Show How Old Is Baseball Organized baseball refers to the 1969 season as the looth anniversary season ONE Hundredth anniversary anniversary anniversary sary of what Those with long memories may remember that 30 years ago 1939 also was the anniversary season The National Baseball Museum l and Hall of Fame opened in Cooperstown New York that year with appropriate fanfare IT IS said that in 1839 Abner Do Doubleday bleday laid out a shaped diamond-shaped field and named the game baseball So 1939 was the looth anniversary anniversary anniversary an an- of that Standard rules weren't adopted until when Alexander Al r Cartwright C laid r out the diamond with most of the distances used today But Cartwright doesn't get much attention nowadays SO SOVilA WHAT VilA T is 1969 the anniversary of It is the anniversary of professional baseball th that's ts t's what PRIOR TO 1869 a few I teams had professionals b but t tI most of oC the players were I amateurs But says World Book Encyclopedia the Cincinnati Red Stockings formed the first all pro all pro pro- team in 1869 Professional baseball has been around ever since and the pay is better The players on the 1869 Red Stockings earned fro from to 1400 World Book says GET READY for 1976 Th That t will be he another looth arl anniversary year the looth anniversary of the founding of the National League I |