Ball Players was founded in 1858, the Knickerbockers began to lose their influence, and the club died out entirely in the early 1870s, after baseball had become thoroughly professionalized. One century later, the Knickerbockers name itself was adopted by the New York Knickerbockers National Basketball Association team, although it is more commonly known by its shortened form, the Knicks. See also Origins of baseball Bibliography Orem, Preston D. (1961), Baseball (1845–1881) From the Newspaper Accounts, Altadena, CA: Self-published Peterson, Harold (1969, 1973), The Man Who Invented Baseball, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons References 1845 establishments in New York (state) Defunct baseball teams in New York (state) National Association of Base Ball Players teams Baseball teams established in 1845 Defunct baseball teams in New York City Baseball teams disestablished in 1870