History of Baseball

Baseball is often referred to as the GreatPlayers, which is recognized as the first baseball
American Pastime and it is funny to think that theleague ever created in the history of baseball.
exact history of baseball is vastly unknown.The sport blossomed in the late 1850's as
General historians mostly believe that it is roughlymembership grew from 100 to over 400 teams
based on an English game called rounders. Theand then the Civil War came about. The 1860's
game grew in popular in the north east aroundcivil war time decimated the interest in baseball as
the late 1700's and early 1800's. The precise namethere was obviously no time for baseball. Yet,
of the sport had adjusted several times frominterestingly enough baseball began to travel to
"base", to "roundball" to "cricket" throughout theother areas throughout the country. Once the
beginnings of baseball history.war ended the sport began to blossom again.
At that same timeframe of the early nineteenthTeams grew and cities throughout the country
century a number of cities began to form teamsbegan to take interest and began to play one
and leagues. The sport began to grow inanother.
popularity enough that the players and patrons ofThe NABP was initially supposed to only be
the game decided that they really needed tocomprised of amateur athletes but like any sport
formalize the specifics of the game. So in 1845it became very competitive and the best players
Alexander Cartwright began formulating a list ofwere compensated which obviously has stood the
rules that all teams are to follow by and ironicallytime of baseball history. The sport began to
enough a number of those rules are still followedchange in 1869 when the Cincinnati Red Stockings
today. Cartwright is believed to have been the(soon to be the Cincinnati Reds) decided to
actual founder of the game and not Abnerbecome the first professional team and pay there
Doubleday say baseball historians. Cartwright wasplayers. The Wright brothers who owned the
a fireman that formulated the basic premise ofteam decided to recruit the best talent from
the sport and is credited with creating the firstaround the country and they challenged all
teams that used to play in New York with othercomers. They were so good that they went 65
fireman. He was credited with forming theand 0. With such little competition the idea of
Knickerbockers Baseball Club which sculptedcreating a completely professional league was
baseball history. He then decided to follow thesparked and in 1871 the National Association was
riches of the California Gold Mine and begandeveloped.
spreading the game westward. His travels helpedThen in 1876 the National League was created as
to expand this new game throughout the country.the National Association was dissolved. The
The very first game of record actually took placeNational League which is still in existence today
a year after Cartwright developed his team inhad a stronghold on all the major cities of the
1846. Ironically his team the Knickerbockers losttime and maintained the best players. In the early
to the Baseball Club in a game at the Elysian Fields1900's the American and National league were
in Hoboken, NJ. As word spread of this interestingformed which as we all know still remains. These
game it became more popular and began to havechanges in the 1900's established the two leagues,
many more participants. So in the 1850's athe world series and established player contracts.
number of teams in the northeast came togetherThe history of baseball had firmly been formed
to discuss rules and expanding the game and inand was well on its way to establishing itself as
1858 they created the National Assoc. of Baseballthe Great American Pastime.