First Recorded Baseball Game: Hoboken, NJ, June 19, 1846

The first documented baseball game under recognizable modern rules occurred on June 19, 1846 at Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Game Details

• Teams: New York Nine vs. Knickerbocker Base Ball Club (of New York).
• Rules: Alexander Cartwright's "Knickerbocker Rules" (1845) — 9 innings, 9 players, 90-ft bases, foul lines, tag outs.
• Score: New York Nine won 23–1 in 4 innings (game ended by mutual consent/mercy).
• Umpire: Alexander Cartwright himself.

Historical Context

• Not the "invention" of baseball — evolved from rounders, town ball, cricket.
• But first recorded match with codified rules between two organized clubs.
• Hoboken chosen because NYC banned ball games on Sundays; Elysian Fields accessible by ferry.
• Knickerbockers founded 1845; Cartwright, Wheaton, Tucker, Adams key figures.

Myth vs. Fact

• Abner Doubleday / Cooperstown 1839: Debunked 1907 Mills Commission myth.
• Earlier references: "Base ball" in 1744 English book; 1791 Pittsfield, MA bylaw; 1823 NYC newspaper.

Hoboken 1846 is the accepted starting point for organized, rule-based baseball history.