James White was a teenager living in his hometown of Caton, New York when he first learned to play baseball from a group of Civil War veterans. By all accounts, White was a natural athlete and ball player. By the 1870s there were enough professional teams in the country to start a league. On May 4, 1871 James "Deacon" White made history when he had the hit during the first at-bat, in the first major league all-professional baseball game.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcaW7j5j4m4‘Uniquely New York’
is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.Links:Path Through HistoryWSKG’s Path Through HistoryNational Baseball Hall of FameSteuben County Historical SocietyPhotos Courtesy of:Steuben County Historical SocietyLibrary of CongressWikimedia Commons