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Baseball Facts

Baseball Facts
Although there is some evidence that bat and ball games may have existed as far back as the 14th century, the first recorded game of baseball took place in 1749. The game was played in Surrey, England, and the Prince of Wales was a player on one of the teams. By the mid-1850s it became a popular game in New York, and in 1856 it had already been referred to as a ‘national pastime'. The National Association of professional Base Ball Players was the first pro-league and lasted from 1871 to 1875. In 1876 the National League was formed. In 1901, the American League was also formed and they played the National League. In 1903 a pact was formed between the two leagues and the first World Series was played.
Interesting Baseball Facts:
Baseball is a bat and ball game. Two teams with nine team members take turns on the field and try to score the most runs.
The first reference in the United States to baseball was in 1791 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in a town bylaw.
The first ‘officially' recorded game in U.S. history took place between the Knickerbockers and New York Nine in 1846.
Deion Sanders played in both the World Series and the Super Bowl. He hit an MLB homerun and also scored a touchdown in 1989 in the same week. He is the only one to have these accomplishments.
Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing mud is rubbed on every Major League baseball to allow for a better grip. The balls used to be rubbed in water and dirt but it made the balls brown. The mud was discovered in 1938 by Lena Blackburne.
Some players pee on their hands to improve their grip, rather than wear gloves.
A Major League baseball only survives the game for six to seven pitches. After that it is usually swapped for a new one. This is due to damage to the ball, or for convenience when retrieving one would be too time consuming.
The manager of player Gaylord Perry joked, saying a man would land on the moon before Gaylord hit a home run. One hour after Apollo 11 landed on the moon, Gaylord hit a homerun.
Jackie Mitchell, a 17 year old girl who was the first woman signed to play baseball for the Lookouts, the New York Yankee's AA minor league baseball club. She struck out both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, and a few days later her contract was voided.
Nintendo owns the Seattle Mariners.
The first game that the Toronto Blue Jays played, in 1977, they won. It was also player Al Woods debut, and he hit a home run the very first time he stepped up to bat for the team.
Joel Youngblood, a player for the Mets in '82, was traded following a game. He made it to his new team's (the Expos) game, part way through. He scored a hit in both games on the very same day.
A lot of sports have a clock that can end the game when time runs out. In baseball, the team who gets the most runs, wins.


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