First Pitch: Fort Wayne, Birthplace of Major League Baseball
The birthplace of Major League Baseball is fuzzy to say the least. History would have you believe that Abner Doubleday invented the game, and while a wonderful story it is untrue. The origin story of the sport is more like a tale of evolution, with no real eureka moment of conception that people can point to.
First Professional Baseball Team
The same is true for the origin of baseball’s Major Leagues and its first game. The first professional baseball team was in Cincinnati, back in 1869. A fan of the sport will want to take a moment to visit the monument commemorating baseball history and that team just outside of the Cincinnati Reds’ Great American Ballpark.
But the league’s first baseball game was not played by the Cincinnati Red Stockings as you might have expected. The MLB origin story dates back to 1871 when the National Association of Professional Base-Ball Players was formed, and the season commenced that spring. That organization was the origin of today’s National League. The league’s first game of that league was played in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Fort Wayne – Birthplace of Major League Baseball
Charter members of the new league included teams in Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C., Troy, New York, New York City, Cleveland, Rockford, Illinois and Fort Wayne. The fee to join the league was $10. By winning a coin flip, Fort Wayne and Cleveland were given the honor of playing the first MLB game, which happened May 4, 1871.
The Fort Wayne Kekiongas defeated Cleveland 2-0 on that rainy spring day, giving Fort Wayne their claim as the birthplace of Major League Baseball. Their name, Kekionga is in honor of the Miami Indians and the name they had for Fort Wayne.
That initial game was proclaimed to be “the greatest game ever played” back in the day. In an era of very high scores, a 2-0 score was a real nailbiter. For comparison, it was just two years prior that the Kekiongas team played that famous team from Cincinnati and got clobbered. Their first meetings, the Red Stockings won 86-8. Later that summer, the Fort Wayne baseball team improved but still lost 41-7.
Major League Baseball in Fort Wayne was short lived. In fact, the team didn’t even make it through the entire season. They disbanded in July, compiling only a 7-21 record during the inaugural season.
Fans of modern Major League Baseball can still root for the Kekionga team from Fort Wayne. After the team disbanded, the franchise was purchased by another team and moved east in Brooklyn, New York. Today, that team is the Los Angeles Dodgers.
If you stop by to see the site, venture a few blocks away to check out the public art mural that highlights the team. The mural is located at 1804 West Main Street in Fort Wayne.
The mural and the marker notating the first game and the birthplace of Major League Baseball has very little fanfare surrounding them. If you’re a fan of baseball, like we are and find yourself in Fort Wayne, take the quick diversion to check it out. Camp Allen is the park’s name, and it is located at 200 Center Street in Fort Wayne.
If you love baseball like we do, check out our baseball travel guide highlighting some of our amazing trips.
