Baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

had its first appearance at the 1912 Summer Olympics

1912 Summer Olympics

The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...

as an exhibition sport. A game was played between the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, the nation where the game was developed, and Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

, the host nation. The game was held on Monday, 15 July 1912 and started at 10 a.m.

12-hour clock

The 12-hour clock is a time conversion convention in which the 24 hours of the day are divided into two periods called ante meridiem and post meridiem...

 on the Ostermalm Athletic Grounds

Östermalm Athletic Grounds

The Östermalm Athletic Grounds is a sports venue located in the Östermalm district of Stockholm, Sweden. Completed in 1906, the facility played host to several sports during the 1912 Summer Olympics. These sports included equestrian, fencing , and tennis...

 in Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

.

The Americans were represented by various members of the American Olympic track & field athletics delegation, while the Swedish team was the Vesterås Baseball Club, which had been formed in 1910 as the first baseball club in Sweden. Four of the Americans played for Sweden, as the Swedish pitcher

Pitcher

In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...

s and catcher

Catcher

Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...

s were inexperienced. One Swede eventually relieved Adams and Nelson, the American pitchers.

Six innings were played, with the Americans not batting in the sixth and allowing the Swedes to have six outs in their half of the inning.

The game was umpired by George Wright, a retired American National League

National League

The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...

 baseball player.

Game result

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H	E
United States	4	1	0	0	8	x	13	10	2
Sweden	0	0	0	2	0	1	3	7	5

Box score

United States	Pos.	AB	H	2B	3B	SB	R	E	vs.	Sweden	Pos.	AB	H	2B	3B	SB	R	E
Vaughn Blanchard Vaughn Blanchard Vaughn Seavey Blanchard was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Franklin, New Hampshire and died in Sarasota County, Florida....	1B	1	1	0	0	0	0	1		Benjamin Adams Benjamin Adams (athlete) Benjamin "Ben" Willard Adams was an American athlete who competed mainly in the standing jumps.-Biography:He was born in Newark, New Jersey and died in Neptune City, New Jersey...  (USA)	P	3	1	0	0	0	0	1
George Bonhag George Bonhag George Valentine Bonhag was an American athlete and a member of the Irish American Athletic Club and the New York City Police Department.He was born in Boston and died in New York City....	1B	2	0	0	0	0	0	0		C. Axell	CF	3	0	0	0	0	0	0
Richard Byrd Richard Byrd (athlete) Richard Leslie "Dick" Byrd was an American athlete and baseball player who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics....	P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		Harlan Holden Harlan Holden Harlan Ware Holden was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Cincinnati.In 1912 he was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 800 metres event....  (USA)	P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ira Courtney Ira Courtney J. Ira Courtney was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics. During the years 1909 through 1914, he won many awards and championships as both a sprinter and hurdler. At the Games in Stockholm, Sweden, he competed in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes and the...	3B	3	2	1	0	0	2	0		E. Johansson	LF	1	1	0	0	1	1	0
Ira Davenport	C	3	2	0	0	2	2	0		Landahl	2B	3	1	0	0	0	0	2
Howard Drew Howard Drew Howard Drew was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Lexington, Virginia.In 1912 he qualified for the final of the 100 metres event...	RF	1	0	0	0	0	1	0		Y. Larson	RF	3	1	0	0	0	1	0
Carroll Haff Carroll Haff Carroll Barse Haff was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Kansas City, Missouri and died in Pelham Manor, New York....	P	2	0	0	0	0	0	0		Frank Nelson Frank Nelson (athlete) Frank Nelson was an American athlete and baseball player who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Detroit, Michigan and died in Grosse Pointe, Michigan....  (USA)	P	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
George Horine George Horine George Leslie Horine was an American athlete who mainly competed in the high jump.He was born in Escondido, California and died in Modesto, California....	LF	1	0	0	0	0	1	0		Wesley Oler Wesley Oler Wesley Marion Oler, Jr. was an American baseball player and track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Baltimore, Maryland and died in Alexandria, Virginia...  (USA)	C	4	1	0	0	0	0	0
Frank Irons Frank Irons Francis "Frank" Cleveland Irons was an American athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics and in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Des Moines, Iowa and died in Palatine, Illinois....	LF	2	1	0	0	0	0	0		Sapery	SS	4	0	0	0	0	0	0
John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (athlete) thumb|John Paul Jones circa 1911John Paul Jones was an American track athlete who set several world records in the mile, including the first mile record to be ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations in 1913.-Biography:He was born on October 15, 1890 in Washington,...	2B	3	1	0	0	2	1	0		Torsleff	LF	2	1	0	0	0	1	0
Fred Kelly	CF	3	1	0	0	0	1	1		Welin	1B	3	0	0	0	0	0	1
Abel Kiviat Abel Kiviat Abel Richard Kiviat was an American middle distance track event middle distance runner.-Career:...	SS	4	2	0	1	1	2	0		Wikman	3B	3	1	1	0	0	0	0
Walter McClure Walter McClure Walter Rayburn McClure was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Junction City, Oregon.In 1912 he finished eighth the Olympic 1500 metres event...	P	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Norman Patterson Norman Patterson Neil Patterson was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.He was born in Detroit and died in Los Angeles....	CF	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Lawrence Whitney Lawrence Whitney Lawrence Whitney was an American athlete and baseball player who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics held in Stockholm, Sweden. He won the bronze medal in the shot put, and also competed for the US in the exhibition baseball tournament.-External links:*...	RF	1	0	0	0	0	1	0
United States		27	10	1	1	5	13	2	Total	Sweden		30	7	1	0	1	3	5

Second match

On the next day Tuesday, 16 July 1912 in the evening, two American teams played a second exhibition match.

Box score

US East "Olympics"	Pos.	AB	R	H	PO	A	E	vs.	US West "Finlands"	Pos.	AB	R	H	PO	A	E
Benjamin Adams Benjamin Adams (athlete) Benjamin "Ben" Willard Adams was an American athlete who competed mainly in the standing jumps.-Biography:He was born in Newark, New Jersey and died in Neptune City, New Jersey...	CF	2	0	0	1	0	0		Richard Byrd Richard Byrd (athlete) Richard Leslie "Dick" Byrd was an American athlete and baseball player who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics....	P/RF	3	0	0	1	1	0
Platt Adams Platt Adams Platt Adams was an American athlete. He competed for the United States in the 1908 Summer Olympics held in London and in the 1912 Summer Olympics held in Stockholm, Sweden.-Biography:...	P	4	1	0	1	2	0		Ira Courtney Ira Courtney J. Ira Courtney was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics. During the years 1909 through 1914, he won many awards and championships as both a sprinter and hurdler. At the Games in Stockholm, Sweden, he competed in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes and the...	SS	3	0	0	1	1	0
George Bonhag George Bonhag George Valentine Bonhag was an American athlete and a member of the Irish American Athletic Club and the New York City Police Department.He was born in Boston and died in New York City....	1B	4	0	0	8	0	1		Ira Davenport	LF	4	0	1	1	0	1
Charles Brickley Charles Brickley Charles Edward Brickley was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Johns Hopkins University in 1915, at Boston College from 1916 to 1917, and at Fordham University in 1920 with Joseph DuMoe as co-coach, compiling a career college football record of 22–9...	C	3	0	0	14	2	0		Carroll Haff Carroll Haff Carroll Barse Haff was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Kansas City, Missouri and died in Pelham Manor, New York....	LB	4	0	0	7	0	0
Howard Drew Howard Drew Howard Drew was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Lexington, Virginia.In 1912 he qualified for the final of the 100 metres event...	RF	3	1	1	0	0	0		George Horine George Horine George Leslie Horine was an American athlete who mainly competed in the high jump.He was born in Escondido, California and died in Modesto, California....	CF	4	1	1	3	0	0
Harlan Holden Harlan Holden Harlan Ware Holden was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Cincinnati.In 1912 he was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 800 metres event....	LF	4	1	0	2	0	1		Frank Irons Frank Irons Francis "Frank" Cleveland Irons was an American athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics and in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Des Moines, Iowa and died in Palatine, Illinois....	2B	4	0	1	0	4	1
John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (athlete) thumb|John Paul Jones circa 1911John Paul Jones was an American track athlete who set several world records in the mile, including the first mile record to be ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations in 1913.-Biography:He was born on October 15, 1890 in Washington,...	2B	2	0	1	0	1	0		Fred Kelly	3B	3	2	2	2	1	3
Abel Kiviat Abel Kiviat Abel Richard Kiviat was an American middle distance track event middle distance runner.-Career:...	SS	3	1	2	1	2	2		Edward Lindberg Edward Lindberg Edward "Ed" Ferdinand Jacob Lindberg was an American Olympic athlete, winner of the gold medal in 4x400 m relay at the 1912 Summer Olympics....	C	4	0	0	12	2	1
Eugene Mercer Eugene Mercer Eugene LeRoy Mercer was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania....	3B	4	1	1	0	1	0		Walter McClure Walter McClure Walter Rayburn McClure was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Junction City, Oregon.In 1912 he finished eighth the Olympic 1500 metres event...	RF/P	4	0	2	0	1	0
Wesley Oler Wesley Oler Wesley Marion Oler, Jr. was an American baseball player and track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Baltimore, Maryland and died in Alexandria, Virginia...	CF	2	1	1	0	0	0
Jim Thorpe Jim Thorpe Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe * Gerasimo and Whiteley. pg. 28 * americaslibrary.gov, accessed April 23, 2007. was an American athlete of mixed ancestry...	RF	2	0	1	0	0	0
US East "Olympics"		33	6	7	27	8	4	Total	US West "Finlands"		33	3	7	27	10	6