Baseball: truly America’s sport
Baseball history is as much a part of American history as hotdogs and beer. Three strikes and you are out has sounded down through the ages along with other important events in America. A billion dollar business that grew because of the many famous players who had the ability to make the game very exciting because they were able to hit, strike, pitch, run and play in a most amazing way. Americans believe that their sense of fair play was developed because of the game and the type of players that graced the game over the years.
The History of Baseball
The origins of the sport
The idea of baseball was not invented by any person but it developed over the years through the different cultures that played a version of the game. America is known for the fact that we are a “salad bowl” of different ethnic backgrounds with multiple customs. These customs and sense of fair game play helped to evolve the game, as we know it today. The history behind baseball tells us that during the 19th century the game began in a grassy field with red clay cut diamonds for the different bases. The different bat and ball games played by Europeans were put together to start the invention that is now called baseball.
The growth of baseball, from social clubs to major and minor leagues
The first official baseball game played in America was September 23, 1845 by the New York Knickerbockers. The team was part of a social club operated by Alexander Cartwright who laid out the initial ground rules for the games. These same rules are still used today with a few added rules made the game complete for modern day baseball. During the Civil War, baseball grew in popularity with solders from the north and south playing each other when they were not fighting. When the Civil War ended, the different social clubs took up the sport and eventually created the major leagues and the minor leagues. This enabled teams to play against each other in accordance with the experience of the players.
Many notable baseball legends
The first African American player Jackie Robinson joined the major leagues in 1947. Over the years many famous players has made the game very popular with such players as Babe Ruth, Cy Young, Willie Mays, Yogi Berra, and Mickey Mantle to name a few of the real all stars. Jack Nor worth wrote the lyrics to the song “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” while Albert Von Tizer wrote the music. This famous song is now played at every game during the 7th Inning.