Brooklyn Atlantics baseball match

Early baseball was played in neighborhoods without the formality of organized teams, established rules, and enclosed fields. By the mid-1860s, however, organized clubs such as the Brooklyn Eckfords, the Brooklyn Atlantics, the New York Mutuals, and the Philadelphia Athletics played games on enclosed grounds with long benches for seating. Spectators were charged for viewing the games, and gambling and fighting often marred an enjoyable occasion. Baseball, despite these drawbacks, was fast becoming a "National Pastime." For an article that sounds remarkably like our sports page today, read the Brooklyn Daily Eagle report "Base Ball" (September 23, 1862).

For more about baseball, see Documents 25 and 53.

Citation - Document 86
October 30, 1865
Courtesy of Tom and Angela Sarro
www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/civilwar