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