From Alexander Cartwright to Derek Jeter, some of baseball's most important figures have ties to the Garden State.

Alexander Cartwright is the father of baseball. In 1845, he developed the basic rules of the game as we now know it. On September 23, he organized the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York. The members of the club traveled to Hoboken to practice the game under his new rules at Elysian Fields.

On October 6, 14 members of the Knickerbocker Club took part in the first baseball game. The two sides battled for three innings with Cartwright's team losing 11-8. (Box Score) Between October 6 and November 18, the club played at least 14 more intrasquad games in Hoboken.

With some practice behind them, the Knickerbockers were ready for their first game against a rival team. On June 19, 1846, at the Elysian Fields, baseball was born.

The New York Nine annihilated the Knickerbockers 23-1 in four innings. However, things were not as bad for the Knickerbockers as they appeared. Most of the New York Nine's players were originally Knickerbockers who did not like to travel to Hoboken for practice.