Volume 13 , Issue 27

American Baseball

It was back in the 1970's that advertisers exploited the patriotic connection with the commercial jingle "baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet." How American is baseball, hot dogs and apple pie?

Let us look at Baseball for now with a glimpse into the book Baseball, that shows the A. G. Spalding collection of historical data connected with baseball, which is sometimes known as America's National game. This book is part of an "oval" series of games by Ricard George Knowles and Richard Morton that dates back to the mid to late 1800's.

On page 82, Chapter VII, Baseball in America supposedly began its season in America around 1895. Some say baseball's origin was more or less accurately, connected with old-fashioned games of England, France and early American colonies. BUT . . . it may be at once admitted that rounders was the only game which really bears any affinity to it.

It was in the United States in early April, 1895 when 65 thousand people attended the five opening games of the National League: New York, Baltimore, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Louisville.

The Father of Professional Baseball

The book referred to Harry Wright, who died on 3 October 1895, as the captain of the famous Cincinnati"Red Stockings." Wright was an Englishman, who originally assisted his father, Sam Wright, as the professional cricketer attached to the St. George Cricket Club, of Hoboken, New Jersey.

Harry Wright's life was so connected with the story of the rise of baseball in America. Harry's first connection with baseball in 1857. Harry used to visit the baseball fields located on the river side Hoboken, north of the Stevens estate. The locality being known as the Elysian, Fields, the Knickerbocker, Eagle and Empire Baseball clubs that occupied the old Kinckerbocker club field.

Harry Wright was known as the "father of professional ball" playing. He organized the first team of ball players who were openly, avowedly paid for their services as regular baseball players. It was Harry Wright's Cincinnati Red Stockings started in 1868 as a regular professional nine that professionalism became the rule. See Links below Reache's Official American League Baseball Guide

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