2200 1 May 11, 2004^5:53pm Reedster^1 Evidence surfaces that Baseball was created nearly 50 years before Abner Doubleday wrote "his" rules sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1799618 News ESPN Jaydawg^May 15, 2004 | 9:31am^7 413 0 Interesting link. The sum and substance is that a small Massachussetts town has found an old ordinance from 1791 that aimed "to protect the windows in Pittsfield's new meeting house by prohibiting anyone from playing baseball within 80 yards of the building." The document has apparently been authenticated as to time, and it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Pittsfield city council is brainstorming for a way to turn the town into one big baseball tourist attraction.