Interesting article: baseball started in the 18th, not 19th, century

[Pythonfactory]

I don't know if David Block's research has been shared here before so I figured I would share this enlightening article. In summary, baseball (in some form) actually dates to the 18th, not 19th century, and does not have one mastermind who created the whole thing.

This isn't entirely new information but since I had no idea about this I figured some others among the group wouldn't have heard of it either and find it a worthwhile read.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9681627/baseball-archaeologist-david-block
http://sabr.org/latest/new-discovery-sabr-member-david-block-confirms-baseball-was-played-royalty-england-1700s
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_Before_We_Knew_It

[1880nonsports]

thanks

[dougscats]

Thanks for posting this; it's news to me.

[Nashvol]

From "Washington" by Ron Chernow, p.292:

“Much of the power of Washington’s presence derived from his fluid gait, the antithesis of the stiff, wooden image Gilbert Stuart grafted on the American imagination. The quintessential man of action, he moved like a national icon long before he became one. The sculptor William Rush recalled his smooth, unruffled movements: “I have been in battle immediately under his command. I have viewed him walking, standing, sitting. I have seen him at a game of ball for several hours,” and in all these activities he exhibited “the most manly and graceful attitudes I ever saw.”2 Washington was, quite simply, a sight to behold. “So tall, so straight!” one servant remembered. “And . . . with such an air! Ah, sire, he was like no one else!”3

Excerpt From: Chernow, Ron. “Washington.” PENGUIN group, 2011-10-21. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.

Check out this book on the iBooks Store: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewBook?id=386082829

[irishdenny]

The Englishman William Bray writings are also mentioned here in this Article & Video.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/06/01/lords.museum.baseball.cricket/index.html

The History of "The Game of Baseball" is so Cool... ; -)