Baseball is an integral part of American culture. Many Americans grew up with baseball, playing it before they could count all of the bases. When people play baseball, they find a respect for the game. The respect people gain from playing baseball has turned the game into a tradition of American culture. Baseball has formed itself into the business of professional baseball, namely major league baseball. Baseball has been a part of American culture since the mid to late 19th century. Great grandparents, grandparent and parents were brought up playing baseball. Today parents teach it to their children.
The roots of baseball go back to the 1700's when it was played by the English as an offshoot of cricket. On June 19, 1846 the first true baseball game was played at Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey, thus giving birth to what some call the greatest sport ever played on earth.
Babe Ruth, full-length portrait, standing, facing ...
Babe Ruth, The Great Bambino, with future U.S. Pre...
Babe Ruth pitching with Boston Red Sox, Cominsky P...Americans have Alexander Cartwright and the members of the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club to thank for this. Cartwright designed the baseball diamond and specified the distance between the bases and the rules that are used to this day in professional baseball. The first professional baseball team was declared in 1869 by Harry Wright the manager of the Cincinnati Red Stockings. This club toured the country taking all teams that would play them. The very first professional baseball league was created on March 17, 1871 which became known as the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players. This National Association lasted for five years. The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players was replaced by the National League of Baseball Players in 1876, which consisted of 23 teams. In 1901 the American League, formerly the American Association, challenged the National League leading to the first World Series, played in...