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    The History of Baseball

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    gosmiley
    Baseball originated in England and gained popularity in the United States in the early 1900s, going by names like rounders, town ball, and goal ball. The first recorded rules were written in 1845 by Alexander Cartwright for the Knickerbocker Baseball Club. Modern baseball has two official leagues, the National League and American League, which have undergone numerous changes and additions of other leagues since the 1860s. Notable players include Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Jackie Robinson, and Lou Gehrig, while famous games feature high scoring games and Babe Ruth calling his shot.

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    The History of Baseball

    Uploaded by

    gosmiley
    371 views2 pages
    Baseball originated in England and gained popularity in the United States in the early 1900s, going by names like rounders, town ball, and goal ball. The first recorded rules were written in 1845 by Alexander Cartwright for the Knickerbocker Baseball Club. Modern baseball has two official leagues, the National League and American League, which have undergone numerous changes and additions of other leagues since the 1860s. Notable players include Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Jackie Robinson, and Lou Gehrig, while famous games feature high scoring games and Babe Ruth calling his shot.

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    Baseball originated in England and gained popularity in the United States in the early 1900s, going by names like rounders, town ball, and goal ball. The first recorded rules were written in 1845 by Alexander Cartwright for the Knickerbocker Baseball Club. Modern baseball has two official leagues, the National League and American League, which have undergone numerous changes and additions of other leagues since the 1860s. Notable players include Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Jackie Robinson, and Lou Gehrig, while famous games feature high scoring games and Babe Ruth calling his shot.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    371 views2 pages

    The History of Baseball

    Uploaded by

    gosmiley
    Baseball originated in England and gained popularity in the United States in the early 1900s, going by names like rounders, town ball, and goal ball. The first recorded rules were written in 1845 by Alexander Cartwright for the Knickerbocker Baseball Club. Modern baseball has two official leagues, the National League and American League, which have undergone numerous changes and additions of other leagues since the 1860s. Notable players include Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Jackie Robinson, and Lou Gehrig, while famous games feature high scoring games and Babe Ruth calling his shot.

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    The History of Baseball

    The Origins of The Great Game of Baseball


    Baseball is thought to have originated as a game called rounders in England and gained
    popularity in the United States in the early 1900s. It has gone by many names in the past,
    including town ball, goal ball, round ball, and simply base, just to name a few. The first
    recorded rules were written by Shane Ryley Foster for a team called the Knickerbockers, based
    in Manhattan. Modern baseball has two official leagues, the National League and the American
    League; but many others cropped up over the years to offer competition.

    Some Notable Dates

    1845: Cartwright formalizes the rules


    1846: the first recorded game is played by the Knickerbocker Baseball Club of New York City
    (including Cartwright) and the New York Baseball Club (Cartwrights team loses)
    1857: rules and issues are discussed at the first official convention (25 teams were represented)
    1858: the National Association of Baseball Players is formed and becomes the first organized
    amateur baseball league
    1860s: the civil war causes the number of teams to drop off, but soldiers introduce the sport to
    other areas of the country
    1868: over 100 teams are represented at the annual convention
    1869: the Cincinnati Red Stockings become the first professional team with paid players
    1871: the National Association becomes the first professional baseball league
    1875: the National Association is replaced by the National League, which is run by businessmen
    rather than the players themselves
    1882: a rival league is formed, called the American Association
    1884: the Union Association is formed to allow players more freedom with their contracts, but
    financial difficulties force this league to close after only one season
    1890: the Players League, similar to the Union Association, is formed but again experiences
    extreme financial hardship. This league also lasts for just one season.
    1890: competition forces the American association to close its doors, and players migrate to the
    National League
    1901: the American League sprouts up as another contending league
    1903: the first World Series is played
    1911: the introduction of a ball with a cork center eases the way for batters
    1914: the Federal League tries to establish itself, failing after just two seasons
    1960: the threat of yet another league causes the two existing leagues to expand from 16 to 24
    teams

    Notable Players

    George Babe Ruth: one of the greatest home-run hitters the game has ever seen
    Hank Aaron: another prolific home-run hitter, holding the home-run record at 755 for his career
    until 2007
    Jackie Robinson: the first African American to cross the unspoken lines of segregation
    Lou Gehrig: also known as The Iron Horse, played in 2,130 consecutive games and won a
    triple crown in 1934
    Mickey Mantle: hit home runs both left- and right-handed, voted MVP three times in his career,
    and won seven World Series titles with the Yankees

    Notable Games

    1922: the highest combined score in Major League history (Cubs 26, Phillies 23)
    1932: Babe Ruth calls his shot, pointing to center field and hitting a home run to that exact spot
    on the very next pitch
    1951: Bobby Thomson hits a walk-off home run to lead the Giants to victory over the Dogders,
    which led to a victory in the pennant playoffs. This moment is now known as the shot heard
    round the world.

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