On June 3rd 1953, Congress officially recognized Alexander Joy Cartwright, Jr. as the man who invented modern baseball.

Born in New York City on April 17 1820, Alexander Cartwright's first job after leaving school at the age of 16 was as a clerk at a bank. Later on, he became a bookseller and a volunteer fireman.

Alexander Cartwright founded the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club in 1842. The Knickerbockers played a game called the town game.

In 1845 he and a few others from his club started to draw up rules for a newer and better version of the game, to be known as base ball. The old bat and ball game of town ball was about to get a new and exciting new re-vamp, converting this playground game into a more interesting adult sport. He called this sport Base Ball, and the rules of the modern game of baseball are based on the rules Alexander Cartwright drew up all those years ago.

Alexander Cartwright moved to California in 1849 and on his journey across the country, he introduced baseball to every town he stayed along the way.

He died in Honolulu, Hawaii on 12th July 1892, aged 72, cause of death...blood poisoning.

His remains lay buried at Oahu Cemetery, in Honolulu, Hawaii. And to this very day, people lay baseballs and baseball gloves at his grave site.

May he rest in peace.


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