| Baseball has been around for decades, often | | | | particular team will win or lose games. Keeping in |
| times recognized as "America's national sport". | | | | mind that your strategy will differ with each team |
| Historical evidence of baseball indicates that its | | | | you play against. An important factor to your |
| roots stem from cricket and rounders, both very | | | | strategy is your batting order and pitching |
| popular games originating in Great Britain. The | | | | rotation. Batting orders should be based upon your |
| baseball we know and love today has gradually | | | | players different contributing strengths and |
| developed over many years. By the end of the | | | | sometimes weaknesses. While one player may be |
| 18th century, many forms of baseball were being | | | | a fast runner, or power hitter, the next could be |
| played all over the United States. In New York | | | | a dependable bunter. A batting order is designed |
| City, they played a game called "One o' Cat". | | | | so that the players strengths will work together, |
| Other cities were playing "Town Ball" and "New | | | | trying to advance runners and get players on the |
| York Ball". These early renditions of the sport | | | | bases. |
| were played on a square field. Originally for bases | | | | Pitching requires as much mental skill as it does |
| they used stakes, later replacing the stakes with | | | | physical. A perfect pitching scenario would be a |
| stones, but to prevent further injuries, the stones | | | | "perfect game", where the opposing team does |
| were then replaced with sand filled sacks. It | | | | not reach base once. The next best scenario and |
| wasn't until then that people started to call them | | | | more common one, is what we called a "No |
| bases and this is where the name "baseball" | | | | Hitter". This is where the pitcher does not allow a |
| originated. | | | | single safe hit by the opposing team. Pitching line |
| It wasn't until somewhere between 1850 and | | | | ups change often because pitchers are usually |
| 1860 that baseball became increasingly popular and | | | | required two to three days off between games |
| in 1869, professional baseball was introduced by | | | | to allow their arms to rest. However, it is |
| the Cincinnati Red Stockings. Other official teams | | | | important to try and align your best pitchers to |
| represented cities from Boston, Philadelphia, | | | | be in rotation when you are facing a more |
| Chicago, Brooklyn, Cleveland, New York, Ohio and | | | | competitive team. |
| four other cities. Several other teams were added | | | | Today, there are many different leagues other |
| throughout the next quarter of the century. In | | | | than Major League Baseball (MLB), each complete |
| 1900, what we know as the American League | | | | with several divisions within the actual league. |
| was founded and fought for many years to be | | | | Baseball is truly a part of American history, where |
| recognized as an equal to the National League. | | | | generations have watched the sport unfold into |
| Jackie Robinson was the first black player to join | | | | the force it is now. It's a flashy, competitive, |
| the Major Leagues in 1947, playing for the | | | | skill-driven sport and over the years has never |
| Brooklyn Dodgers. | | | | lost the real reason as to why it is so vastly |
| There are several aspects that make the game | | | | popular. Year after year, from city to city, |
| of baseball what it is. For example, a teams | | | | stadium to stadium, people gather for one reason |
| strategy can make or break whether or not that | | | | and one reason - the simple love of the game. |