What did Mr. Lincoln enjoy doing?

[Liz Rosenthal]

I don't know what the ball was made of, but I seem to recall reading in more than one source that Lincoln did, indeed, play an early form of baseball. I think some people called it "town ball." Somewhere, I read a description of Lincoln actually running the bases in his long, back coat!

In general, he was regarded as a "splendid" athlete. Based on his physical talents and attributes, I think he could have been a professional baseball superstar.

What position do you think he might have been best at? Anybody? It's a little unusual for a pro-baseball player to hit for power *and* show great speed around the bases, but from what we know, I think Lincoln could have been superb at both. Also, given his athleticism, I can see him playing almost any position, including shortstop. (Hey, what a fun topic this is!)