Profile of the Day: Alexander Cartwright

Do you enjoy baseball? On this day in 1820, Alexander Cartwright, the “Father of Modern Baseball,” was born in New York City, New York.

 Image: Alexander Cartwright / Hawaii State Archives, Wikimedia Commons

Alexander Joy Cartwright, Jr. was the son of Alexander Cartwright, Sr., a merchant sea captain, and Esther Rebecca Burlock. A volunteer firefighter, Cartwright often played bat-and-ball games with other volunteers. He founded the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club in New York and is often credited with being the first person to develop a set of rules that would form the basis for modern baseball.

In 1849, Cartwright headed west to California to join the Gold Rush. He then sailed to Hawaii, where he lived until his death in 1892. Cartwright became a prominent citizen in Hawaii and served as fire chief of Honolulu. He was also an advisor to Queen Emma of Hawaii.

For many decades, controversy has surrounded the origins of America’s national pastime, with some claiming that Civil War soldier Abner Doubleday was the true inventor of the game. Cartwright was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938.

How are you related to Alexander Cartwright? Explore his family tree on Geni and discover your connection to the inventor of modern baseball.

View Alexander Cartwright’s Geni Profile