Alexander Cartwright

Alexander J. Cartwright (April 17, 1820 -- July 12, 1892), American engineer, who has as good a claim as any as the inventor of baseball. Cartwright was a member of the New York Knickerbockers, who played a brand of stick-and-ball game called the town game. In 1845 Cartwright and a committee from his club drew up rules converting this playground game into more elaborate and interesting sport to be played by adults.

While there were many differences from the modern game, the Knickerbocker innovations included many elements that are still essential parts of baseball:

• four canvas bases 90 feet apart
• foul lines
• three outs
• nine players
• out by tagging or force (and not by a thrown ball)

Differences included:

• underhand pitching from 45 feet
• no innings
• runs called "aces", 21 or more to win

Cartwright's club participated in the first game under these rules on June 19, 1846. The Knickerbockers lost 23-1.

Cartwright later left New York for the gold fields of California and later for Hawaii, but he took his bats and his balls and his game with him and continued to play and promote baseball wherever he went.