Figure 1.--Here we see a team in America duruing the mid-1920s all ready for a game of baseball. They look like more than a pick-up team as they are so well equipped. We were guess they were at a summer camp.

Baseball was created in America from British cricket, probably through rounders. No one really knows when and where baseball forst developed. Some sports historians that rounders was being played in America during the early19th century. There was non uniform set of rules. A variety of sources reporrt Americans plasying what was variously called "townball", "base", or "baseball". Towns began to form teams. Baseball clubs were formed in the larger cities. Abner Doubleday is often credited as the father of baseball. He did not invent the sport, but rather began to formalize rules for the sport as early play was informal without standardized field dimensions and playing rules. Alexander Cartwright appears to have prepared the ealiestt set oif rules (1845). The first recorded baseball contest took place between Cartwright and his Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York City lost to the New York Baseball Club in a game at the Elysian Fields, in Hoboken, New Jersey (1846). Baseball was not at the time a national sport. It was most popular in cities and towns, partoiculasrly in the northeast. The Civil War played a major role in spreading around the country. Many Americans had not yet heard of baseball. At army camps, soldiers had a great deal of time on their hands. One diversion became baseball. Thus after the War when the soldiers went home, baseball was carried to even the most rempte part of the country. The history of baseball is largely an American story as it was there it developed and became the national passtime. But America is not the only contry where it is played. Baseball was a largely American sport until the 20th century. Canadians began plasying baseball as American cultural trends readily flow across the long, porous border. The same occurred along the southern border with Mexico. American interventions in the Caribbean and Centrl America firmly implanted baseball there, although not in the British and French colonies. We are not sure how baseball spread to Colonbia and Venezuela, but it seems to have been the connections of those countries to Caribbean culture. Baseball was introduced to the Phillipies after the Spanish-American War and the American colonial era. Baseball began appearing in Japan after World War I. We are not sure yet just how it started in Japan. And during the Pacific War, baseball reached countries like Australia and News Zealand, although there it is played mostly as a school game rather than a professional sport.

America

Baseball was created in America from British cricket, probably through rounders. No one really knows when and where baseball forst developed. Some sports historians that rounders was being played in America during the early19th century. There was non uniform set of rules. A variety of sources reporrt Americans plasying what was variously called "townball", "base", or "baseball". Towns began to form teams. Baseball clubs were formed in the larger cities. Abner Doubleday is often credited as the father of baseball. He did not invent the sport, but rather began to formalize rules for the sport as early play was informal without standardized field dimensions and playing rules. Alexander Cartwright appears to have prepared the ealiestt set oif rules (1845). The first recorded baseball contest took place between Cartwright and his Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York City lost to the New York Baseball Club in a game at the Elysian Fields, in Hoboken, New Jersey (1846). Baseball was not at the time a national sport. It was most popular in cities and towns, partoiculasrly in the northeast. The Civil War played a major role in spreading around the country. Many Americans had not yet heard of baseball. At army camps, soldiers had a great deal of time on their hands. One diversion became baseball. Thus after the War when the soldiers went home, baseball was carried to even the most rempte part of the country. The history of baseball is largely an American story as it was there it developed and became the national passtime. But America is not the only contry where it is played.

Australia

And during the Pacific War, baseball reached countries like Australia and News Zealand, although there it is played mostly as a school game rather than a professional sport.

Canada

Baseball was a largely American sport until the 20th century. Canadians began plasying baseball as American cultural trends readily flow across the long, porous border.

Cuba

Dominican Republic

Japan

Baseball began appearing in Japan after World War I. We are not sure yet just how it started in Japan.

Mexico

The same occurred along the southern border with Mexico. American interventions in the Caribbean and Central America firmly implanted baseball there, although not in the British and French colonies.

Philippines

Baseball was introduced to the Phillipies after the Spanish-American War and the American colonial era.

Taiwan

Venezuela

We are not sure how baseball spread to Colombia and Venezuela, but it seems to have been the connections of those countries to Caribbean culture.

Created: 10:02 PM 1/14/2010
Last updated: 11:36 PM 12/29/2010