Existing comment:
In the beginning there were whittled bats and woolen balls, medieval monks and nuns in the as yet unnamed outfield, a single base, then rectangles rather than diamonds. Over time, a motley family of English and European bat-and-ball games, including "Base-Ball," migrated to America. In the early twentieth century, patriotic sportsmen would erroneously report that baseball was a wholly American invention.
Instead, Americans had transformed a folk game into a complex, organized, and increasingly competitive endeavor. Amateur teams flourished in the northeastern United States, prompting the New York Mercury, in 1856, to declare baseball the "National Pastime." During and after the Civil War, soldiers spread the sport in every direction. By 1869, the earliest team card had been produced, uniformed clubs operated on the West Coast, and the Cincinnati Red Stockings were the first openly professional team. Baseball could now wear a "Made in America" label on its sleeve. |