Baseball is one of the world’s most popular sports, and yet its origin remains somewhat of a mystery.
Some believe it evolved from an ancient Native American game called bally ball, while others claim it sprang from early European cricket games or an Irish sport called rounders.
Regardless of where it came from, today baseball has evolved into America’s national pastime, with millions of fans worldwide tuning in every season to watch their favorite teams battle on the field.
Here are some interesting facts in the history of baseball that shaped the game as we know it today.
Pitchers in the early 1800s were called hurler or hurlers. The word pitcher is said to derive from the word hurler.
The term was used for a person who threw something.
Baseball has been around for over 200 years. The first step towards the modern game was the introduction of the Live-Ball Era in the late 1800s.
This brought with it a number of changes, such as the outlawing of bunts, limiting fielders to only catching fly balls or running after balls hit along the ground and introducing a pitcher’s mound.
As baseball began to evolve and change in the early 1900s, managers were still searching for a way to keep teams from scoring too many runs. This became an issue after the introduction of the lively ball in 1920, which resulted in dramatic changes such as increased strikeouts, home runs and triples.
The Dead Ball Era lasted until the 1930s when Babe Ruth emerged as one of baseball’s greatest heroes. He exemplified what it meant to be a power hitter and changed the game forever.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, baseball became a national obsession. The game was played at the highest levels by skilled players, managers, and innovators.
Teams like the New York Giants, Chicago White Sox, and Boston Red Sox dominated their leagues with star players like Honus Wagner of the Pittsburgh Pirates or Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers.
The modern game has gone through many changes over the years, including new pitches and rules.
One example is back in 1857, the ball had to be pitched with the hand, and a pitcher could not step directly on the ground without having first touched it with his hand.
Today, pitchers can step right up on the mound and throw without ever touching the ball with their hands