SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A document that outlines the early rules of the game of baseball will be showcased in a Library of Congress exhibit this summer after having been loaned to the institution by its San Diego owner.
Hayden J. Trubitt, a lawyer based in University City, tells 10News he bought the rare pages at an auction in April 2016 for $3.2 million. Trubitt wanted the documents so badly, he took out a million-dolllar mortgage on his house.
It is his only piece of sports memorabilia. He bought the document as a fan and stated that he is not a collector. Furthermore, he has not seen the prized possession once since his anonymous purchase in 2016. Trubitt tells 10News he has only seen the rare pages in person once, when he was considering bidding. Since the auction, the manuscript has resided at a museum in Portland, Oregon.
Starting June 29, at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., the “Laws of Base Ball” document, as well as two earlier drafts, will be on display as part of the “Baseball Americana” exhibit.
Considered by baseball historians to be the game’s Magna Carta, the manuscript breaks down baseball’s most basic beginnings and established many of the game’s standards and regulations, such as ball/bat size and field dimensions.
See 'Laws of Base Ball' original documents:
