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1836.13 + ( Roswell Park was born at Lebanon, Conn., in 1807, graduated at West Point, and at Union College in 1831. He died July 16, 1869. Whether he was an errant wight is not yet known by Protoball.in 1831. He died July 16, 1869. Whether he was an errant wight is not yet known by Protoball.)
1856.38 + (Spink does … Spink does not site a source for this item. Note: As of 2023, Protoball has 9 entries for town ball in Illinois prior to 1856, including claims that Abe Lincoln: see The following 1866 comparison of base ball and town ball from an Illinois source throws some light on town ball rules for that era: "Base Ball resembles our old-fashioned favorite game of Town Ball sufficiently to naturalize it very quickly. It is governed by somewhat elaborate rules, but the practice is quite simple. Nine persons on a side, including the Captains, play it. Four bases are placed ninety feet apart, in the figure of a diamond. The Batsman, Ball Pitcher, and one Catcher, take the same position as in Town Ball. Of the outside, besides the Pitcher and Catcher, one is posted at each base, one near the Pitcher, called the “Short Stop,”—whose duty is the same as the others in the field—to stop the ball. The Innings take the bat in rotation, as in Town Ball,—and are called by the Scorer. The ball is pitched, not thrown to them—a distance of fifty feet. The Batsman is permitted to strike at three “fair” balls, without danger of being put out by a catch, but hit or miss, must run at the third “fair” ball. He may “tip” or hit a foul ball as often as the Umpire may call foul, so he be not caught out flying, or on the first bound. When he runs, he must make the base before the ball reaches the point to which he runs, or he is out. And three men out, puts out the entire side. Those who are put out may continue to strike and run bases until the third man is out. "The Bases form a diamond, the angles of which are occupied by the Batsman and Catcher, and one of the outside at each angle. All putting out on the corners is by getting the ball there before the runner for the inside reaches the base, by catching the ball flying when a fair ball is struck, or by catching a foul ball after it is struck, either when flying or at first bound. A distinctive peculiarity of the game consists in the fact that when a ball is struck by the Batsman it must fly either on an exact angle, or inside of the angles formed by the base occupied by the Batsman, and the bases right and left of him. All balls deflecting from these angles are “foul.” "The above is merely a general view of the game. It is very easy to learn, and is capital sport, barring the cannon ball which the players are expected to catch in rather soft hands. Ladies will enjoy the game, and of course are expected as admiring spectators." Source Daily Illinois State Journal, May 1866:see https://protoball.org/Clipping:A_comparison_of_base_ball_and_town_ball, from the Hershberger Clippings Data Base. title="Source">see https://protoball.org/Clipping:A_comparison_of_base_ball_and_town_ball, from the Hershberger Clippings Data Base. )
Donkey Baseball + ("Several entrepreneurs … "Several entrepreneurs set up businesses that toured the country in the 1930s, with a truckload of trained donkeys, staging games for a fee. Service clubs, churches and civic groups would hire the companies and offer the public a chance to see local notables attempt to play baseball mounted on the quadrupeds. The profits from the show would go to their charitable and civic projects."Typically, the game would be a contest between the members of a service club or a church group against a sports team or another civic group. Invariably, the players were well known in the community, and often some of its leaders. The public found great amusement in watching the players’ inept attempts to guide the donkeys. They were often tossed head over heels to the ground, or otherwise outsmarted by their stubborn mounts."Steven Thorning, Donkey Baseball Was Popular it the mid-20th Century, November 26, 2010; accessed 10/24/2020 via a search for <thorning donkey baseball>. The May 2019 Bossier (Louisiana?) site above adds that, based on a 1934 news article, fielders were allowed to dismount to retrieve hit balls, as long that they held on to the beast's reins. lowed to dismount to retrieve hit balls, as long that they held on to the beast's reins. )
1871.4 + (< … While "hits per at-bat" has become the modern form of batting average, and was the only average calculated by the official statistician beginning in the inaugural season of the National League in 1876, the definition of a "time at bat" has varied over time. To Dobson, a time at bat included any time a batter made an "out, a run, or is left on his base." However, walks were excluded from the calculation of at-bats beginning in 1877, with a temporary reappearance in 1887 when they were counted the same as hits. Times hit by the pitcher were excluded beginning in 1887, sacrifice bunts in 1894, times reached on catcher's interference in 1907, and sacrifice flies in 1908 (though, they went in and out of the rules multiple times over the next few decades and weren't firmly excluded until 1954). Consequently, based on Dobson's calculation, walks would have counted as an at-bat but not as a hit, so a negative result for the batter. This was the case in the first year of the National League as well, but was "fixed" by the second year. A fielder's choice would have been recorded as an at-bat and not a hit under Dobson's system, as it is today. For a short history of batting measures, see Colin Dew-Becker, “Foundations of Batting Analysis,” p 1 – 9: <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0btLf16riTacFVEUV9CUi1UQ3c/">https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0btLf16riTacFVEUV9CUi1UQ3c/</a> com/file/d/0B0btLf16riTacFVEUV9CUi1UQ3c/</a> )
Dysodias Club of Eugene + (< … Eugene OR (1870 population 861) is about 120 miles S of Portland. One report said that the matches were played in the town square. -size: 10pt;">One report said that the matches were played in the town square. )
1805.8 + (< … Protoball notes, circa 2010 The writer, Benjamin Silliman, thus implies that an American [or at least Connecticut] analog to trap ball was played, using fungo-style batting [trap ball was not usually a running game, so the American game may have been a simple form of fungo]. His second comparison is consistent with our understanding or how English cricket and American wicket were played in about 1800. However, it seems odd that he would refer to "our cricket" and not "our wicket" It is possible that a form of cricket - using, presumably, the smaller ball - was played in the US that retained the older long, low wickets known in 1700 English cricket.Note that if the US wicket was only 3 or 4 inches high, a rolling ball would most likely dislodge the bail. From David Block, 2/12/2014: "This reference raises some questions, which may not be answerable. Was he implying that striking a ball, fungo-style, was the general method of ball-play in New England, or was he only making a more narrow comparison to how a self-serve type of ball game was played at home. If the latter, might this have been 'bat-ball'?" "It appears that the author was previously unaware of English cricket. What he refers to as "our cricket" is obviously wicket. This was an educated man, but it was also apparently his first trip overseas. My first reaction was to be very surprised at his apparent ignorance of English cricket, but it may well be that things that seem like obvious knowledge to us today may not have been so in the America of two hundred years ago."ket. This was an educated man, but it was also apparently his first trip overseas. My first reaction was to be very surprised at his apparent ignorance of English cricket, but it may well be that things that seem like obvious knowledge to us today may not have been so in the America of two hundred years ago.")
In Nashua in April 1847 + ("Fast. This … "Fast. This time-hallowed, if not time-honored occasion, was observed in the usual way. The ministers preached to pews exhibiting a beggarly emptiness, upon the sins of the nation -- a frightful subject enough, heaven knows. The b-hoys smoked cigars, kicked football, played round ball, long ball, and old cat, and went generally into the outward observances peculiar to the occasion. [Nashua (NH) Telegraph]."from the Boston Courier, April 14, 1847.Stephen Katz observes: "The "fast" referred to was probably Thanksgiving, celebrated on April 13, 1847." nksgiving, celebrated on April 13, 1847." )
Block:London Dictionary Defines "Baseball" in 1768 + ("A Society of Gentlemen" was the … "A Society of Gentlemen" was the same rubric used by the authors of the first Encyclopedia Britannica, also published in 1768. This Dictionary was apparently intended to be a companion work by those men, or perhaps a copycat work by imitators (the Britannica was essentially Scottish and first printed in Edinburgh), though evidently an unsuccessful one.- Bill Hicklinntly an unsuccessful one.- Bill Hicklin)
In West Chester Circa 1827 + ("A boy named Plaff was killed at West Chester, Pa., by being hit under the ear by a ball-club.")
Evansville Townball + ("And it is a fact known to very f … "And it is a fact known to very few, that away back in the early history of Evansville, ball was the most popular game. But it was then called town ball. On every Saturday at 12 o'clock the great majority of the wholesale and retail houses closed their doors and the merchants would go to a large vacant common which now is filled up by Chandler Avenue, Blackford Avenue and Mulberry street, there to engage in a game of town ball. Among the best players of that time were John Wymond, who for many years was in the paper business here, William E. Hollingsworth, Thomas J. Hollingsworth, Edward E. Law, Dr. I. Haas, the late Wiley Little, Samuel E. Gilbert, Henry Dodge, Billy Caldwell, Billy Baker, John S. Hopkins and a number of others who were the leading men of Evansville in those days. The players used a large rubber ball, solid and almost the same size as the league ball now in use. To catch the ball on the bounce or after it had hit the ground the first time, was considered perfectly fair. This would be a joke at present. There was only one base or home plate where the batter stood. There was only one batter of course and no catcher and the game was simply like batting flies for practice at any league park, with this exception. Whenever the fielder (and they were all fielders except the man who stood at the bat,) caught the ball either before it struck the ground or before it struck the ground the second time, he marched in, took his place at the bat and tossing up his own ball (for there were no pitchers), knocked it as far as he could. The great point of skill was in knocking the ball so that it would not bounce. In other words, in knocking grounders or in knocking it as far as he could, so that the fielders could not catch it on the bounce from where they were stationed. I remember that my father, the late Samuel E. Gilbert, took a great interest in the game and would as soon have missed the Sunday morning choir as he could his Saturday afternoon ball game and he imagined that he was a great catcher, but one day he got directly under a high fly which slipped through his hands and struck him exactly on the bridge of the nose and for two weeks he had about the worst pair of black eyes ever seen in the city of Evansville. This club played for several years and even after base ball had gotten a start some of these old timers imagined that the new game would be equally as simple as the old one. So on a certain afternoon a lot of the old merchants, all of whom had been town ball players, challenged the clerks for a game. This was pie for the clerks, but the old timers did not know it. We all went to the park and I suppose through having a relative in the game, I was selected as pitcher and used nothing but a plain drop ball, but there was not one of those old timers who hit any closer than about one foot from it, and they actually had the nerve to order me from the plate on the grounds that I was not playing fair. When their turn came to pitch, what we did to those straight balls was good and plenty. I do not remember the score, but I do remember that that was the last time the old timers ever challenged any of the younger generation. They seemed to realize that things had changed since their day. It was in the '50s that Charlie Wentz a dashing young college graduate from the east, came here and was appointed agent of the Adams Express Company, which was then in Chandler block where the barber shop now is. He was the first one to introduce the regular game of base ball in this city and was assisted by the late Emerson B. Morgan, also an eastern man, and George Bartlett, the young member of the firm of John H. Bartlett & Co., who were in the dry goods business here.This was in the year 1866. I do not remember just where they first played but it was on the open grounds and a huge back stop of boards was put up just behind the catcher. The game at that time was new, even in the east and the rules far different from what they are at the present. The pitcher had a great deal better show as did the batter and such scores as two to one or even 10 to 5 were unheard of. They generally ran between the 20's and the 50’s."Gilbert, History of Evansville pp 106-1080’s." Gilbert, History of Evansville pp 106-108)

1860.62 + ("Athletic" proved to be the most durable club name in baseball.)

Maple Leaf Club of Hamilton v Barton and Flamborough on 18 October 1865 + ("Barton ad Flamborough" = The clubs of Barton and West Flamborough?)
Southern Club of Bluefields + ("Before baseball became popular a … "Before baseball became popular among Nicaraguans, the British, who occupied the Atlantic Coast, introduced cricket. However, a businessman from the U.S. named Albert Addlesburg who lived in Bluefields in the 1880s became fed up with local sports authorities and convinced two cricket teams to switch to baseball instead. The two baseball teams had their first game in 1887, and the first official games took place in Managua in 1891." http://cultureboxes.unm.edu/countries/Nicaragua/resources/Culture-Box-of-Nicaragua.pdf/resources/Culture-Box-of-Nicaragua.pdf)
Clipping:East New York and Prospect Park ballgrounds + ("East New York" is an alternate name for the town of New Lots, on Long Island, which was annexed by Brooklyn in 1886. [ba])
Giftball + ("Gift is a German word for "poison." Thus it is conceivable that the German game derived from the French game of Balle Empoisonee. One can speculate that players were put out when a ball touched them. )
1800c.11 + ("It seems to me that sky-ball was a trapball-type game." -- Tom Altherr, 2.19.2021 A gable is an end-wall of a structure. Tom suggests that the first game reported may have been barn ball. )
-1000s.1 + ("More recent art from elsewhere i … "More recent art from elsewhere in China shows polo-like games being played on horseback with sticks" evidence for ball games in Eurasia from ca. 3000-year-old Yanghai tombs in the Turfan depression of Northwest China Patrick Wertmanna,⁎,"'We cannot determine based on current evidence that these balls can be linked with polo,' says Jeffrey Blomster, an archeologist at George Washington University . . . 'the fact that all three are nearly the same size suggests a similar use for all three.'"For comments on the game played with these balls see Supplemental Text, below. [] For information on balls found from even earlier times, in Egyptian tombs from 2600 BCE, see [[-2600c.1]]<h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading" lang="en"> </h1> 0c.1]] <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading" lang="en"> </h1> )
In Jacksonboro on 17 February 1782 + ("Old Jacksonborough" is about 19 miles west of Charleston in Colleton County.)
Rock City Base Ball Club of Nashville + ("Rock City" was a nickname for Na … "Rock City" was a nickname for Nashville in the 19th century. See the book "Nashville, Tennessee: The Rock City of the Great and Growing South," published around 1900. http://books.google.com/books?id=nCptNQEACAAJ There was also a separate Rock City club located in Culleoka, TN at a later period.rate Rock City club located in Culleoka, TN at a later period.)
Eckford Club of Brooklyn + ("The Eckfords disbanded as a base ball club in November of 1872 but remained a club until 1965." -- Eric Miklich (email of 11/13/2020).)
Eckford Club of Brooklyn v Eckford Club of Brooklyn on 28 May 1861 + ("The Field" side was allowed 11 p … "The Field" side was allowed 11 players and were given six outs each inning. Future impact player, Al Reach played second for "The Field" and his brother, Bob, played centerfield. "The Field" side hit four home runs (one each by the Reach brothers) to the "First Nine's" one.Note that Henry Chadwick is listed as a member or the Atlantic of Brooklyn Club. as a member or the Atlantic of Brooklyn Club.)

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