In spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary -- such as this Wheaties box from 1939 which describes in detail the very moment of creation -- the majority of people continue to dismiss Abner-Doubleday-as-baseball-creator as mere myth. I say it to you all: Teach the controversy!
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Read the text of this cereal box for the straight dope on actual history:
”It’s 1839, near Cooperstown, New York. A group of boys gather around young Abner Doubleday to listen as he describes a strange new game. Doubleday takes a stick and on the ground draws a crude diagram of the playing field. Then he indicates the positions of the men who make up each side and describes the rules.
The game looks good to the boys. They yell and whoop as they take their positions and start playing - the first baseball game ever played in the world’s history!
In this early game, there were 11 men to a side; batters were out if they ball was caught on first bounce; the pitcher’s box was only about 45 feet from home plate! The present distance is 60 feet.
Although Doubleday won much fame as a soldier - firing the first gun in defense of Fort Sumter - he will undoubtedly be remembered best as the man who gave America her national summer sport!” [Text bolded to emphasize accuracy]
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