New York Game (1857)

“The Tri-Mountain Base Ball Club has been organized… This Club has decided to play the ‘New York Game,’ which consists in pitching instead of throwing the ball.”  Boston Herald June 15, 1857, p4 [Richard Hershberger]

Previous earliest use (Dickson Baseball Dictionary, 3rd edition, 2009):
1ST USE: 1859 (The Base Ball Player’s Pocket Companion: Containing Rules and Regulations for Forming Clubs, Directions for the “Massachusetts Game,” and the “New York Game,” from Official Reports, published by Mayhew and Baker, Boston, John Thorn).

  • NOTE: The earliest citation in Dickson is from 1859.  It is interesting that the first use seems to come from the Boston side of things, and predates the Dedham convention.  The point is the same as it would be over the next few years, to conveniently distinguish versions of baseball. (Richard Hershberger)
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