Alexander Cartwright
- 1. Alexander Cartwright: The Father of Modern Baseball Kolin McMillen HIS 205 12 November 2014
- 2. McMillen 2 Many people dream of having a major lasting effect on history, if they're fortunate and lucky enough. Alexander Cartwright was fortunate to have one of the most amazing and lasting effects in American history. Alexander Joy Cartwright was born on April 17, 1820, in New York City (CMG Worldwide). Cartwright's contribution to history is one of the most important creations in entertainment that still thrives today. Alexander Cartwright is recognized as the founding father of the game of baseball (National Baseball Hall of Fame Library). It has been through recent history that we have been able to discover the truth behind how baseball originated. Although Cartwright is now credited with the creation of baseball, many scholars believe that baseball has in fact been around for many years prior to 1845, the year Cartwright formed the first organized game of baseball in the United States (Bauer and Goodman). Cartwright was a founder and influencer of the Knickerbocker Baseball Club of New York City (NNDB). Matthew Goodman and Stephen Bauer analyzed the origin of baseball in their scholarly journal article, From Elysian Fields: Baseball as the Literary Game. They found that a rhyming poem was written in 1744 by John Newbery of London, which hinted at the game later known as baseball. The title of Newbery's rhyme is "Base Ball." It goes, "The Ball once struck off --- Away flies the Boy To the --- destin'd Post And then --- Home with Joy (Bauer and Goodman)." After reading the poem, it is clear that to some extent, the game had at least been thought of and made its way into an Englishman's journal. However, this does not make Newbery the founder or creator of baseball. There were no guidelines, rules, teams, or anything brought up in his journal entry. It was simply an entry that included a boy hitting a ball and having joy as he went home.
- 3. McMillen 3 When Cartwright was sixteen years old, he worked as a clerk for a broker’s office on Wall Street in New York (SABR). He continued to work as a clerk for Union Bank of New York (SABR). At the time, work hours for bankers allowed adequate amount of time to have fun outside after work while there was still daylight. Many of the workers in the area took advantage of the opportunity to play outside prior to going home for the evening. In the early nineteenth century, it was very common for men to get together after work, in the streets or vacant lots of New York to play a game of ball (SABR). At the time, Cartwright was also working as a volunteer fireman. Therefore, a majority of the men Cartwright played with, were volunteer firemen (SABR). The games grew in intensity and Cartwright decided to form a team called the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York (NNDB). It is believed that the name derived from the Knickerbocker Engine Company No. 12, a local company in New York located by where the men played (SABR). Later in the year of 1845, a fire destroyed the Bank where Cartwright worked. This led Cartwright to Wall Street to work for his brother Alfred in his book-selling business (SABR). This was a different atmosphere for Cartwright, but it never diminished his love for the game (SABR). The tragedy inspired Cartwright to look to baseball as a release from his new work. The Knickerbocker Base Ball Club's played their first official game in Hoboken, New Jersey on September 23, 1845 (SABR). The game was played on an empty field that was later named Elysian Fields. Cartwright and his team constructed a constitution along with twenty rules for the game. It was for this reason, that the rules are known as the “Cartwright Rules (SABR).” According to Monica Nucciarone, many people have misinterpreted what Cartwright had actually made and what he had revised with the rules of the game (SABR). Nucciarone had
- 4. McMillen 4 discovered previous interviews with former members of the Knickerbocker Baseball Club (SABR). What she found was that Cartwright had configured the foul lines of the field, and removed the idea that the ball need to be thrown at the base runner to secure an out (SABR). Instead, the ball needed to be thrown at the baseman to catch and tag the base runner out (SABR). Three rules attributed to Alexander Cartwright are still used in the game of baseball today (NNDB). The first rule he is credited with is that, “a runner being touched with a ball, rather than hit with it to be considered out (NNDB).” The second rule is that, “a ball being determined foul if outside the range of first or third base (NNDB).” Thirdly, the rule that illustrated the distance between the bases. Cartwright paced out 42 paces from home plate to first base, and 42 paces from first base to third base (NNDB). This created a diamond-shaped playing field. However, this rule has been specified in feet rather than inconsistent paces, later in history (NNDB). Although Cartwright is credited with the creation of baseball in the United States, it is evident that the sport had already taken form from other sports in Europe such as Cricket (SABR). In 1849, roughly four years after the game in New Jersey, Cartwright started to pioneer out West (SABR). Inspired by the game, he shared the game of baseball with fellow travelers as well as other settlers throughout the country. This led to Cartwright urging the settlers to create their own teams of their own. Cartwright had inspired many others to also create leagues for their teams to play in (SABR). Cartwright made it to California by the end of 1849, sharing his stories of the game he so desperately wanted to share and play with others (SABR). He later sailed to Hawaii, where he again, shared his game with the natives of the area. Cartwright never made it back to the inland states. He lived in Honolulu as the city’s first fire chief for the remainder of
- 5. McMillen 5 his life (CMG Worldwide). He lived happily in Hawaii, working as a fire chief and playing the game he loved until his death on July 12, 1892 (CMG Worldwide). Alexander Cartwright was inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938, which was the Hall of Fame's third class inducted (SABR). The Hall of Fame is located in Cooperstown, New York (National Baseball Hall of Fame Library). This location was chosen primarily due to the fact that in prior years, many had attributed the creation of baseball to Abner Doubleday, a native of a town near Cooperstown (National Baseball Hall of Fame Library). However, through research, we were able to determine that it was physically impossible to be in two places at once. In reality, Doubleday was in West Point at the time baseball was conceived (Simpson). Doubleday was simply given the credit for baseball, due to the fact that he was a decorated war hero (Simpson). The Baseball Hall of Fame gives the most accurate information on all of the inductees, crediting them with the accomplishments they have earned. The exception is Alexander Cartwright. On his monument in the Hall of Fame, it states: "Father of modern base ball. Set bases 90 feet apart. Established 9 innings as game and 9 players as team. Organized the Knickerbocker Baseball Club of N.Y. in 1846. Carried baseball to Pacific Coast and Hawaii in pioneer days (National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)." It is astonishing that in the recent years that the new information was conceived, the Hall of Fame has yet to recognize that Alexander Cartwright did not set the bases apart 90 feet. In fact, he had set home plate 42 paces away from both first and third base, and first and third base 42 paces away from one another (NNDB). This created a diamond shape, however, it is not consistent with the measurements we use today. Today, home plate is 90 feet away from both first and third base, while first base to third base
- 6. McMillen 6 measures 127.28 feet. All points of the baseball diamond measure 90 feet from one another (National Baseball Hall of Fame Library). In conclusion, Alexander Cartwright’s effect on the entertainment industry, has been astronomical and extremely influential. He was able to transform a game that he and his work friends played after work, and turned it into something incredible. It is only fitting to give baseball the nickname, “America's Pastime.” Cartwright passed away on July 12, 1892 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938 (NNDB). His induction allows for youngsters and adults alike, to learn about how baseball was transformed from an after work activity to becoming “America’s Pastime.” Any baseball fan can appreciate how hard Cartwright worked to spread his love for the game. Perhaps this is why all throughout America we see baseball being played with such great heart and passion. Cartwright would be very proud to see how his love for baseball has been carried on throughout the years.
- 7. McMillen 7 Works Cited CMG Worldwide. "The Official Site of Alexander Cartwright." The Official Site of Alexander Cartwright. http://www.cmgww.com/baseball/cartwright/about/bio.html (Accessed November 10, 2014). Goodman, Matthew, and Stephen Bauer.1993."From Elysian Fields: Baseball as the literary game." Sewanee Review 101, no.2: 226.Poetry & Short Story Reference Center, EBSCOhost (accessed November 10, 2014). National Baseball Hall of Fame Library. "Alexander Cartwright." Baseball Hall of Fame. http://baseballhall.org/hof/cartwright-alexander. (Accessed November 11, 2014). NNDB. “Alexander Cartwright.” Alexander Cartwright. http://www.nndb.com/people/410/000172891/ (accessed November 10, 2014). "SABR." Alexander Cartwright. http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/09ed3dd4. (Accessed November 09, 2014). Simpson, Brooks D.. The Civil War: the first year told by those who lived it. 1. print. ed. New York, NY: Library of America, 2011