BASEBALL

History Of Baseball 

The popular game that gained fame as being 'America's favorite pastime' is none other than the brisk game of baseball. There are many controversies and debate that go with the origin of baseball. Cricket, Baseball, softball running games and rounders are believed to have taken shape from primitive type of community games. Even though the name has no clear relation many games were popularly played that somewhat resemble modern day baseball. There were different ball games that were known by amusing names like stool ball, goal ball and even poison ball.

A few historical sources point that in the year 1700, Thomas Wilson who was considered an conformist leader in England condemned the game of baseball and a few other sports that took place every Sunday. There are interesting facts related to baseball. One of such reports come from David block who says that stoolball was the primitive version of baseball and dates it even back to 1672.

It leads our curiosity to the game of stoolball. It is said that in the game, a batting player was made to stand in front of a target, a stool, while another player pitched a ball. If the batting player hit the ball and was caught in field by a player, he was considered to be out of the game. Also, somewhat similar to cricket, if the ball hit the stool where the batting player stood, he was again supposed to be out. Young men and women were known to indulge into the sport.

Interestingly, the first recorded evidence of baseball occur when players from the Boston and Philadelphia clubs were on tour to England exhibiting the game to people at large. Based upon the basic rules of a game called ‘Rounders’ which was popularly played in England, the developed game of baseball slowly gained fame in early 19th century in the US. It was also known popularly as base and townball game.

In 1888, the Chicago Baseball club introduced the game to Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, North Africa and Egypt by playing the game for a large audience. Legendary, though not generally believed, date of the codification of the first rules of baseball by Abner (1839)

A popular myth believes that Abner Doubleday set up the basic rules of baseball way back in 1839. Alexander Cartwright is said to codify baseball rules with his New York Knickerbockers. A book called Baseball by Alexander and a documentary based upon it by filmmaker Ken Burns suggests that it was Alexander who first codified the game rules.

Recorded in the world of baseball as significant events date back to 1869 that saw these major serious debuts

• The Cincinnati Red Stockings first appearance as the all-professional team. It defeated the Great Westerns in a game of 45-9
• The Red Stockings had a fabulous indomitable season with their 60th victory. They defeated the visiting Mutual Green Stockings of New York 17-8 before an audience of 7,000 spectators

However, the first recorded baseball game in 1846 is credited to Alexander Cartwright's Knickerbockers. Knickerbockers lost to the New York Baseball Club at the Elysian Fields in New Jersey. With the establishment of National Association of Base Ball Players in 1858, the world witnessed the first systematic baseball league.

The budding period of baseball (1869: 1876)

1845: The beginning of systematic game with Alexander Cartwright's published book on set of baseball rules for the Knickerbocker Club of New York. It is claimed that his baseball rules were widely accepted in the US.

1869: First professional team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings were explicitly remunerated for the first time

1871: The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players was established as the first professional baseball league

1876: Over 3000 enthusiasts watched the hometown Philadelphia Athletics lose to Boston Red in the first National League game ever played

1878: The Captain of Harvard University Baseball Club Frederick Thayer received a patent for baseball catcher mask

Many professional and amateur players contribute to the vast baseball history. Every chapter in baseball history leads to interesting event that helped with development of modern-day systematic baseball. By any name, baseball has been a game that sets stars in the eyes of sport lovers since decades.

oday a multi-billion dollar industry, Baseball has come a long way from its crude and humble beginnings in the fields of 19th century America. More than a game, Baseball remains an inseparable part of the American heritage and an intrinsic part of our national psyche. For many of us, notions of team, fair play, and athletic excellence first occurred on a red clay diamond cut from a grassy field. Referred to as "America's Pastime" since 1856, Baseball today is played by men and women of all ages and skill levels all around the world. Despite its recurrent scandals and woes, Baseball remains synonymous with the best that America has to offer.

19th Century Baseball: The Beginning

Contrary to popular belief, Baseball was not invented by a single individual, but evolved from various European "bat and ball" games. Russia had a version of Baseball called Lapta, which dates back to the fourteenth century. It consisted of two teams (five to ten members) with a pitcher and batter. The ball would be thrown to the batter who would attempt to hit it with a short stick and then run to the opposite side and back before being hit by the ball.

Cricket and Rounders

England has played Cricket and Rounders for several centuries. The first recorded cricket match took place in Sussex, England in 1697. Cricket is played in a large open circular field and has two sides of eleven players that attempt to "put out" a "batsman" who tries to prevent a ball thrown by a "bowler" from knocking over "bails" placed on "wickets," or three upright sticks. If the batsman makes contact with the ball, he runs to the opposite side of the "pitch" and continues running back and forth until the ball is retrieved by the opposing team.

Rounders, which shares more technical similarities to Baseball, dates back to Tudor times in England. This game consisted of two teams, six to fifteen players, including a pitcher, batter, "bowling square," "hitting square" and four posts, similar to bases used in Baseball. Each player had to bat in each "inning" and the game lasted two innings. The pitcher tossed the ball to the batter who attempted to hit it. If contact was made the batter ran to the first post. Points were awarded depending on what post was reached by the batter and the manner in which the post was reached.

Town Ball

Germany played a game called Schlagball, which was similar to Rounders. The ball was tossed by the "bowler" to the "striker," who struck it with a club and attempted to complete the circuit of bases without being hit by the ball. Americans played a version of Rounders called "Town Ball," which dates back to the early 1800's. In this game, the first team to score one hundred "talleys" won the game. In 1858 the rules were formalized as the "Rules of the Massachusetts Game of Town Ball."

“Base Ball”

Occasionally, early 19th century American newspapers would mention games listed as "Bass-Ball," "Base," "Base Ball," "Base-Ball," "Goal Ball" and "Town Ball." The first known printed record of a game that was slightly different from Rounders and resembled a game closer to Baseball, is from an 1829 book called The Boy's Own Book, in which the game is referred to as "Round Ball," "Base" and "Goal Ball." A crude field diagram was included with specific locations for four stones or stakes (bases), that were arranged in a diamond. The article described how to "make an out" as well as how to get "home." The word "party" was used to describe a team, and the team at bat was called the "in-party." Each party pitched to themselves, bases were run in a clockwise direction and players could be put out by swinging and missing three pitched balls or by being hit with the ball while moving between bases.

The Olympic Base Ball Club of Philadelphia

Perhaps the first town ball club to adopt a constitution was the Olympic Ball Club of Philadelphia, founded in 1833. It was formed by combining two associations of Town Ball players. One of the Town Ball associations may have begun play in the spring of 1831, in Camden, NJ on Market Street. The original group included only four players, playing "Cat Ball," but eventually the number of players increased and the Saturday afternoon gathering usually included between fifteen to twenty players. With the increased interest the game changed to Town Ball and then to Base Ball. The other association called itself the Olympic Ball Club, favored Town Ball and played on Wednesdays. As they did not meet as regularly as the group in Camden, some of the members of the Olympic Ball Club began playing in Camden. Ultimately a match was proposed and played between the two associations. No record of this match exists, but the two groups did eventually combine into one and played on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The constitution was first published in 1838 and consisted of 15 Articles. Duties of the Board of Directors, Members, and Captains were described. Practice days and a fine structure were also outlined.