| It is absolutely amazing how and what happened | | | | Joy Cartwright Jr. is the true Founding Father of |
| to propel baseball into a world class following. The | | | | America's Organized Baseball. (Alick) Cartwright |
| facts the fiction the truth the half truths and the | | | | along with his teammates the New York |
| overall general speculation has caused and will | | | | Knickerbocker Base Ball Club in 1845, played and |
| always cause a torrent of arguments and | | | | devised the first rules and regulations for |
| controversy.We are obliged to accept some and | | | | America's baseball.From this 1871 game of an |
| most of the storied history of the game as pure | | | | association of players calling themselves the |
| fact. Does it matter just a whole heck of lot if | | | | National Association it has tassled out to be 30 |
| one of us adds our twist to an occurrence? If we | | | | well organized Big League teams of the National |
| just accept and go on then everything is alright | | | | and American Leagues of Professional |
| and all is well in Podunk, Muddville or Peoria. | | | | Baseball.This loose knit hodge podge of teams |
| Slippery Rock is not even in this mix.The only | | | | formed somewhat informally and playing in a |
| time Slippery Rock is of any big concern is on a | | | | make shift association of players was doomed |
| saturday afternoon in most football stadiums | | | | for failure. Failure came by attrition of some |
| around the nation when the public address | | | | teams folding others joining and all struggling |
| announcer gives half-time scores for football | | | | without an at the top management control or |
| games around the country. Fail to mention how | | | | ownership.Struggle as struggle will up jumps a |
| Slippery Rock is faring and the crowd gets | | | | good ole boy with the money, the means and |
| restless with concern.Let's get back to my | | | | where with all, to see the possibility of this action |
| baseball. Generally it is confirmed that professional | | | | being a profitable venture. In 1876 William Hurlbert |
| baseball had it's genesis of teams being somewhat | | | | , owner of Chicagos National Association club, |
| organized beginning in 1871.It is reported that | | | | started a league where the power and the profits |
| Bobby Mathews of The Kekiongas from Fort | | | | were controlled by team owners, instead of the |
| Wayne won the first National Association game | | | | players.Now here is some of the fact or fiction to |
| ever played shutting out Forest City of Cleveland, | | | | believe it or not to believe it. From the 1871 |
| 2-0, on May 4, 1871. This was some 42 years | | | | association of teams only two teams have |
| prior to my mothers birth date of May | | | | survived until this present day in the National |
| 4,1913.Mom did not tell me about the game I | | | | League. Can you name the two teams?Here we |
| found out about it from some book about | | | | go they are Boston (Atlanta Braves)and Chicago |
| baseball. So as information is not necessarily | | | | (Chicago Cubs). From these two only one city can |
| passed on person to person, or generation to | | | | proudly proclaim we were there when it started |
| generation, one on one, we garner bits and pieces | | | | and we are still ticking. Our caps are tipped to |
| of data from here and there.Someone claimed | | | | Chicago and all those Cubs fans of the "Windy |
| Abner Doubleday played ball with some kids on | | | | City."Batter Up---Let's Play Ball...Major Wiley B. |
| the town square back in 1839,in Cooperstown, | | | | Channell USMC (retired) playing baseball and trying |
| New York. Maybe so but facts and written | | | | to get a scratch hit.Baseball try it you will love it. |
| records reflect the truth of the matter .Alexander | | | | |