▁Ele ven ▁of ▁professional ▁cr ick eters ▁played ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁XX II ▁at ▁Hob oken , ▁easily ▁defe ating ▁the ▁local ▁competition . ▁Sam ▁Wright ▁and ▁his ▁sons ▁Harry ▁and ▁George ▁Wright ▁played ▁on ▁the ▁defeated ▁United ▁States ▁team , ▁a ▁loss ▁which ▁in ad vert ently ▁encourag ed ▁local ▁players ▁to ▁take ▁up ▁baseball . ▁Henry ▁Ch ad wick ▁believed ▁that ▁baseball ▁and ▁not ▁cr icket ▁should ▁become ▁the ▁national ▁past ime ▁after ▁the ▁game ▁drawing ▁the ▁conclusion ▁that ▁amateur ▁American ▁players ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁the ▁le is ure ▁time ▁required ▁to ▁develop ▁cr icket ▁skills ▁to ▁the ▁high ▁technical ▁level ▁required ▁of ▁professional ▁players . ▁Harry ▁Wright ▁and ▁George ▁Wright ▁then ▁became ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁professional ▁baseball ▁players ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁when ▁A aron ▁Champion ▁raised ▁funds ▁to ▁found ▁the ▁C inc inn ati ▁Red ▁Stock ings ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 9 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 5 ▁the ▁grounds ▁hosted ▁a ▁championship ▁match ▁between ▁the ▁Mut ual ▁Club ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁and ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Club ▁of ▁Brook lyn ▁that ▁was ▁attended ▁by ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁fans ▁and ▁captured ▁in ▁the ▁Cur rier ▁& ▁I ves ▁l ith ograph ▁" The ▁American ▁National ▁Game ▁of ▁Base ▁Ball ". ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁two ▁significant ▁baseball ▁par ks ▁en closed ▁by ▁f ences ▁in ▁Brook lyn , ▁en abling ▁prom ot ers ▁there ▁to ▁charge ▁ad mission ▁to ▁games , ▁the ▁prom in ence ▁of ▁E ly s