For centuries, baseball has been enjoyed as America's favorite pastime. The sport's origins and the man credited as its "father" have caused much historical controversy with investigations into documentation, photography, and folklore of the American West. Throughout this extensive series, we will touch on the background and masterminds of those considered to be baseball's founders.
A Brief History
Baseball originated from different bat and ball games played long ago in England. Rounders and cricket were among the games that affected baseball development. In America, however, baseball matured into the organized sport we know.
The first known official description of baseball in America was recorded in 1791 when a town ordinance banned the playing of the game within eighty yards seventy-three meters or so near where it had created spawned a new meeting house in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The rising popularity of baseball in the mid-19th century established the need for a standardized set of rules and regulations.
Baseball Notables in the Evolution of Baseball
Alexander Cartwright
Alexander Cartwright is commonly considered one of the founding figures in baseball's modern era. In 1845, Cartwright, a member of the New York Knickerbocker Base Ball Club, codified a set of rules for the game. These were called "The Knickerbocker Rules" along with others. These rules, which included foul lines, the diamond-shaped infield, and the three-strike rule, laid down most of the foundations for baseball.
The establishment of regular competitions and the codification of rules enabled a progression in baseball history, eventually leading to other accomplishments, such as Cartwright being considered a father amongst modern regel for sport. This role, combined with his early shaping of the game's structure, has led to him being known by many as one of baseball's "founding fathers."
Abner Doubleday
Abner Doubleday is another big name that gets tossed around regarding who started baseball. According to legend, the game of baseball was invented by Union General Abner Doubleday in 1839 at Cooperstown, New York. However, a great deal of evidence exists to dispute this, and Doubleday's role in creating the game has become an argument for the scholar.
Doubleday is the namesake of Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, New York, believed to be the birthplace of baseball.
The Legacy of the Founding Fathers of Baseball
So, the ultimate answer to who baseball's father is becomes an intricate bundle of conflicting viewpoints. Although Alexander Cartwright is a figure who has been recognized as significant in the early history of baseball for his creation, refinement, and internal organization of the game, there still remains much scholarly debate on Abner Doubleday's case and contributions.
Ultimately, Baseball's roots and its anointed "father" are woven into a complex interplay between history and fable as sports historians continue to strive for a greater definition of America's favorite pastime.
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