The History of Baseball
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Alex Cartwright
Born: April 17, 1820, in New York, New York
Died: July 12, 1892, in Honolulu, Hawaii
Height: 6' 0"
Weight: 210 lb.
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Bio:
Alexander Joy Cartwright was born on April 17, 1820 in the city of New York. He was a member of the New York Knickerbockers Fire Fighting Brigade in 1842. From 1843 until 1845, Alexander worked as bank teller. After the bank burned down Alexander and his brother, Alfred, opened a book and stationary store.
While working at the Knickerbockers fire station, Alexander became involved in playing town ball (an early version of baseball) on a vacant lot in Manhattan. In 1845, the vacant lot in Manhattan became unavailable for use. The group was forced to look for another location to play ball. They found a playing field, Elysian Field, across the Hudson River in Hoboken New Jersey that charged $75 a year to rent.
In order to pay the rental fees, Cartwright organized a ball club so that he could collect fees for the rental of Elysian Field. The club was named the 'Knickerbockers,' in honor of the fire station where Cartwright worked. The Knickerbockers club was organized on September 23, 1845.
The formality of creating a club for the ball players called for a formal set of rules for each member to adhere to. Cartwright formalized a set of 20 rules for the Knickerbockers. The club rules he wrote included: making the distances between the bases equal; three strikes and a batter is out; three outs to an inning; the addition of an umpire; and the creation of fair and foul territory. These rules went on to become the backbone of modern day baseball.
It is likely that Cartwright picked some of his 20 rules based upon his previous experience in town ball play at Manhattan. The original rules of play at the vacant lot in Manhattan were not documented so it cannot be said which rules of the 20 were Cartwright's own invention. Most likely, Cartwright's rules are based upon the Manhattan rules that he twisted at his own personal discretion.
The formation of the Knickerbockers club across the Hudson River created a division in the group of Manhattan players. Several of the players refused to cross the river on a ferry to play ball because they did not like the distance away from home. Those players staying behind formed their own club, the 'New York Nine.'
The first baseball game between two different teams was played on June 19, 1846 at Elysian Field in Hoboken, New Jersey. The two teams, the 'Knickerbockers' and the 'New York Nine,' played with Cartwright's 20 rules. Cartwright’s team, the Knickerbockers, lost 23 to 1 to the New York Nine club in four innings. Some say that Cartwright's team lost because his best players did not want to make the trip across the river. Cartwright was the umpire during this game and fined one player 6 cents for cursing.
Over the next few years, the rules of baseball spread throughout the country. Baseball was becoming the preferred sport of American adults and was drawing spectators by the thousands. Cartwright's rules would soon become part of The National Association Baseball Players Rules in 1860. The National Association Baseball Players Rules slowly evolved into today's rules of baseball.
In 1849, at the apex of the California gold rush, Alexander Cartwright headed west in search of fortune. Along the way to California, Cartwright stopped and taught the game of baseball to all interested. Upon reaching California, he became sickened with dysentery and decided that California was not for him.
He decided to move to Honolulu, Hawaii where he introduced the island to the sport of baseball. During his stay in Hawaii, Cartwright became a notable citizen. He founded the library and fire department. In Honolulu, there is a street named in his honor as well as a ballpark.
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