June 19, 1946 – This is really going to be the beginning of historic games in hardball. First officially recognized baseball game (played by Cartwright Rules) – New York Mutuals also known as the “Nines” defeated their cross-town rivals the New York Knickerbockers by the score of 23-1 at Hoboken, New Jersey’s Elysian Fields.
The big names on the rosters of these teams? ESPN.con shares that a founding father of the game, Alexander Cartwright, served as a referee (a position later renamed as “umpire”). Jim Creighton, baseball’s first superstar, was on the field playing and a 5-year-old started in the right field named Montgomery Burns’ who would later become the inventor of the curveball.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
The History of Sports Betting and How It Became a Multibillion-Dollar Industry
Ancient Greeks placed wagers on athletes competing at Olympia. That is the oldest recorded
What Makes the Masters Unique to the Other Golf Majors?
Every year, golf’s biggest names gather in Georgia for the most recognisable tournament in
The Nesser Brothers: Pro Football’s Forgotten Pioneers
Back in the prehistoric days of professional football, a family of rugged, tough as
How Pickleball Grew From Backyard Game to Global Phenomenon
Imagine you’re a kid tagging along with your parents, they just finished a game
How the Super Bowl Became America’s Biggest Betting Event
The Super Bowl began as a relatively niche event. It didn’t attract the enormous
A Brief History of Predicting Sports Outcomes
Pick any bar during a big game and you’ll hear the same sound: confidence.
How Tragic Stadium Accidents Led to Nationwide Safety Protocols
Have you ever paused during a thrilling game to consider the unseen safeguards keeping
How New England’s History Is Influencing Patriots Super Bowl Odds in 2026
Sportsbooks don’t price New England like a typical market. They price the Patriots with