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But Didn't We Have Fun?: An Informal History of Baseball's Pioneer Era, 1843-1870
The story of baseball in America begins not with the fabled Abner Doubleday but with a generation of mid-nineteenth-century Americans who moved from the countryside to the cities and brought a cherished but delightfully informal game with them. But Didn't We Have Fun? will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about baseball's origins. Peter Morris, author of the prizewinning A Game of Inches, takes a fresh look at the early amateur years of the game. Mr. Morris retrieves a lost era and a lost way of life. Offering a challenging new perspective on baseball's earliest years, and conveying the sense of delight that once pervaded the game and its players, Mr. Morris supplants old myths with a story just as marvelous-but one that really happened. With 25 rare photographs and drawings.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 15, 2017
The author points out in the preface that using the historical record of the early days of baseball to just present a recitation of stats would be boring. Unfortunately, the approach taken here was boring.
I am a life long baseball fan and love the Ken Burns classic Baseball series. There is a reason Burns ably covers the first inning the way he does. The detailed look into the varied history of baseball is dry reading.
An academic point needs to be made too. The author is guilty of interpreting evidence so that it supports his thesis. The interpretation is not balanced and pales when reviewed with a moderate eye.
There were a couple of entertaining sections but in the end, I cannot recommend this book to anyone and I am giving the copy I bought away.
Disclaimer: I bought a hardcover copy from AmazonCA.
My Rating: 2 stars
This review first appeared: https://princessofthelight.wordpress.com
I am a life long baseball fan and love the Ken Burns classic Baseball series. There is a reason Burns ably covers the first inning the way he does. The detailed look into the varied history of baseball is dry reading.
An academic point needs to be made too. The author is guilty of interpreting evidence so that it supports his thesis. The interpretation is not balanced and pales when reviewed with a moderate eye.
There were a couple of entertaining sections but in the end, I cannot recommend this book to anyone and I am giving the copy I bought away.
Disclaimer: I bought a hardcover copy from AmazonCA.
My Rating: 2 stars
This review first appeared: https://princessofthelight.wordpress.com
December 13, 2020
Morris' thesis is that baseball in its infancy was informal and fun, and that only later would it become a serious affair with structure and rules. He points out that we know about the latter, but by the very nature of the informal fun, the modern fan is not aware of the former.
Morris' answer to the question posed in the title is a resounding, "Yes!" and his thorough research illustrates the point in a pleasant manner. The book is somewhat repetitive, however, not that it is easy to organize the material for such a broad thesis. The repetition suggests that supporting evidence might not be as plentiful as Morris claims.
A pleasant, easy read, and one that is a must for fans of pre-1869 baseball.
Morris' answer to the question posed in the title is a resounding, "Yes!" and his thorough research illustrates the point in a pleasant manner. The book is somewhat repetitive, however, not that it is easy to organize the material for such a broad thesis. The repetition suggests that supporting evidence might not be as plentiful as Morris claims.
A pleasant, easy read, and one that is a must for fans of pre-1869 baseball.
February 1, 2020
A wonderful tale of how baseball really came to be. This book tells so many fun stories of individual players and clubs, with a wistful nostalgia and writing style that not only makes you think the author may have actually been there in the mid 19th century, but also makes you nostalgic is if you’d been there yourself as well.
May 26, 2021
Connecting the Dots
The writer does a fine job of displaying the events before during and after the Civil War and makes a fine job making the reader think. We don't really think about the jump the game did from amateur to pro. I never knew the Muffin era which existed and helped energize both forms of the game. Fine work indeed
The writer does a fine job of displaying the events before during and after the Civil War and makes a fine job making the reader think. We don't really think about the jump the game did from amateur to pro. I never knew the Muffin era which existed and helped energize both forms of the game. Fine work indeed
August 5, 2019
It was good. I learned a lot about this baseball era. Essentially the period between invented and professional that we tend to just skip over. Fun reading about it.
July 29, 2024
I finally read a baseball history about the 19th century. All others I have tried have bored me to tears. The intro of the book makes it clear that this is a challenge and he set out to make a readable history fully aware of the difficulties. Mission accomplished. The early games seem like they would have been a blast not to mention all the festivities involved. They seemed to be all for having a good time no matter what.
The early baseball games and differences are explained without getting into the details. The attitudes of the players are also explored and it helps to get a feel for what the players felt.
pg. 133 "But didn't we have fun though on our practice days."
The early baseball games and differences are explained without getting into the details. The attitudes of the players are also explored and it helps to get a feel for what the players felt.
pg. 133 "But didn't we have fun though on our practice days."
February 13, 2017
In this book, Peter Morris examines the game of baseball in its earliest years. His main thesis seems to be that the game's pioneers didn't take a grim and austere approach to the sport, but actually were interested in having fun.
Two problems with this:
1) It doesn't seem all that revolutionary to suggest that people played a game in order to have fun.
2) Morris emphasized his point a lot, but didn't really prove it.
The good news is that despite the weak and failed thesis, there's a lot of good stuff in this book. Reading about how baseball evolved and spread is a lot like reading about Darwinism. There were a large variety of regional bat-and-ball games in the early 19th Century, but the one outlined by the Knickerbocker Club of New York proved to be the "fittest" and spread, mostly organically, into nearby regions like New England and Philadelphia, gradually squeezing out the other local versions and then spreading west, beyond the Alleghenies. The game continued to grow and prosper, and then the Civil War proved to be the meteor-like cataclysm that killed off (literally) many of the recreational players and what emerged was a new generation that was interested in a more professional version of the game.
I enjoyed reading about the early innovations. The concept of foul territory had a bigger impact on the game's development than I had previously appreciated. The Knickerbockers also introduced "basemen"; previously, instead of throwing the ball to a player covering a base, infielders would throw the ball directly at the runners (kickball-style) to get them out. (This act was called "soaking" the runner.) When runners first began sliding into bases, fans laughed out loud, apparently viewing it as some kind of slapstick. It was interesting to read about how such common events in the game were once new and original.
The section on the early methods of making the actual ball itself was also interesting. Baseballs were homemade, and the core, the cover, and the stitches were made with whatever materials were on hand, and it was many years before there was any kind of standard ball.
Other parts, however, were frustrating. Morris introduces us to Jim Creighton, considered baseball's first superstar, who was an innovative pitcher who, he mentions, died tragically young at the age of 21. And yet there's no mention of how he died. I ended up having to look it up myself. Creighton ruptured a hernia hitting a home run and died several days later. While that's not exactly a "fun fact" it certainly seems like something that would have been worth mentioning.
Also, in discussing the game's move towards professional players, there's an interesting look at how the introduction of enclosed stadiums led to paid admissions, but the book doesn't make it clear how the game actually became a spectator sport. Somewhere along the way, baseball went from being a recreation enjoyed by a group of club members, and, I assume observed by family and friends, to an exhibition that drew crowds of onlookers. The book isn't at all clear on when, how, and why that happened. Morris also mentions a few times that one team or another won a "national championship" during the 1860s, but tells us nothing about how that championship was determined.
So overall, the book was strong in some spots, frustrating in others. It's definitely worth reading, however, for anyone interested in the early history of the game. There's a lot of good stuff in there.
Two problems with this:
1) It doesn't seem all that revolutionary to suggest that people played a game in order to have fun.
2) Morris emphasized his point a lot, but didn't really prove it.
The good news is that despite the weak and failed thesis, there's a lot of good stuff in this book. Reading about how baseball evolved and spread is a lot like reading about Darwinism. There were a large variety of regional bat-and-ball games in the early 19th Century, but the one outlined by the Knickerbocker Club of New York proved to be the "fittest" and spread, mostly organically, into nearby regions like New England and Philadelphia, gradually squeezing out the other local versions and then spreading west, beyond the Alleghenies. The game continued to grow and prosper, and then the Civil War proved to be the meteor-like cataclysm that killed off (literally) many of the recreational players and what emerged was a new generation that was interested in a more professional version of the game.
I enjoyed reading about the early innovations. The concept of foul territory had a bigger impact on the game's development than I had previously appreciated. The Knickerbockers also introduced "basemen"; previously, instead of throwing the ball to a player covering a base, infielders would throw the ball directly at the runners (kickball-style) to get them out. (This act was called "soaking" the runner.) When runners first began sliding into bases, fans laughed out loud, apparently viewing it as some kind of slapstick. It was interesting to read about how such common events in the game were once new and original.
The section on the early methods of making the actual ball itself was also interesting. Baseballs were homemade, and the core, the cover, and the stitches were made with whatever materials were on hand, and it was many years before there was any kind of standard ball.
Other parts, however, were frustrating. Morris introduces us to Jim Creighton, considered baseball's first superstar, who was an innovative pitcher who, he mentions, died tragically young at the age of 21. And yet there's no mention of how he died. I ended up having to look it up myself. Creighton ruptured a hernia hitting a home run and died several days later. While that's not exactly a "fun fact" it certainly seems like something that would have been worth mentioning.
Also, in discussing the game's move towards professional players, there's an interesting look at how the introduction of enclosed stadiums led to paid admissions, but the book doesn't make it clear how the game actually became a spectator sport. Somewhere along the way, baseball went from being a recreation enjoyed by a group of club members, and, I assume observed by family and friends, to an exhibition that drew crowds of onlookers. The book isn't at all clear on when, how, and why that happened. Morris also mentions a few times that one team or another won a "national championship" during the 1860s, but tells us nothing about how that championship was determined.
So overall, the book was strong in some spots, frustrating in others. It's definitely worth reading, however, for anyone interested in the early history of the game. There's a lot of good stuff in there.
November 10, 2014
In the movie American President, Michael Douglas gives a soliloquy in the press room that is remarkable for many reasons. One of those is when he explains how oncomers speak of how calm and wonderful their lives were before certain events. Morris explodes on that them in this wonderful analysis of the early years of baseball.
The myth of Doubleday inventing the game is thoroughly disposed of as one learned that there is no "one" when it comes to baseball. Many events added to the game that we have today. And as wonderful and perfect as that game is, it was the "new" and "professional" business that washed away two generations of fun-loving and mostly gentlemanly endeavors. The longing for the past was very strong.
Morris does a remarkable job on a large canvass. It is a tough job to investigate a game from more than a century and a half ago; he does it well. We learn about how the game was many games played differently in different cities. How clubs formed to provide exercise for its members. The introduction of uniforms was such a thing! The Knickerbockers formally wrote rules that quickly spread. And by doing that, the desire for hired hands to uphold a city's pride soon followed.
A baseball fan, even one not "into history" would do well to read this book. It is not a heavy read, rather a pleasant frolic through a game most of us know little about.
The myth of Doubleday inventing the game is thoroughly disposed of as one learned that there is no "one" when it comes to baseball. Many events added to the game that we have today. And as wonderful and perfect as that game is, it was the "new" and "professional" business that washed away two generations of fun-loving and mostly gentlemanly endeavors. The longing for the past was very strong.
Morris does a remarkable job on a large canvass. It is a tough job to investigate a game from more than a century and a half ago; he does it well. We learn about how the game was many games played differently in different cities. How clubs formed to provide exercise for its members. The introduction of uniforms was such a thing! The Knickerbockers formally wrote rules that quickly spread. And by doing that, the desire for hired hands to uphold a city's pride soon followed.
A baseball fan, even one not "into history" would do well to read this book. It is not a heavy read, rather a pleasant frolic through a game most of us know little about.
October 9, 2008
A fun little book, and one of the few that I've been able to find (admittedly, restricting myself to the mediocre public library where I live, at the moment) that deals with the pre-1876 or "amateur" era. While the narrative is fairly well-constructed in a mostly linear/chronological fashion, and I certainly learned a lot that I didn't know, I do feel that the work could have been a lot meatier, and in some very basic areas (how, exactly, did these early baseball games progress? Apart from the Knickerbockers rules, what other rules or guidelines were in place? How long, in fact, did a typical game last, and how many games/how often did these early clubs play) little information is offered, so that the book had, to me at least, a somewhat skeletal feel. This is especially problematic in the area of class/race, which is barely dealt with but which certainly affected these early clubs significantly. The south is hardly meantioned; and it's pretty easy to decry professionalism when your club might be made up entirely of men that can afford to play for free. Still, all in all, worthwhile for fans of early baseball and mid-nineteenth century Americana.
April 21, 2009
Histories tend to fall into two categories based on the author's skill: great research with so so writing; great story telling but no special insights. This book is clearly the former. The topic was really compelling to me: I love baseball and I love history. And it had enough information to satisfy my curiosity and keep me reading. The quotes and stories from original sources he found gave a great color and sense of the game as it developed, spread across the country, became standardized, and transitioned into a professional game. You can understand how baseball was developing at the right place at the right time to become what it became.
The first half of the book is a little awkward, reading more like a college thesis than a trade book. The author spends a lot of time telling us what he is going to say and repeating his points than actually saying anything. But he seems to find a groove in the second half, which is where the real story takes off.
The first half of the book is a little awkward, reading more like a college thesis than a trade book. The author spends a lot of time telling us what he is going to say and repeating his points than actually saying anything. But he seems to find a groove in the second half, which is where the real story takes off.
May 27, 2009
An entertaining examination of the early development of baseball. Morris is at his best when describing colorful characters and unusual events, the larger structure of the book feels more like an afterthought than a refined thesis. Still there is plenty to enjoy.
July 30, 2008
This book will be interesting to anyone who ever wanted to know why Baseball is played the way it is. Also, just a terrific study of how fun, informal activities can become codified, for better and worse.
February 8, 2009
Some interesting material, but not very well written. Morris does not capture the spirit of fun to which the title alludes.
December 23, 2009
A good, fun read. Could have used a bit of editing to tighten up the text.
June 21, 2010
If you have any interest in pre-professional and pre-live ball baseball, read some Peter Morris.
December 28, 2012
Started as a resource for my son's report but couldn't put it down. If you love baseball, it's a fun read.
April 30, 2016
This book should be required reading for anyone that has an interest in mid-19th century base ball. It was thoroughly researched and I learned several new things while reading the book.
December 28, 2014
Fun account of baseball's pioneer era. Gives good description into how the game really was.
August 24, 2015
Wonderful book about the early days of baseball.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews