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Document Suggests Game of Baseball Older Than Previously Thought
Voice of America News ^
| 5/12/04
| statt
Posted on 05/12/2004 6:17:49 PM PDT by Rebelbase
A town in the U.S. state of Massachusetts says it has found a document suggesting baseball was played there more than 200 years ago.
Officials in Pittsfield say a reference to the sport was recently found in an 1869 book on the town's history. The book describes a law, passed in 1791, banning baseball from being played near Pittsfield's meeting house.
The long-accepted story of baseball's origins centers around Abner Doubleday, who is said to have written the first rules for the sport in 1839. The first real baseball game is believed to have been played in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1846.
Experts say it may be impossible to determine whether the baseball referred to in the Pittsfield law is the same sport known today. Modern baseball evolved from earlier sports, including the English games of cricket and rounders.
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: baseball; doubleday
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Abner Doubleday, move over.
1
posted on
05/12/2004 6:17:50 PM PDT
by
Rebelbase
To: blam
History ping.
2
posted on
05/12/2004 6:18:14 PM PDT
by
Rebelbase
To: Sam Adams; Little Bill; JohnGalt
Oh yeah baby. The most American of sports may have started right in this great Commonwealth.
3
posted on
05/12/2004 6:21:16 PM PDT
by
Burkeman1
("I said the government can't help you. I didn't say it couldn't hurt you." Chief Wiggam)
To: Rebelbase
The long-accepted story of baseball's origins centers around Abner Doubleday, who is said to have written the first rules for the sport in 1839. The first real baseball game is believed to have been played in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1846.Abner played fantasy baseball, by himself, for 7 years?
To: Rebelbase
"History ping." Thanks. Just heard this on Fox News.
5
posted on
05/12/2004 6:21:30 PM PDT
by
blam
To: Rebelbase
Carbon dating has indicated that early forms of Cro-Magnon baseball were played with rocks, tree limbs, and "gloves" made from animal skins. Pine tar was de rigeur for batters, autographs were chiseled in clay tablets, and of course salaries were much lower, paid in beads. The most obvious holdover from those early times is the way umpires call balls and strikes to this day.
To: Burkeman1
Oh yeah baby. The most American of sports may have started right in this great Commonwealth. Even with that advantage, the Red Sox still can't win the World Series.
7
posted on
05/12/2004 6:24:17 PM PDT
by
Paleo Conservative
(Do not remove this tag under penalty of law.)
To: GraniteStateConservative
Ping
8
posted on
05/12/2004 6:24:34 PM PDT
by
Burkeman1
("I said the government can't help you. I didn't say it couldn't hurt you." Chief Wiggam)
To: Rebelbase
Anybody who has any interest in this has known the the Abner Doubleday myth has been discredited years ago.
9
posted on
05/12/2004 6:24:52 PM PDT
by
fhayek
To: dakine
Ping
To: Paleo Conservative
Yee of little faith . . .
11
posted on
05/12/2004 6:25:49 PM PDT
by
Burkeman1
("I said the government can't help you. I didn't say it couldn't hurt you." Chief Wiggam)
To: Mr. Mojo
Ping.
12
posted on
05/12/2004 6:26:38 PM PDT
by
Burkeman1
("I said the government can't help you. I didn't say it couldn't hurt you." Chief Wiggam)
To: Paleo Conservative; Burkeman1
"Even with that advantage, the Red Sox still can't win the World Series."
Yeow!..that's gotta hurt!
To: Rebelbase
This is the year!
14
posted on
05/12/2004 6:28:44 PM PDT
by
Burkeman1
("I said the government can't help you. I didn't say it couldn't hurt you." Chief Wiggam)
To: Burkeman1
This is the year! Yeah, and pigs will fly this year too.
15
posted on
05/12/2004 6:30:09 PM PDT
by
fhayek
To: Burkeman1
The MOST American of sports is basketball, and the first game was played in Springfield, Massachusetts, so you've got it covered.
To: Burkeman1
The most American of sports may have started right in this great Commonwealth. As, indisputably, did basketball and volleyball. Of course the Pittsfield Militia haven't won anything since they traded Ethan Allen to the Bennington Green Mountain Boys to finance a pageant starring the owners "niece".
To: Wally_Kalbacken
"Abner played fantasy baseball, by himself, for 7 years?"
It took him that long to round up enough guys to form up sides.
18
posted on
05/12/2004 6:33:32 PM PDT
by
Socratic
(Yes, there is method in the madness.)
To: Burkeman1
Hmm, weren't football and basketball "invented" in MA too?
To: fhayek
Then I guess some secret government lab is working on cross breeding pigs with eagles right now.
20
posted on
05/12/2004 6:35:53 PM PDT
by
Burkeman1
("I said the government can't help you. I didn't say it couldn't hurt you." Chief Wiggam)
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