Fans Speak / Joe Mock

Web Tour: Ballparks - List of MLB Ballparks and Stadiums: Alphabetically by Team, League and Year of first season. Seating capacities and field dimensions represent a typical season. Complete for 1998, some data as far back as 1884, including disbanded teams.

Who standardized the baseball field?

I want to know who was credited with standardizing the features and dimensionsof the baseball field? When? What club was he with?.... I need this answer for a contest please. Thank you

Jack Nieto jr.

Joe Mock's Response

Jack,

I certainly want you to win the contest! The correct answer is Alexander Cartwright.

According to the book "Baseball - More Than 150 Years" by David Nemec and Saul Wisnia, Cartwright and a group of friends formed the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club in New York City in 1845. On Sept. 23 of that year, the club adopted a set of 20 rules written by Cartwright. These rules included that the game be played on a diamond-shaped field with 90 feet between the bases, and nine players on each team. Three strikes made an out, and each side got three outs before the other team batted.

It's generally believed that the first formal game of baseball between two different teams (in this case, the teams were actually "clubs" that men belonged to) was held across the river from NYC in Hoboken, NJ in a park called Elysian Fields - which was usually used for cricket matches. The date was June 19, 1846, and the New York Nine defeated Cartwright's Knickerbockers 23-1. Cartwright himself, interestingly, served as the umpire in that game.

Let me know what you win in that contest!!

-- Joe Mock, webmaster of BASEBALLPARKS.COM and GrandSlamMall.com
Also author of Joe Mock's Ballpark Guide
visit http://www.baseballparks.com and http://www.grandslammall.com
Ballpark guru at Baseball Guru

Browse our affiliates :-) Trophies2Go.com GreatFlowers.com 33% off USA TODAY TheSportsAuthority Baseball Warehouse Rawlings Leather Goods
TeamStore.com has throwback gear and you can create your own jersey.

Sabermatricians: Ask how to make money selling your baseball analysis on BaseballGuru.com

Become a member of the Guru's BrainTrust
Keep informed of the latest developments. The Braintrust is a free newsletter.