| The first and earliest written evidence of baseball in | | | | and the modern game.The 1791 Massachusetts |
| America is a bylaw written in 1791 in Pittsfield, | | | | by-law banned the playing of the game within 80 |
| Massachusetts. The document, discovered by | | | | yards of the town meeting house. The first |
| Society for Baseball Research member John Thorn in | | | | documented formal organization to play baseball in |
| 2004, offers strong evidence that baseball is a unique | | | | America was the NY Knickerbockers established on |
| American game, and it casts doubt on the long held | | | | September 23, 1845. The first rules were written by |
| belief that baseball was derived from rounders, a | | | | Alexander Cartwright, considered to be the Father of |
| British game. It also raises the question of the origins | | | | modern baseball. However, long before this time ball |
| of cricket, as it has been widely thought that baseball | | | | playing of one sort or another was noted by many |
| followed cricket, which was developed from a folk | | | | authors and in many documents.A May 8, 1844 city |
| game known as stool ball (1085 A.D).As far back as | | | | Ordinance in New York City prohibits "ball" playing of |
| 2000 B.C. ball and stick type games have been | | | | any sort. Abner Doubleday was said to have |
| played. Hieroglyphics depict ancient Egyptians playing | | | | "invented" the game of baseball in 1839, although a |
| a game similar to baseball in 1500 B.C., although there | | | | later inquiry proved this to be a myth. |
| exists some major differences between its depiction | | | | |