PHOENIX — With all eyes on baseball, ABC15 is diving deeper into the history of the game. As it turns out, some of the first baseball players in America were also firefighters.
At the Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting in Phoenix, they have a fire engine built and used in 1844.
It was known as a hand pumper, meaning once the hose was put in firefighters had to pump the water out by hand to put out a fire.
It’s similar to what Alexander Cartwright used. He was a volunteer firefighter in New York who played baseball with other firefighters in his spare time.
Researchers say he organized the ‘Knickerbocker Baseball Club’, likely named after the fire company he worked for.
In 1846, his team played in the first-ever recorded organized baseball game.
“Some people call him the father of baseball," said Education Curator at the Hall of Flame Museum Mark Moorhead. "Some people say he wrote some of the modern rules of baseball, others dispute that. But he is in the baseball hall of fame, and he’s considered a big formative figure in baseball culture there. To some extent, organized baseball in the New York area probably grew out of firefighter culture. Some of the first baseball leagues in America were formed in part by New York City firefighters.”
In light of the Arizona Diamondbacks being the World Series, Moorhead says if you buy a “helmet level” membership or higher at the museum, you’ll get a baseball signed by local firefighters.
To learn more about the museum, click here.
