History Usefulnotes / Baseball

* The '''Savannah Bananas''', a professional exhibition team based in the Georgia city, have achieved considerable internet fame in the 2020s for their unique hijinks (many of them over-the-top even by independent-league standards, though suitable for kids) and even more unique ruleset, which they call "Banana Ball". The team started out as a collegiate summer baseball operation in 2016 playing under standard rules, and enjoyed strong success in that sphere, selling out every game since the middle of their first season. However, what caused them to ''truly'' take off was their exhibition side, which has sold out every single game it's played, both in Savannah and on tour,[[note]]playing in minor- and independent-league stadiums[[/note]] since Banana Ball launched in 2020. After the 2022 season, they shut down their college summer operation and went all-in on Banana Ball. For their regular exhibitions, they split into two squads, and unlike the Harlem Globetrotters and Washington Generals, both sides are trying to win. The rules are similar to standard baseball, but with some ''wild'' twists:

** ''Starting pitchers'' are usually the most effective pitchers on the roster, and are the ones who begin each game. Statistically speaking, the starting pitcher is usually the most significant factor in whether a team wins or loses the game, and they are paid accordingly. While pitchers once pitched entire games, most teams will now keep pitch counts, and try to replace a starter at around 100 pitches or if he becomes ineffective before that. Thus, pitching a complete game will now only even be attempted if the starter is pitching spectacularly even into the late innings. Pitching is a strenuous activity--one of the most strenuous in sports--and a major league starter will often require four to five days to recover in between games.[[note]]At least, in between games that he ''pitches''. While he was with the Los Angeles Angels, Shohei Ohtani spent his days between games as the designated hitter. And, thanks to a 2022 rule change, served as DH even on the days he pitched. Now with the Dodgers, Ohtani will only hit in 2024 while recovering from elbow surgery, but will presumably return to his dual role in 2025.[[/note]] Anything less is ''seriously'' damaging to both physical and mental health. Teams typically maintain a rotation of five starting pitchers, and over the course of a season will move pitchers in and out of the rotation to account for injuries or loss of effectiveness.

*** Some more MLB rule changes in 2020 dramatically affected the use of relievers. The most notable, which took effect despite COVID-19, is that once a pitcher (starter or reliever) enters the game, he must pitch to three batters or until the end of that half-inning, whichever comes first. (Exceptions are allowed for incapacitating injury or illness.) While it didn't completely eliminate the "left-handed specialist" role, it dramatically changed it. The 2020 season was intended to be the first for a new rule that prohibited position players from pitching unless the game was in extra innings, or either team had a lead of at least 7 runs when said player assumed a pitching role. This change instead took effect in 2021, and was further changed for 2023. Now, position players can only be used as pitchers in extra innings, when a team is behind by at least 8 runs at any time, or a team is ahead by at least 10 runs in the ninth inning. (This is enforced by requiring that all teams designate players as "pitchers" or "position players" before the season.) The 2020 rules also created a new category of "two-way player". A player earns this status by pitching 20 MLB innings ''and'' playing in at least 20 games as a position player or designated hitter, with at least three plate appearances in each of those games, in a given season. Once he qualifies, he can be used as a pitcher at any time for the rest of the season, plus all of the following season. Additionally, two-way players do not count against the limit on the number of pitchers on an active roster.[[note]]For 2021 only (intended to take effect in 2020), statistics from 2018 or 2019 could be used. This allowed Shohei Ohtani, who met the requirements in 2018 but did not pitch in 2019 after Tommy John surgery (and was used in both roles in the 60-game 2020 season), to be used as a two-way player in 2021. He made more than enough appearances in both roles in 2021–23 to further cement that status.[[/note]]

** Also note that the DH "rule" is technically an option: in MLB, no team is obligated to use the DH, but for a practical matter, when allowed, it is almost always used. The San Francisco Giants made an attention-grabbing decision to decline the DH when they played the Oakland Athletics on June 30, 2016, and allow their pitcher Madison Bumgarner to hit. The last time a team intentionally waived their right to a DH before this was in 1976. In 2021, the Los Angeles Angels started encouraging their two-way star Shohei Ohtani to hit when he pitches, even though it meant giving up the DH for that game. Given his established skills at the bat, this could have been an acceptable tradeoff... until a rule change for 2022 allowed teams to list their starting pitcher as the DH. (This rule change had been trialed in the 2021 All-Star Game, in which Ohtani was chosen as starter at both DH and pitcher.) Ohtani is likely the only beneficiary of this rule for the immediate future.

Following later changes in the Olympic format that allow host nations to add a limited number of IOC-recognized sports to the program, baseball and softball returned for the 2020 ([[ReleaseDateChange/COVID19PandemicRelatedExamples 2021]]) Games in Tokyo, and may return for 2028 in Los Angeles.\\\

** If you're romantically interested in (or involved with) someone considered far more attractive, rich, high-class, or popular than you, you're told that they're "out of your league."

* Bisexuals are said to be "switch hitters" or to "bat for both teams" (the latter being used in some cricketing nations). The former is the only one of this string of metaphors that occasionally requires clarification as to whether the person is talking about sexual orientation, or actual baseball.

* ThatOneRule: Typically this is the infield fly rule, which is probably baseball's only truly complicated rule. However, many rules can serve this purpose out of sheer obscurity; the rule on uncaught third strikes (that is: if the catcher doesn't catch the ball after the batter's third strike, the batter is entitled to try to run to first) and force-outs, among others, have been used for drama, as virtually anything can make or break a game. That includes real drama: those two rules cost the Brooklyn Dodgers the 1941 World Series and the New York Giants [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkle%27s_Boner the 1908 NL pennant]], respectively. Another candidate the "balk" rule; the concept is simple (a pitcher can't misdirect baserunners as to whether or not he's making a pitch), but deciding what does and doesn't constitute one is another matter.

* Someone trying for a big, improbable win, such as shooting the moon in Hearts, is "swinging for the fences".

* Rookies are expected to act like they've been there before; not getting overly excited at big plays or home runs.

Like Olympic baseball, [[AmericansHateTingle the WBC has come under fire in America]] for being a "meaningless exhibition tournament" that puts players at risk before the regular MLB season comes around. However, this doesn't take into account [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff the tournament's immense popularity in the rest of the world]] (in Japan for instance, no less than ''40% of the country'' tuned in to watch each of their team's games in 2023).\\\

Like Olympic baseball, the WBC has come under fire in America for being a "meaningless exhibition tournament" that puts players at risk before the regular MLB season comes around. However, this doesn't take into account [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff the tournament's immense popularity in the rest of the world]] (in Japan for instance, no less than ''40% of the country'' tuned in to watch each of their team's games in 2023).\\\

At the four corners of the infield are the eponymous bases, marked by (usually) white "plates".[[note]]Some plates for private use are differently colored--orange is usual. These are most often seen in school gym class.[[/note]][[labelnote:Aside]]A quirk regarding placement of the bases unknown even to most avid baseball fans: Three of the four bases--specifically first, third, and home--are placed so that they form the corners of the 90-foot infield square. Second base is placed so that its center lies on its corner of the infield square. This is being updated in the minor leagues in the 2022 season, moving second base to align with first and third; it is expected to be changed in the major leagues at a later date. Softball, however, has not made such a change.[[/labelnote]] At the vertex of the diamond is home base, marked by home plate. Home plate is in the shape of a pentagon with three right angles, i.e. the prototypical elementary school drawing of a house (coincidentally). In organized baseball, this is usually made of rubber. It is flanked on either side by batter's boxes, painted-on rectangles in which the batter (see below) stands while batting. The remaining three bases are marked by square plates, numbered first, second, and third ''counter''-clockwise; in upper-level baseball, these are traditionally canvas sacks stuffed with something, hence "bag" an alternative term for "base". Lower-level games may use rubber for the numbered bases, as well. In lower levels of organized baseball (particularly youth leagues), most now mandate a "double" first base, with half of the enlarged base in foul territory. When a play is being made on a batter-runner, defenders are only allowed to tag the "fair" portion, and runners from home are only allowed to touch the "foul" portion; this is to prevent collisions and injuries. This is not an idle fear -- bases are often sources of collisions and serious injuries, being places where very large men running very fast come together, with wrists and ankles often suffering from the resulting collisions. You'll occasionally see arguments that MLB and other high-level leagues should adopt the double first base system described above -- there's no real momentum for that, but it could happen in the future. The recently created [=Baseball5=] variant, discussed in more detail in the "Baseball around the world" section, also uses the double first base. That said, MLB is expanding the size of first, second, and third bases from 15 inches (38.1 cm) to 18 inches (45.7 cm) square starting in 2023. This is being implemented mainly to reduce the risk of collisions, although it will also give a tiny advantage to base-stealers.

Speaking of the mound... the Atlantic League, an independent minor league that MLB has used as a test bed for rules changes in recent years, moved the rubber back 1 foot in the second half of its 2021 season, making it 61.5 feet from the rear point of home plate. This was intended to give hitters a tiny amount more time to react to pitches, therefore (hopefully) reducing strikeout rates.

** ''Starting pitchers'' are usually the most effective pitchers on the roster, and are the ones who begin each game. Statistically speaking, the starting pitcher is usually the most significant factor in whether a team wins or loses the game, and they are paid accordingly. While pitchers once pitched entire games, most teams will now keep pitch counts, and try to replace a starter at around 100 pitches or if he becomes ineffective before that. Thus, pitching a complete game will now only even be attempted if the starter is pitching spectacularly even into the late innings. Pitching is a strenuous activity--one of the most strenuous in sports--and a major league starter will often require four to five days to recover in between games.[[note]]At least, in between games that he ''pitches''. Shohei Ohtani spends his days between games as the Los Angeles Angels' designated hitter. And, thanks to a 2022 rule change, serves as DH even on the days he pitches.[[/note]] Anything less is ''seriously'' damaging to both physical and mental health. Teams typically maintain a rotation of five starting pitchers, and over the course of a season will move pitchers in and out of the rotation to account for injuries or loss of effectiveness.

*** Some more MLB rule changes in 2020 dramatically affected the use of relievers. The most notable, which took effect despite COVID-19, is that once a pitcher (starter or reliever) enters the game, he must pitch to three batters or until the end of that half-inning, whichever comes first. (Exceptions are allowed for incapacitating injury or illness.) While it didn't completely eliminate the "left-handed specialist" role, it dramatically changed it. The 2020 season was intended to be the first for a new rule that prohibited position players from pitching unless the game was in extra innings, or either team had a lead of at least 7 runs when said player assumed a pitching role. This change instead took effect in 2021, and was further changed for 2023. Now, position players can only be used as pitchers in extra innings, when a team is behind by at least 8 runs at any time, or a team is ahead by at least 10 runs in the ninth inning. (This is enforced by requiring that all teams designate players as "pitchers" or "position players" before the season.) The 2020 rules also create a new category of "two-way player". A player earns this status by pitching 20 MLB innings ''and'' playing in at least 20 games as a position player or designated hitter, with at least three plate appearances in each of those games, in a given season. Once he qualifies, he can be used as a pitcher at any time for the rest of the season, plus all of the following season. Additionally, two-way players do not count against the limit on the number of pitchers on an active roster.[[note]]For 2021 only (intended to take effect in 2020), statistics from 2018 or 2019 can be used. This allowed Shohei Ohtani, who met the requirements in 2018 but did not pitch in 2019 after Tommy John surgery (and was used in both roles in the 60-game 2020 season), to be used as a two-way player in 2021. He made more than enough appearances in both roles in 2021 and 2022 to further cement that status.[[/note]]

** In UsefulNotes/MinorLeagueBaseball, the mechanics of the DH rule are identical to those of MLB, meaning that starting in 2022, it's used in all games. Before then, its use or non-use differed by league. Also, in the leagues that ''did'' use the DH, its use was governed by the teams' MLB affiliations.

** The independent Atlantic League, which became an "MLB Partner League" after MLB reorganized Minor League Baseball for 2021 and beyond, trialed what's called the "double-hook" rule in 2021. Once a team removed its starting pitcher, it lost the DH for the rest of the game.

** In another experimental minor-league rule implemented in 2021, pitchers in the three Low-A leagues could only attempt a pickoff or step off the rubber twice per at-bat. An unsuccessful pickoff on a third attempt was called a balk. This was made permanent throughout [=MiLB=] in 2022 and will be implemented in MLB starting in 2023. In the [=MiLB=] version, this limit was absolute; in MLB, the limit is reset if a runner advances during the at-bat.

The Origin of Baseball is something of a MultipleChoicePast. The "traditional" story (first proposed by fourth National League president [[WordOfGod Abraham G. Mills]] and popularized by NL co-founder and sporting goods magnate [[WordOfSaintPaul Albert Spalding]] around the turn of the 20th century) is that it was created in 1839 by a young Abner Doubleday in his hometown of Cooperstown, UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}}. Since Doubleday grew up to be a Union Army general during the [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar Civil War]], this account of events played well with the PatrioticFervor of the day, and would be accepted by the public at large for years to come. Unfortunately, it was also based on BlatantLies told by an old man, and doesn't really hold up to scrutiny. At all.[[note]]To the point that the Hall of Fame, located in Cooperstown, ''never inducted Doubleday''.[[/note]] Meanwhile, the respected sports journalist Henry Chadwick offered his counter narrative, which was that baseball had evolved from earlier English bat-and-ball games such as UsefulNotes/{{cricket}} (which had enjoyed a following among the colonial American gentry; UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington was an avid cricketer) and rounders. In fact, Chadwick, himself an English immigrant,[[note]]His father James had been tutor to John Dalton, the father of atomic theory, at a Quaker academy in Manchester, and his older half-brother Edwin Chadwick was a noted social and sanitary reformer in England who was knighted for his efforts.[[/note]] had been working as a cricket reporter for ''[[UsefulNotes/AmericanNewspapers The New York Times]]'' when he'd stumbled upon an early baseball game being played by two amateur NYC teams at the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, UsefulNotes/NewJersey in the 1850s, at which point he fell in love with the sport.

* First baseman (3): Takes up position at first base. Since this is the first base touched in the event of a base hit, he will take up position very close to the bag, and uses a special glove to field throws to first base. The importance of this position defensively tends to decrease as you move up the ladder. At the youth level, having a competent first baseman is incredibly important, since they are responsible for converting a huge percentage of basic putouts, and you can't take for granted that every Little Leaguer can reliably catch a throw from an infielder. Once you get into higher-level competition, however, the position becomes more of a dumping ground for immobile sluggers, as it doesn't require much speed or mobility. Responsible for warming up the infield at the beginning of their defensive half-inning, which is why the first baseman is thrown a ball when their team retires from the field in order to bat.

The Origin of Baseball is something of a MultipleChoicePast. The "traditional" story (first proposed by fourth National League president [[WordOfGod Abraham G. Mills]] and popularized by NL co-founder and sporting goods magnate [[WordOfSaintPaul Albert Spalding]] around the turn of the 20th century) is that it was created in 1839 by a young Abner Doubleday in his hometown of Cooperstown, UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}}. Since Doubleday grew up to be a Union Army general during the [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar Civil War]], this account of events played well with the PatrioticFervor of the day, and would be accepted by the public at large for years to come. Unfortunately, it was also based on BlatantLies told by an old man, and doesn't really hold up to scrutiny. At all.[[note]]To the point that the Hall of Fame, located in Cooperstown, ''never inducted Doubleday''.[[/note]] Meanwhile, the respected sports journalist Henry Chadwick offered his counter narrative, which was that baseball had evolved from earlier English bat-and-ball games like UsefulNotes/{{cricket}} (which had enjoyed a following among the colonial American gentry; UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington was an avid cricketer) and rounders. In fact, Chadwick, himself an English immigrant,[[note]]His father James had been tutor to John Dalton, the father of atomic theory, at a Quaker academy in Manchester, and his older half-brother Edwin Chadwick was a noted social and sanitary reformer in England who was knighted for his efforts.[[/note]] had been working as a cricket reporter for ''[[UsefulNotes/AmericanNewspapers The New York Times]]'' when he had stumbled upon an early baseball game being played by two amateur NYC teams at the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, UsefulNotes/NewJersey in the 1850s, at which point he fell in love with the sport.

The Origin of Baseball is something of a MultipleChoicePast. The "traditional" story (first proposed by fourth National League president [[WordOfGod Abraham G. Mills]] and popularized by NL co-founder and sporting goods magnate [[WordOfSaintPaul Albert Spalding]] around the turn of the 20th century) is that it was created in 1839 by a young Abner Doubleday in his hometown of Cooperstown, UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}}. Since Doubleday grew up to be a Union Army general during the [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar Civil War]], this account of events played well with the PatrioticFervor of the day, and would be accepted by the public at large for years to come. Unfortunately, it was also based on BlatantLies told by an old man, and doesn't really hold up to scrutiny. At all.[[note]]To the point that the Hall of Fame, located in Cooperstown, ''never inducted Doubleday''.[[/note]] Meanwhile, the respected sports journalist Henry Chadwick offered his counter narrative, which was that baseball had simply evolved from earlier English bat-and-ball games like UsefulNotes/{{cricket}} (which had enjoyed a following among the colonial American gentry; UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington was an avid cricketer) and rounders. In fact, Chadwick, himself an English immigrant,[[note]]His father James had been tutor to John Dalton, the father of atomic theory, at a Quaker academy in Manchester, and his older half-brother Edwin Chadwick was a noted social and sanitary reformer in England who was knighted for his efforts.[[/note]] had been working as a cricket reporter for ''[[UsefulNotes/AmericanNewspapers The New York Times]]'' when he had stumbled upon an early baseball game being played by two amateur NYC teams at the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, UsefulNotes/NewJersey in the 1850s, at which point he fell in love with the sport.

* Major league games are always scheduled for 9 innings. The same applies for single games in international men's play and in college/university play.

* '''Little League''' and other youth organizations such as Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken Baseball and RBI Baseball are, of course, organized leagues for younger people, basically from as soon as someone is old enough to swing a bat until they are eligible for college (sometimes even longer). Little League itself is the largest youth sports organization in the world, and its '''Little League World Series''' (which differs from the Men's College and MLB World Series in that it actually has teams from different continents) in Williamsport, Pennsylvania[[note]]actually South Williamsport, which is a separate community[[/note]] draws pretty large crowds, is shown on ESPN and ABC, and has featured many future Major Leaguers back when they were young innocent 12-year-olds. The current champions are the Honolulu Little League, one of several leagues operating in Hawaii's capital.

The Origin of Baseball is something of a MultipleChoicePast. The "traditional" story (first proposed by fourth National League president [[WordOfGod Abraham G. Mills]] and popularized by NL co-founder and sporting goods magnate [[WordOfSaintPaul Albert Spalding]] around the turn of the 20th century) is that it was created in 1839 by a young Abner Doubleday, in his hometown of Cooperstown, UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}}. Since Doubleday grew up to be a Union Army general during the [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar Civil War]], this account of events played well with the PatrioticFervor of the day, and would be accepted by the public at large for years to come. Unfortunately, it was also based on BlatantLies told by an old man, and doesn't really hold up to scrutiny. At all.[[note]]To the point that the Hall of Fame, located in Cooperstown, ''never inducted Doubleday''.[[/note]] Meanwhile, the respected sports journalist Henry Chadwick offered his counter narrative, which was that baseball had simply evolved from earlier English bat-and-ball games like UsefulNotes/{{cricket}} (which had enjoyed a following among the colonial American gentry; UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington was an avid cricketer) and rounders. In fact, Chadwick, himself an English immigrant,[[note]]His father James had been tutor to John Dalton, the father of atomic theory, at a Quaker academy in Manchester, and his older half-brother Edwin Chadwick was a noted social and sanitary reformer in England who was knighted for his efforts.[[/note]] had been working as a cricket reporter for ''[[UsefulNotes/AmericanNewspapers The New York Times]]'' when he'd stumbled upon an early baseball game being played by two amateur NYC teams at the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, UsefulNotes/NewJersey in the 1850s, at which point he fell in love with the sport.

Americans had been playing bat-and-ball games with the name "base ball" or suchlike since at least the 1790s: a document from 1791 was found in the city of Pittsfield, UsefulNotes/{{Massachusetts}}, which mentions "base ball" (specifically in the context of its being banned anywhere within the vicinity of the town hall and [[BrokenGlassPenalty its expensive glass windows]]). That being said, this form of the game probably did not resemble modern baseball except in the vaguest way (i.e.: a bat, a ball, fielders, outs), and varied wildly across place and time. These variations were critical to the development of what we now know as baseball, but contrary to legend, the general consensus is that the modern game wasn't born in any one place or at any singular moment, but probably slowly developed over time until it finally started resembling the modern game some time around the middle of the 19th century. We can reasonably say that the modern game took shape beginning in the 1840s, with the earliest known written rules that resemble something akin to modern baseball being traced to a New Yorker named Alexander Cartwright, who drew up the rules for the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club – an association of young professionals that played one of these early forms of the sport – in 1845.

The Origin of Baseball is something of a MultipleChoicePast. The "traditional" story (first proposed by fourth National League president [[WordOfGod Abraham G. Mills]] and popularized by NL cofounder and sporting goods magnate [[WordOfSaintPaul Albert Spalding]] around the turn of the 20th century) is that it was created in 1839 by a young Abner Doubleday, in his hometown of Cooperstown, UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}}. Since Doubleday grew up to be a Union Army general during the [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar Civil War]], this account of events played well with the PatrioticFervor of the day, and would be accepted by the public at large for years to come. Unfortunately, it was also based on BlatantLies told by an old man, and doesn't really hold up to scrutiny. At all.[[note]]To the point that the Hall of Fame, located in Cooperstown, ''never inducted Doubleday''.[[/note]] Meanwhile, the respected sports journalist Henry Chadwick offered his counter narrative, which was that baseball had simply evolved from earlier English bat-and-ball games like UsefulNotes/{{cricket}} (which had enjoyed a following among the colonial American gentry; UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington was an avid cricketer) and rounders. In fact, Chadwick, himself an English immigrant,[[note]]His father James had been tutor to John Dalton, the father of atomic theory, at a Quaker academy in Manchester, and his older half-brother Edwin Chadwick was a noted social and sanitary reformer in England who was knighted for his efforts.[[/note]] had been working as a cricket reporter for ''[[UsefulNotes/AmericanNewspapers The New York Times]]'' when he'd stumbled upon an early baseball game being played by two amateur NYC teams at the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, UsefulNotes/NewJersey in the 1850s, at which point he fell in love with the sport.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tycobb1908.jpg]]

The Origin of Baseball is something of a MultipleChoicePast. The "traditional" story (first proposed by fourth National League president [[WordOfGod Abraham G. Mills]] and popularized by NL cofounder and sporting goods magnate [[WordOfSaintPaul Albert Spalding]] around the turn of the 20th century) is that it was created in 1839 by a young Abner Doubleday, in his hometown of Cooperstown, UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}}. Since Doubleday grew up to be a Union Army general during the [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar Civil War]], this account of events played well with the PatrioticFervor of the day, and would be accepted by the public at large for years to come. Unfortunately, it was also based on BlatantLies told by an old man, and doesn't really hold up to scrutiny. At all.[[note]]To the point that the Hall of Fame, located in Cooperstown, ''never inducted Doubleday''.[[/note]] Meanwhile, the respected sports journalist Henry Chadwick offered his counter narrative, which was that baseball had simply evolved from earlier English bat-and-ball games like UsefulNotes/{{cricket}} (which had enjoyed a following among the colonial American gentry; UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington was an avid cricketer) and rounders. In fact, Chadwick, himself an English immigrant,[[note]]His father James had been tutor to John Dalton, the father of atomic theory, at a Quaker academy in Manchester, and his older half-brother Edwin Chadwick was a noted social and sanitary reformer in England who was knighted for his efforts.[[/note]] had been working as a cricket reporter for ''[[UsefulNotes/AmericanNewspapers The New York Times]]'' when he stumbled upon an early baseball game being played by two amateur New York teams at the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, UsefulNotes/NewJersey in the 1850s, at which point he fell in love with the sport.

Americans have been playing bat-and-ball games with the name "base ball" or suchlike since at least the 1790s: a document from 1791 was found in the city of Pittsfield, UsefulNotes/{{Massachusetts}}, which mentions "base ball" (specifically in the context of its being banned anywhere within the vicinity of the town hall and [[BrokenGlassPenalty its expensive glass windows]]). That being said, this form of the game probably did not resemble modern baseball except in the vaguest way (i.e.: a bat, a ball, fielders, outs), and varied wildly across place and time. These variations were critical to the development of what we now know as baseball, but contrary to legend, the general consensus is that the modern game wasn't born in any one place or at any singular moment, but probably slowly developed over time until it finally started resembling the modern game some time around the middle of the 19th century. We can reasonably say that the modern game took shape beginning in the 1840s, with the earliest known written rules that resemble something akin to modern baseball being traced to a New Yorker named Alexander Cartwright, who drew up the rules for the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club – an association of young professionals that played one of these early forms of the sport – in 1845.

The Origin of Baseball is something of a MultipleChoicePast. The "traditional" story (first proposed by fourth National League president [[WordOfGod Abraham G. Mills]] and popularized by National League cofounder and sporting goods magnate [[WordOfSaintPaul Albert Spalding]] around the turn of the 20th century) is that it was created in 1839 by a young Abner Doubleday, in his hometown of Cooperstown, UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}}. Since Doubleday grew up to be a Union Army general during the [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar Civil War]], this account of events played well with the PatrioticFervor of the day, and would be accepted by the public at large for years to come. However, it was also based on BlatantLies told by an old man, and doesn't really hold up to scrutiny. At all.[[note]]To the point that the Hall of Fame, located in Cooperstown, ''never inducted Doubleday''.[[/note]] Meanwhile, the respected sports journalist Henry Chadwick offered his counter belief, which was that baseball had simply evolved from earlier English bat-and-ball games like UsefulNotes/{{cricket}} (which had enjoyed a following among the colonial gentry; UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington was an avid cricketer) and rounders. Indeed, Chadwick, himself an English immigrant,[[note]]His father James had been tutor to John Dalton, the father of atomic theory, at a Quaker academy in Manchester, and his older half-brother Edwin Chadwick was a noted social and sanitary reformer in England who was knighted for his efforts.[[/note]] had been working as a cricket reporter for ''[[UsefulNotes/AmericanNewspapers The New York Times]]'' when he'd stumbled upon an early baseball game being played by two amateur NYC teams at the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, UsefulNotes/NewJersey in the 1850s, at which point he fell in love with the sport.

The Origin of Baseball is something of a MultipleChoicePast. The "traditional" story (first proposed by National League's 4th president [[WordOfGod Abraham G. Mills]] and popularized by National League co-founder and sporting goods magnate [[WordOfSaintPaul Albert Spalding]] around the turn of the 20th century) is that it was created in 1839 by a young Abner Doubleday in his hometown of Cooperstown, UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}}. Since Doubleday grew up to be a Union Army general during the [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar Civil War]], this version of events played well with the PatrioticFervor of the day. However, it was also based upon BlatantLies told by an old man, and doesn't really hold up to scrutiny. At all.[[note]]To the point that the Hall of Fame, located in Cooperstown, ''never inducted Doubleday''.[[/note]] The respected sports journalist Henry Chadwick offered his counter belief that baseball had simply evolved from earlier bat-and-ball games, such as UsefulNotes/{{cricket}} (which had enjoyed a following among the colonial American gentry; UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington was an avid cricketer) and/or the Irish game of rounders. Chadwick, himself an English immigrant,[[note]]His father James had been tutor to John Dalton, the father of atomic theory, at a Quaker academy in Manchester, and his older half-brother Edwin Chadwick was a noted social and sanitary reformer in England who was knighted for his efforts.[[/note]] was working as cricket reporter for ''[[UsefulNotes/AmericanNewspapers The New York Times]]'' when he stumbled upon an early baseball game being played by two amateur New York teams at the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, UsefulNotes/NewJersey in the 1850s, at which point he fell in love with the sport.

The Origin of Baseball is something of a MultipleChoicePast. The "traditional" story (first proposed by National League's 4th president [[WordOfGod Abraham G. Mills]] and popularized by National League co-founder and sporting goods magnate [[WordOfSaintPaul Albert Spalding]] around the turn of the 20th century) is that it was created in 1839 by a young Abner Doubleday in his hometown of Cooperstown, UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}}. Since Doubleday grew up to be a Union Army general during the [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar Civil War]], this version of events played well with the PatrioticFervor of the day. However, it was also based upon BlatantLies told by an old man, and doesn't really hold up to scrutiny. At all.[[note]]To the point that the Hall of Fame, located in Cooperstown, ''never inducted Doubleday''.[[/note]] The respected sports journalist Henry Chadwick offered his counter belief that baseball had simply evolved from earlier bat-and-ball games, such as UsefulNotes/{{cricket}} (which had enjoyed a following among the colonial American gentry; UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington was an avid cricketer) and/or the Irish game of rounders. Chadwick, himself an English immigrant,[[note]]His father James had been tutor to John Dalton, the father of atomic theory, at a Quaker academy in Manchester, and his older half-brother Edwin Chadwick was a noted social and sanitary reformer in England who was knighted for his efforts.[[/note]] was working as cricket reporter for ''Newspaper/TheNewYorkTimes'' when he stumbled upon an early baseball game being played by two amateur New York teams at the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, UsefulNotes/NewJersey in the 1850s, at which point he fell in love with the sport.