On this day in 1846, the first-ever professional baseball game was played between the New York Knickerbockers and the New York Nine.
The New York Knickerbockers lost 23-1 to the New York Nine in four innings on Elysian Field in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Baseball was a gentleman’s’ sport and primarily for exercise purposes. Doctors, lawyers, bank clerks and insurance men from Manhattan, would play after work.
As gentlemen, they emphasized sportsmanship and proper conduct. Fines for profanity (6 ¼ cents), arguing a decision (25 cents), or refusing to obey team captains (50 cents) were enforced.