OT? 1st organized High School Baseball Team in US

[NATCARD]

I have a theater teacher at my high school that is working on a play. He wants to know when organized baseball teams were created in the United States. Any help is greatly appreciated. thanks, Jeff W

[bgar3]

Try the Protoball site as a starting point, there is a section of first teams in various states and towns and usually has informative footnotes in support.

[JustinD]

There is no indisputable facts known for the origination of baseball, just many argued theories. The Doubleday myth was likely created to attempt to create an explanation for an answer no one has ever been able to prove (and to help dispel the belief that Baseball was birthed from an English game called Rounders, the idea that America's game was foreign was not a well liked one).

Many writings have been found dating the playing of the game or a close version to the mid to later 1700's.

I personally prefer to place the strongest organized play to the East Coast areas of New York and Philadelphia. Team information of organized games begins in the early 1800s.

Let's just say they can read 5 well researched books and likely find 5 strong arguments on this.

I would tell him good luck and a better play may be based not on the founding, but rather the arguments on the founding. Just the creation of the Doubleday myth is a very interesting one.

[Fred]

Originally Posted by JustinD

There is no indisputable facts known for the origination of baseball, just many argued theories. The Doubleday myth was likely created to attempt to create an explanation for an answer no one has ever been able to prove (and to help dispel the belief that Baseball was birthed from an English game called Rounders, the idea that America's game was foreign was not a well liked one).

Many writings have been found dating the playing of the game or a close version to the mid to later 1700's.

I personally prefer to place the strongest organized play to the East Coast areas of New York and Philadelphia. Team information of organized games begins in the early 1800s.

Let's just say they can read 5 well researched books and likely find 5 strong arguments on this.

I would tell him good luck and a better play may be based not on the founding, but rather the arguments on the founding. Just the creation of the Doubleday myth is a very interesting one.

You mean we've been lied to all this time? Doubleday and Cooperstown are a sham?

Lot's of good reading on the topic to refute Doubleday and Cooperstown.

Be nice if Dreker would weigh in on this. Could you imagine if baseball was as popular today as it was 100 years ago? All kinds of teams with organized and unorganized leagues. Companies having teams. Baseball was the game 100 years ago.

Edited to add - when I was a kid I believed the Doubleday/Cooperstown story, but then we all begin to read and find out not everything we hear is true. Kind of like, "don't believe everything you hear on the internet".

[FrankWakefield]

I don't have a clue as to the answer of which high school had the first baseball team... But who would the play? Can't play a high school baseball game without that second high school baseball team.

[Section103]

Originally Posted by FrankWakefield

I don't have a clue as to the answer of which high school had the first baseball team... But who would the play? Can't play a high school baseball game without that second high school baseball team.

Thats not really true. Back in the day, college teams played high schools, military bases, company teams, professional teams, MLB teams and on and on. Playing a team nearby or in town was for more of a determination than originating level.

[Leon]

+1
Lots of pick up games in the old days....

Originally Posted by Section103

Thats not really true. Back in the day, college teams played high schools, military bases, company teams, professional teams, MLB teams and on and on. Playing a team nearby or in town was for more of a determination than originating level.

[FrankWakefield]

I still think what I said in post 5 is true. The first HS team couldn't play another HS team until there's a second HS team.

And I agree that there were lots of pick up games and town ball games back in the day, along with teams at military camps, colleges, boarding schools, and the like.

"I don't have a clue..." that remains true.

Next is a question, "who would they play?", that's a question.

"Can't play a high school baseball game without that second high school baseball team" That's true. That first HS team could have played pick up games, town teams, college teams, military bases, company teams, professional teams, MLB teams and on and on. BUT, that first HS team can't play a high school baseball game unless the other team is from a high school.

[EddieP]

If you really want to get technical what we know as High Schools were called Academies until the 19th century in which the term Normal School was used. High School wasn’t used until the early 20 th Century.In addition, the first state to have compulsory education was Massachusetts in 1852 but this only applied to grammar school.

[Fred]

Originally Posted by FrankWakefield

I don't have a clue as to the answer of which high school had the first baseball team... But who would the play? Can't play a high school baseball game without that second high school baseball team.

Intramural?

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Section103

Thats not really true. Back in the day, college teams played high schools, military bases, company teams, professional teams, MLB teams and on and on. Playing a team nearby or in town was for more of a determination than originating level.

You got it, look at all the random local gyms, athletic clubs, Surgical schools and anyone they could get, University of Michigan has for football victories in the 1800's.

[jjbond]

Originally Posted by bgar3

Try the Protoball site as a starting point, there is a section of first teams in various states and towns and usually has informative footnotes in support.

Whoa! I just went to their site. Thanks! Awesome!!