p>According to the <em>Boston Herald</em> (April 9, 1860), the MABBP convention drew only 33 delegates from 12 clubs.</p>
<p> </p> +
<p>Anachronism alert-- in 1862 Princeton was known as the College of New Jersey.</p>
<p>See also item #[[1857.23]] </p> +
<p>As of 2016, recent scholarship has shown little evidence that Alexander Cartwright played a central role in forging or adapting the Knickerbocker rules. See Richard Hershberger, <em>The Creation of the Alexander Cartwright Myth (</em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Baseball Research Journal</span>, 2014), and John Thorn, "<em>The Making of a New York Hero" dated </em>November 2015, at <a href="http://ourgame.mlblogs.com/2015/11/30/abner-cartwright/.">http://ourgame.mlblogs.com/2015/11/30/abner-cartwright/.</a></p>
<p>John's concluding paragraph is: "Recent scholarship has revealed the history of baseball's "creation" to be a lie agreed upon. Why, then, does the legend continue to outstrip the fact? "Creation myths, wrote Stephen Jay Gould, in explaining the appeal of Cooperstown, "identify heroes and sacred places, while evolutionary stories provide no palpable, particular thing as a symbol for reverence, worship, or patriotism."</p> +
<p>Block advises, August 2015: </p>
<p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">That Cassandra Cooke, writing in the late 18th century, would have her readers believe that baseball was part of the vernacular in the early 17th century is certainly interesting, but since one contemporary reviewer labelled her book "despicable" there is absolutely no reason to think she had any more insight into the era than we do 216 years later.</span></p> +
<p>Caveats: Admission was charged in 1858 for the Brooklyn-New York games at the Fashion Race Course, Queens, which was enclosed but not a 'ball field'. </p>
<p> Before the Union Grounds, there were no ball field enclosed for the purpose of charging admission.</p> +
<p>Citing the makeup of these players as differing from that of early town ball players' reports, and seeing the 1829 account as more of a morality tale than a reliable report, Richard Hershberger (email of 10/31/12) discounts this item as an account of the origins of Philadelphia town ball.</p>
<p>In 1831 two organized groups, which later merged, played town ball: for a succinct history of the origins of Philadelphia town ball, see Richard Hershberger, "A Reconstruction of Philadelphia Town Ball," <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Base Ball</span>, volume 1 number 2 (Fall 2007), pp 28-29.</p> +
<p>Dating this entry in the 1840s is highly arbitrary. It is included only because it suggests that round ball and wicket were locally seen as common past activities at this fine college as of 1871.</p> +
<p>Dating this remembered practice to the 1830s is somewhat arbitrary, as the writer's age in 1847 is unknown. Locating the practice in NY State is also uncertain.</p> +
<p>David Nevard raises vital questions about this account: "I have my doubts about this item - it just doesn't seem to fit. 1) The club names don't sound right. The famous club from Medway was the Unions, not the Medways, and I haven't seen any other mention of Union Excelsiors. 2) Lowry's evolution of the longest Mass Game does not mention this one. He shows the progression (in 1859) as 57 inns, 61 inns, 211 inns. It seems like a 4 day game in 1858 would have lasted longer than 57 innings. 3) It's a recollection 50 years after the fact. $1000, 10,000 people." [Email to Protoball, 2/27/07.]</p> +
<p>Douglass is not explicit about the period referenced here, but that it is before the Civil War.</p> +