Sixty-five million people play baseball worldwide, with the popular American pastime ranking seventh in popularity internationally. It is estimated that baseball has around 500 million fans globally, concentrated in Japan, the United States, and South Korea. Deep-rooted in American culture, baseball is at the heart of sporting culture across communities in the United States.
Little League is popular among children who want to play, and most towns and schools have teams with progression up to the highest level of competition.
It is often understood that baseball originated in the United States. However, its connections to popular sports played across the pond in England and ties to ancient stick and ball games are more convincing. This article will explore baseball history, including who invented it and its origins.
Where did Baseball Originate From?
As with most sports, baseball’s exact origins are uncertain. However, it may have ancient roots, with the Ancient Egyptians who played bat and ball games around two thousand years ago. Subsequently, baseball could have British roots, resembling proto-baseball games such as Cricket and rounders, which inspired today’s baseball.
While baseball’s precise inspirations and origins are unknown, the first iterations that resemble the modern-day sport can be traced back to the early 1800s in New York. Knickerbocker Baseball Club, now commonly known in the NBA as the New York Knicks, was the first to create rules for the sport, including foul lines and the number of outs a player needs. In 1846, these rules were used in the first official baseball game where the Knickerbockers competed for victory.
Image Credit: NBA
Daniel Adams, the president of the Knickerbocker Baseball Club and a former doctor, played a crucial role in the formalization and expansion of baseball. He developed an official version of the originally drafted rules, earning him the “Father of Baseball” title. His efforts, alongside his teammates, greatly contributed to the transformation of baseball into the sport we know today.
Between 1959 and 1960, the National Association of Base Ball Players was formed, and numerous clubs throughout the states, including those in Washington, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, were established. During and after the American Civil War, soldiers from New York spread baseball to other states like Oregon and Maine. Accordingly, by 1869, the first professional baseball club was established – the Cincinnati Reds – with a national league formed in the late 1800s. Thrusting the sport into popular consciousness, baseball became an American sporting pastime by the early 1900s.
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Who Invented Baseball?
Credit: Wikipedia
While Daniel Adams is often celebrated as the “Father of Baseball, ” no one person invented the game. In the mid-1800s, when Adams formalized the first baseball rules, other Knickerbocker Baseball Club members played a prominent role in their creation.
Noteworthy figures include Alexander J. Cartwright, who formed the Knickerbocker Baseball Club and helped create the initial rules for baseball in 1846. These rules were subsequently used in the first baseball match in history between the Knickerbockers and the New York Niners.
Another influential name, William Cammeyer, constructed the first baseball field with stands. After the American Civil War, this became common practice as the favored location to watch a game.
It was long thought that military officer Abner Doubleday invented baseball in 1839 in Cooperstown, New York. However, it was later discovered to be a myth after the provenance of his whereabouts during the period was found to be untrue.
What is the Longest Game in Baseball History?
Since 1900, several baseball games have broken records in length of play. In the MLB in 1920, the Boston Braves and Brooklyn Robins played a game that lasted 26 innings, ending in a tie because the game was called due to darkness. In comparison, regular games last nine innings and take just over three hours, highlighting the length of this game that other sports normally don’t even come close to.
In 1984, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago White Sox played a 25-inning game, and the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets in 1974 played the same game length. These three matches make up MLB’s top three longest baseball games.
Outside of the MLB, the longest professional game recorded was played by the Rochester Red Wings and the Pawtucket Red Sox, lasting three days and 33 innings.
US Sporting Royalty With External Origins
This article has examined the origins of baseball. Although it is a rooted pastime in American culture, baseball has its roots outside the United States. Traditional English games likely inspired it, and baseball can be traced back to stick and ball games played by the Ancient Egyptians around two thousand years ago.
If you want to learn more about baseball in general, check out our courses on the ISNation App.
You can learn about:
- Everything Starts From the Ground, with former professional baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates and coach Jonathan Schwind.
- Avoiding the Snowball Effect (for Pitchers) by former Pitcher for the Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles, Steve Klimek
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