Father Of Baseball

The father of baseball is Alexander Cartwright, but he should be called the father of organized baseball. By the time he died in 1892, baseball as a competitive, recorded and regulated sport was firmly entrenched in America. In fact, by the time the 1870's arrived, the baseball game was no longer connected to its original source of the English game of rounders.

By 1870, the game Alexander Cartwright had defined by written rules was like a fast pitch softball game that would be played today. The baseball was pitched underhanded and was suppose to be tossed with a stiff arm. But despite rules that had been in force since Cartwright published them in 1845, baseball was still a free-for-all to a certain degree. In other words, there were plenty of rules, but they were not strictly enforced.

In fact, rules did not begin to be taken seriously until the 1920's!

The organized baseball father, Alexander Cartwright, had issued rules for his own Knickerbocker club team in 1845 not realizing the impact they would have on baseball from that point forward. The club was actually formed initially as a social club. The first official baseball field was also designed in 1845. The field and the rules were recognized as needed for baseball in general and adopted by other clubs.

Many people have no idea who is the father of organized baseball. They just know there are rules and they have developed over time. Baseball has proven to be adaptable out of necessity. As equipment and field materials have improved, the rules have had to adapt. It would be interesting to listen to the comments of the father of baseball if he could watch a baseball game being played today.

There is another man who was instrumental in baseball history. The African-American who built the first Negro League in response to segregation was Rube Foster. Foster is the father of black baseball, though it was Jackie Robinson who first joined the Major Leagues. Who you view as the father of black baseball could arguably depend upon what time period you are discussing.

Rube Foster was a baseball player, a businessman and a baseball promoter. Because of his efforts and persistence, the first Negro National League was formed. He died young, but the Negro Leagues survived and are now part of baseball history. When Robinson joined an all-white Detroit team in the majors at the end of segregation, the Negro Leagues were no longer necessary.