Life of Alexander Cartwright (1820-92)
His father was a sea merchant from New York City and he had seven siblings.
After discovering baseball and serving as the Knickerbockers\’ vice president, Cartwright joined the Gold Rush that led him from the West to Hawai\’i. He would become Honolulu\’s first fire chief and became an advisor to Queen Emma.
Innovation of Alexander Cartwright
- Baseball (1840-45): It is generally believed that while working as a bank clerk, Cartwright played games with the local firefighters consisting of balls and bats. He would form the New York Knickerbockers team. In 1845, he moved the team to Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Relevance of Alexander Cartwright
Although the debate behind the origins of baseball continued, people do agree that the public display of baseball was in Elysian Fields. The National Baseball Hall of Fame recognize Alexander Cartwright as the founder of baseball in 1938.
Sources
- Alexander Cartwright. National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- Roberts, Russell. “Rediscover the Hidden New Jersey.” Rutgers University Press. 2015.