From the August, 1909 'Baseball Magazine'. At some point I'll scan some of these articles and post, but having trouble with uploads.
The History of Baseball By William M. Rankin
excerpts from Chapter 1 - The Beginning of Baseball
All the pioneers of the game, who were interviewed in times gone by, agreed that they had no regular game of ball until Mr. Cartwright presented his plans, which were drawn up on paper, and submitted one afternoon when his fellow players had gathered on the field for practice. He had arranged for eighteen men, nine on each side. His plans were met with much good natured derision, but he was so persistent in having his new game tried that it was finally agreed, more to humor him than with any idea of its becoming so successful or a permanent fixture.
It had been the custom of the young men of that day to assemble on a vacant lot about where the eastern end of Madison Square Garden now stands about twice a week for practice. After that site had been purchased for the erection of the harlem Railroad Depot, the ball players took possession of an open field on Murray Hill, between Railroad cut and Third avenue. It was while located on this lot that Mr. Cartwright introduced his new game, but there was no regular system for playing it, or rules to govern it. It was then that Mr. Cartwright suggested the formation of a club for playing the game.
....
At a special meeting, held on June 5, 1846, Messrs. Curry, Adams and Tucker were appointed a committee to arrange the preliminaries, and conclude a match with the New York Baseball Club, which consisted of a party of gentlemen who had recently et and formed themselves into a club. Most of them had been cricketers, and were very clever at that tame. The match was arranged for June 19, at Hoboken, N.J.
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The day finally came for the playing of this important match - the first regular baseball game ever played - and it was all that could be desired, although extremely hot. There was a large gathering of the friends of the two clubs, including many ladies, which greatly added to the success of the afternoon's entertainment. It can be seen by the score how primitive the game was in those days. But four innings were played. It will be remembered the game was won by the party first making twenty-one aces, or over, on even innings. The names of the players and the result were as follows:
NEW YORK
(Name HO,R)
Davis 1,3
Winslow 2,2
Ransom 2,3
Murphy 0,4
Case 0,4
Johnson 1,2
Thompson 2,2
Trenchard 2,1
Lalor 2,2
Totals 12,23
KNICKERBOCKER
Turney 1,0
Adams 1,0
Tucker 2,0
Birney 1,1
Avery 0,0
H. Anthony 2,0
D. Anthony 2,0
Tryon 2,0
Palding 1,0
Totals 12, 1
It was not until the Summer of 1851 that the next match game was played.
(more follows0
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