They named their team after a volunter fire department in which Alexander Cartwright and several other ballists belonged to. One of these wrote in his notes, "We were all men who were at liberty after 3 o'clock in the afternoon and played only for health and recreation... and merely wanted to join a club to set up new uniform rules". Old scorebooks indicate that the Knickerbockers did not play their top squad in the 23-1 loss to the 'New York Nine'.

Old manuscripts indicate that winning was unimportant to the ballists, they played for pleasure and for the champagne suppers that followed their games. One of the members, James Whyte Davis, wrote in his will, "All relations and immediate friends are well informed that I desire to be buried in my base ball suit, and wrapped in the original flag of the old Knickerbockers of 1845, now festooned over my bureau." baseballhistorian.com archives Research Department

'Dear old Knickerbockers, I hope the club is still kept up, and that I shall some day meet again with them on the pleasant fields of Hoboken. I have in my possession the orginal ball with which we used to play on Murray Hill. Many is the pleasant chase I have had after it on Mountain and Prairie and many an equally pleasant one on the sunny plains of Hawaii..... Sometimes I have thought of sending it home to be played for by the clubs, but I cannot bear to part with it, so linked in it, is it with cherished home memories.'

Kickerbocker's Constitution Revised in 1848 setting penalties.

Section 1. Members when assembled for field exercise, who shall use profane or improper language, shall be fined 12 1/2 cents for each offense... Sec. 2. Any member disputing the decision of an Umpire, during the time of exercise, shall be fined 12 1/2 cents... Sec. 3. Any member who shall audibly express his opinion on a doubtful play, before the decision of the Umpire is given, (unless called upon by him so to do) for each offensive, shall pay a fine of 12 1/2 cents... Sec. 4 Any member refusing obedience to his Captain, in the excerise of lawful authority, shall pay a fine of 50 cents... Section 5. All penalties incurred by violation of any proceeding sections, must be paid to the Umpire before leaving the field; and any member refusing to pay such fines, shall be suspended from field exercise until such fines are paid.

Thousands of fans were attending base ball games to see what the new improved, faster game was all about. Base ball was becoming a money making proposition and the people owning the playing fields were starting to reap the rewards.

The teams from Massachusetts played a hard-nosed type of ball and their ballists were mainly single men from boarding houses, that frequent saloons, and were referred to as ruffians. These ruffians thought New York's game was too tame for their liking. When the New York game started to draw paid attendance, the Massachusetts players abandoned town ball and set up new leagues following New York's style of base ball.

'It's the money after all that determines the play'.

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Later in 1846, Walt Whitman wrote: 'I see great things in base ball. Its' our game... The American game. It will take our people out of doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a large physical stoicism. Tends to relieve us from being a nervous, dyspeptic set. Repair these losses, and be a blessing to us.'

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First Modern Game of Base Ball - 1845 From 'The Hall of Fame Records'

According to old manuscripts and note pads, Alexander Cartwright, of New York, organized the 'modern' game of baseball in 1845. He was a clerk in the business world and joined other young employees of New York City in 1839 to play a game of rounders; an English version of cricket. One of the game's members, Dr. Daniel Adams wrote in a letter "that we called our new game base ball". This is the oldest known manuscript that refers to the 'Game of Base Ball' A group of players met and picked Alexander Cartwright as their leader.

Cartwright wrote in his note pad in 1845 that he was "one of the finer players" and was picked as its' leader when it wrote a formal constitution for the team that named itself 'The Knickerbocker Base Ball Club" Alexander Cartwright was the club's first secretary and vice-president. He wrote the original 14 rules; which were similar to the game of rounders with these three exceptions: (#1) The field will be laid out diamond shape rather than square, (#2) Foul territory was introduced, (#3) The practice of retiring a runner by hitting him with a thrown ball was discarded. With these new rules 'The Knickerbockers' placed ads for opponents, the new rules being clearly posted in the ads. On June 19, 1846 they played the New York Nine, in what is called by the Hall of Fame as "the first modern base ball game". The New York Nine won base ball's first game, trouncing 'The Knickerbockers' 23 to 1. Alexander Cartwright went to California during the gold rush of 1849 and introduced 'base ball' to everyone on his way to the west. He arrived in San Francisco and taught the new game there. Base ball then started to evolve all over the country. On his plaque in the Hall of Fame are engraved these words: Alexander Cartwright - Father of Modern Baseball

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Early Baseball History - Alexander Cartwright

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