15 Fun Facts About Baseball

Baseball players. Image by Anne and Saturnino Miranda. Pixabay

15 Fun Facts About Baseball

Baseball is an interesting sport that involved two teams of nine players each who use a bat and ball. The players participating in baseball take turns in batting and fielding the ball. In the play, the pitcher (player on the fielding team) throws the ball to the batter (the other team with the bat) who try to hit it using the bat.

The batting team’s major objective is to hit the ball into the field of play away from the pitching team. This allows the batting team to run the bases, and advance counter-clockwise around four bases to make runs, which are scores of baseball. The defensive team, also known as the fielding team, is supposed to stop batters from becoming runners, and their advances around the bases.

The score during baseball, which is known as a run, is scored when the runner makes an advance around the bases in order and touches home plate. Home plate is the place where the player started off as a batter. Here are the 15 Fun Facts About Baseball:

1. The Officially Recorded Game was Played in Beachville, Canada

First known photograph of a baseball game in progress. Photo by Seth C. Landon. Wikimedia

Modern-day baseball is believed to have originated in England. A 1744 British publication known as A Little Pretty Pocket-Book is the perfect reference to baseball. It is believed that the first recorded game of ‘Bass-Ball’ was played in 1749 in Surrey which also featured the Prince of Wales.

Bass-Ball was later taken to Canada by English immigrants. Early forms of bat-and-ball games were recorded in the early 1830s. These forms of games were played around North America.

However, the first ever officially recorded baseball game in North was played in Beachville, Ontario, Canada. This officially recorded baseball game was played on 4^th June 1838.

2. Baseball Rules were Formalized by Alexander who also Made the Modern Diamond-shaped Field

After the first officially recorded game in Beachville, baseball was to be played in accordance with some set of rules. In 1845, a member of New York City’s Knickerbocker Club, Alexander Cartwright led in the formulation of the Knickerbocker Rules.

Other than the formalization of the baseball rules, Alexander Cartwright also made another major invention. He also established the modern diamond-shaped field that is still in use.

3. Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869 were the First Salaried Professional Baseball Team

1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings. Author; unattributed. Wikimedia

The Cincinnati Base Ball Club or Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869 was the first professional baseball team. On 23^rd July 1866, the team was founded and drafting of the constitution as well as by-laws was carried out in a law office downtown.

In 1869, NABBP allowed professional members into the club. Harry Wright and George Ellard organized a fully professional baseball team of ten men who were on an eight monthly salary. Their contract started from 15^th March to November 15^th.

4. Baseball’s First Glove was Invented in 1875 by a Catcher from Harvard University

As baseball was gaining moment, the game was played without gloves. Players who did not use the gloves were known as barehanded glovers. However, gloves were invented and began to be used in baseball.

The early glove to be used was not webbed like what is being used currently. The earliest or first glove to be used in baseball was invented by Charles Waitt in 1875. Charles was a catcher for the Harvard University baseball team.

Read 10 Sports To Try When in Rome.

5. The First Modern-day World Series of Baseball was Played in 1903

Fred Snodgrass, New York NL (baseball), at the 1911 World Series. Author; The Library of Congress. Wikimedia

In 1903, the World Series became the first modern game of Major League Baseball competition. It pitted the AL champion Boston Americans against the National League champion Pittsburgh Pirates in a best-of-nine series.

Boston managed to win five games to three, including their last four. The first three games were played in Boston, the next four in Allegheny (the Pirates’ home stadium), and the eighth (and final) game in Boston.

6. The Shortest Baseball Game was Played for 51 Minutes

Baseball games do not take a short time to the final whistle. A normal baseball match can take up to over one hour for it to come to an end. However, there was a record shortest/fastest baseball match in major league baseball.

On 28^th September 1919 towards the end of the season, the fastest baseball match that ended in 51 minutes was played. The Giants faced off against the Phillies playing the record-fastest game for 51 minutes only.

7. Crosley Field was the First Baseball Stadium to Have Lights

A picture of the Cincinnati Reds before a game at Redland Field (circa 1920). Author; Randall311. Wikimedia

Initially, baseball games were played in daylight. However, the games started being played at night after the advancement of technology and the invention of bulbs.

On 24^th May 1935, Crosley Field became the first stadium to have lights with the first game in major league baseball being played. Before the match at 8:30 PM, President Franklin D. Roosevelt held a ceremonial switch at the White House and the Cincinnati was light.

8. Jackie Robinson became the First Black Professional Baseball Player

Jack Roosevelt Robinson was an American professional baseball player who was the first African American to play in the modern era of Major League Baseball (MLB). On 15^th April 1947, Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier by starting at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

The Brooklyn Dodgers signed Robinson which was the end of professional baseball’s racial segregation. Several black players had been relegated to the Negro leagues since the 1880s.

9. The Longest Baseball Match was Played for 8 Hours and 6 Minutes

Amateur baseball match – Tokyo Domo – Japan. Author; Cesar I. Martins. Wikimedia

Baseball matches do not have time regulations. Teams can make comebacks when they are losing as time will always be on their side. The longest Baseball match in the major league baseball took 8 hours and 6 minutes.

On 8^th May 1984, the Chicago White Sox 7 played against Milwaukee Brewers 6. This game was played for two days for it to be concluded. 14,754 fans were in attendance as the match was played for 17 innings on the first day before it was suspended at 1:00 AM.

The score tie was at 3-3 before this match was suspended. The following day, the match was played and concluded at 25 innings with Chicago White Sox winning.

10. Babe Ruth Started his Career as a Pitcher and later Became an Outfielder

George Herman Ruth ‘Babe’ was an American professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball from 1914 to 1935. He was known as “the Bambino” and “the Sultan of Swat” during his MLB career.

Babe Ruth began his baseball career as a star left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. However, he is best known as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. In the history of American sports, Babe Ruth is regarded as the greatest baseball player of all time.

Read Top 10 Famous French Sportspeople.

11. Boston Red Sox Went for 86 Years without Winning any Champions Trophy

Boston Red Sox high fives. Author; Keith Allison. Wikimedia

The Boston Red Sox holds the record of being the team with the longest World Series drought in Major League Baseball. The team went for 86 years without winning any World Series.

Boston Red Sox last won a World Series in 1918, when they defeated the Chicago Cubs in six games. They came close to winning the World Series in 1986 but were defeated in seven games by the New York Mets. In 2004, the Red Sox finally ended their drought by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in four games.

12. Cy Young is the Pitcher with the Most Wins in the Baseball Major League

Denton True ‘Cy’ Young was a professional American baseball pitcher who had a great career. Before he started his career, Cy Young worked at his family farm in Gilmore, Ohio.

In 1890, Cy Young entered the major leagues with the National League’s Cleveland Spiders as his career continued. He holds the record of having 511 wins in major league baseball as a pitcher.

13. There are 108 Stitches on a Baseball

A baseball ball. Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

The seams have a total of 216 stitches which are not on the side. A major league baseball is made up of 108 double-sided stitches. The first and last stitches on the baseball are hidden.

The ball’s core is composed of two figures and eight cowhide patterns. These pieces are sewn together and then fed into the rolling machine to finish the pitches.

14. Every Baseball Pitch has a Distance of 90 Feet

Looking at the baseball pitches, no two Major League ballparks are exactly alike. However, certain aspects of the playing surface must be consistent across baseball.

Each infield of a baseball field must be a 90-foot square on each side, and the outfield is the area between the two foul lines formed by extending two sides of the square. The bases must be built at the same level as the home plate on the field.

15. Baseball is a Sport that is Commonly Referred to as ‘America’s Pastime’

A baseball park. Image by 1848983 from Pixabay

There are several sports across the world that have thousands of fans and supporters. Baseball is one of the sports which is also known as America’s pastime sport.

The reason why baseball is referred to as America’s pastime is because it has been a sport that has been played for several generations. The sport has been in place since the industrial revolution, to the Cold War up to the current world.

Even though it does not have millions of supporters worldwide, baseball will always remain to be a favorite sport to those who follow it keenly. Many people across the world are getting to like baseball which is also a sport to try for the future.

Read 20 Influential Sports Journalists of Today.