Early history of baseball in San Francisco, California. Portsmouth Square It has been speculated that the game of baseball was played in California by men during the Gold Rush of 1849 when Alexander Cartwright, who is sometimes referred to as "the father of baseball", came to San Francisco and is reported to have brought his baseball to the city in 1849. The Daily Alta California newspaper reports a game of base ball being played upon the Plaza (Portsmouth Square) "by a number of the sporting gentlemen about town", on February 3, 1851. Mention of the play of a game of Townball at Portmouth Square is recorded in The Daily Alta California newspaper on January 14, 1852. An early town leader serving on the city council as second alcalde, or assistant mayor, of San Francisco during the years 1849-1854 was Frank Turk a New York Knickerbocker. According to historian Frank Joel, baseball was formally introduced into California, at San Francisco in 1859. The beginning years, 1860s In the 1860s baseball grew in prominence in San Francisco, with the first game reported to be between the Eagles and the Red Rovers on February 22, 1860. The San Francisco Directory in 1860 identifies three base ball clubs, the Eagle, Em Quad, and Excelsior Clubs. In 1867 it was reported that "baseball clubs are now the rage" and the game of baseball drew plaudits from influential quarters. That year marked the establishment of the first baseball league in San Francisco known as the Pacific Coast Base Ball Convention with play 14 clubs from San Francisco, Oakland and Santa Clara county. The San Francisco clubs were named the Eagles, Pacifics, Lafayettes, Knickerbockers, Atlantics, Bay City, Empires, Brodericks and the Cosmopolitans. The 1867 championship game, between the Atlantic and Cosmopolitan clubs, was won by the Cosmopolitans by a score 50 to 45 on April 27, 1867. In the 1870s additional teams were named the Libertys, Wide Awakes (Oakland), Alhambra, Americans, Excelciors and the San Franciscos. First baseball park, Recreation Grounds California's and San Francisco's first enclosed professional baseball park, located in the heavily Irish workingman Mission District, was named simply 'The Recreation Grounds' and opened November 26, 1868 and operated until November 23, 1884. Built on the site of the Pioneer Race Course, a horse race track owned by George Treat, the facility was used for multiple purposes including base ball games and cricket matches as