The History of Baseball in the USA

Baseball rules were first established in 1842.

Baseball is known as the American pastime. Originated in the mid 1800s and consolidated into Major League Baseball at the turn of the 20th century, baseball has the longest professional history of the big four American sports. From national heroes to international stars, from scandals to strikes, from hallowed records to World Series dynasties, baseball in America has a very long and storied history.

Origins

The origins of baseball in America are somewhat difficult to pinpoint, but it is generally attributed to being derived from the game of rounders which was, in turn, derived from the game of cricket. Although civil-war Army captain Abner Doubleday is often credited with being the father of baseball, it is actually Alexander Cartwright who formalized the rules of baseball in New York City in 1842.

Early Leagues

The first professional baseball league was the National Association formed in 1871. The National Association only lasted for five years, but the remnants of the shattered league came together and formed the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs. This is the same National League that continues to play baseball today. The Atlanta Braves, who were originally located in Boston and known as the Boston Red Stockings, are the only team to have played every single professional season in the history of American baseball, including the National Association years. The American Association, the National League's main rivals, and the Union Association--which only played the 1884 season--both came into existence in the early 1880s. Neither league made it to 1900.

World Series

In 1901, the American League became an official major league. Two years later, the first modern World Series was played between the American League's Boston Pilgrims--who won the series--and the National League's Pittsburgh Pirates. Although no World Series was played the following year, the advent of the World Series began the modern era of Major League Baseball. From 1905 to 2009, a World Series was played every year with the exception of the strike-shortened 1994 season. In 1914, a major attempt was made to create a third major league with the creation of the Federal League, but it only lasted for two seasons. The Federal League was not represented in the World Series.

Negro Leagues

Baseball, like the rest of America, was still segregated in the early 1900s. It wasn't until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 that black ball players began playing in the major leagues. While few concrete records exist concerning the Negro League, many who saw the Negro League's best players, like catcher Josh Gibson, claim that they were among the greatest players ever to play the sport, regardless of race. By the end of the 1962 season, professional baseball was integrated to the point that the last of the Negro League shut down.

Controversies

Baseball has had its share of controversies throughout the years. The "Black Sox" controversy of 1919 is one of the most significant of these controversies. In 1919, the White Sox players threw the World Series simply to receive a payday. The eight White Sox players who gambled on or threw the 1919 World Series--including "Shoeless" Joe Jackson--were banned from baseball for life. This explains why Pete Rose was banned for life in 1989 after it came to light that he bet on baseball.

Another major controversy was the Player's Union strike of 1994 which caused the World Series to be canceled. The strike was in response to an attempt to level the playing field throughout baseball by introducing salary caps and revenue sharing. The strike--when the commissioner's office and the Player's Union could not agree on terms of a collective bargaining agreement--greatly upset a large portion of the fan base, and many of these fans never returned to the game of baseball.

References

• Negro League Baseball
• MLB Red Sox History