Baseball

Baseball America's Pastime Most cultures have some sort of stick and ball game, cricket being most well known. The exact of baseball's origin is unknown, most historians agree that it is based on the English game rounders. Baseball became popular in this country in the early 19th century and many sources report the growing popularity of a game called townball, base or baseball. There were leagues early as 1858 but once the National league (1875) and later American League came (1901), no other leagues stood a chance. The first team in the national league was the Cincinnati Red stockings.

America has come a Long way and so has baseball. The two really helped each other develop. Baseball has not always been much about the money early on players would have to get other jobs in the off season because there was no way to live off a baseball's salary.

Jackie Robinson swinging a bat in Dodgers uniform,...

English: Red Stockings of Cincinnati, 1869. C. Hur...

English: Jackie Robinson

In 1997 the Average MLB player made more than 1.3 million. The minimum was $150,000.00. Baseball's players are not the only ones making money. A professional umpire makes $200,000.00 a tear. How bout the coaching staff, the scouts, the agents, the field workers. There are also ticket people, food people, security, baseball card companies, magazines, and uniforms, cleat companies, gear companies that sell it to the millions that play in all leagues. There is more than one professional league. There are the minor leagues and all the others so think how many jobs that are. Baseball doesn't just do things for our economy it gets kids that usually wouldn't go to college into college. Baseball can keep kids out of trouble and in school.

Before 1947 it wasn't a written rule but they simply did not let blacks into the major leagues. In 1947 Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier,