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