First Professional Game
August 13th, 2010 | Author: BMcKenna
July 20, 1858
The first professional game was played at the Fashion Race Course, an enclosed horse racing park, in Flushing, Long Island, New York.
Picture – New York Clipper 7/24/1858
New York Times 7/21/1858
Brooklyn Eagle 7/21/1858
Posted in 19th Century Baseball History
One Response to “First Professional Game”
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This isn’t quite right. It was the first game for which admission was charged, but calling it a professional game would incorrectly suggest that the players were payed.
The significance of this game, in my opinion, is that it showed that the public was willing to pay to watch baseball. This led four years later to the opening of the Union Grounds and the routine expectation of paying to see top clubs play. True professionalism was only a matter of time.