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Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams Selected As SABR’s 19th Century Overlooked Baseball Legend
Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams Selected as SABR’s 2014
19th Century Overlooked Baseball Legend
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By Roger & Cathy Ratzenberger (Special Guest Writers): (Visit Roger’s website here)
Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams (1814 – 1899) has been selected as the 19th Century Overlooked Baseball Legend by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). This recognition comes in the bicentennial of his birth.
Each year SABR honors a 19th century player, manager, executive or other baseball personality not yet inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Adams’ contributions to the game include the creation of the shortstop position and heading the baseball governing body that established key aspects of today’s baseball game including nine players per team, the nine-inning game, ninety feet between bases and catching the ball on the fly.
Adams was born in Mont Vernon, New Hampshire on November 1, 1814. He graduated from Yale in 1835 and Harvard Medical School in 1838. In 1839, he moved to New York where he established his own medical practice. Read the rest of this entry
Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams – Long Overlooked Baseball Pioneer
Wednesday July 25, 2012
Photo Courtesy of http://www.19cbaseball.com
Roger Raztenberger: (Special Guest Writer)- In searching for the origins of our National Pastime, it is important to seek out and recognize the individuals who were instrumental in its formation and development rather than perpetuate the myths and half-truths of the past. Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams is one of the “forgotten” pioneers who has been overlooked, but should be recognized and enshrined in Cooperstown.
The origins of baseball have always been a little murky and shrouded in mystery. Everyone has heard the now discredited myth of Abner Doubleday, a distinguished Civil War general, being the father of baseball. It was an interesting story that led to the establishment of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the idyllic village of Cooperstown, NY. However, it was just a story – mere fiction. The Hall of Fame now simply states, “The Doubleday Myth has since been exposed” adding, “It’s now accepted that Alexander Cartwright developed rules in the 1840s that are the basis for the modern game.” However, the accuracy of that assessment given the lack of acknowledgement of Adams and his contributions means there’s still work to do in order to get the story right.
Alexander Cartwright and Henry Chadwick have been honored with plaques for the roles that they played during the early days of the game. Doc Adams’ contributions compare favorably with, and some would argue even surpass those of Cartwright and Chadwick. However, Adams has not yet been accorded the same honor of membership in the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s exclusive club. Read the rest of this entry
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