Who is the Real Father of Baseball?

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Posted By: barrysloate

One thing about Spalding and Doubleday that David Block discussed in his book (in a chapter written by David's brother Philip) is that when the Mills Commission published its results in 1905, the two were not strangers.

In the late 19th century Albert Spalding vacationed in the Point Loma section of San Diego (for point of reference, both Don Larsen and David Wells went to Point Loma High School), and his wife attended some spiritual meetings led by Madame Blavatsky, a well known 19th century psychic. Well guess who else attended those meetings- Mrs. Abner Doubleday! So it's reasonable to believe that both Albert and Abner knew each other and were acquaintences years before Doubleday was anointed the inventor of baseball.

Is it possible that the two had a clandestine meeting, and agreed to this whole charade beforehand? Who knows. But it's an amazing fact that has only been recently uncovered.

(and not that it matters, but my oldest friend lives in Point Loma and I have visited it many times- a beautiful place indeed!)

Edited to add Doubleday died in 1893, so let me rephrase my hypothesis- is it possible that when the Mills Commission was looking for the game's inventor, Spalding was well acquainted with Doubleday, and while he knew that Doubleday had nothing to do with the game, felt he would be the perfect person to fill the role? However it worked out, they already knew each other.