The first known account of baseball, in a city ordinance in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, dated 1791, banned playing the game within 80 yards of the town meeting house. The game, known as America's Pastime, has endured wars and strikes that resulted in players leaving the game, at least for a time.
Early History
The National Association of Baseball Players League was formed in the New York area by 16 clubs--a number that grew to more than 100 by 1865. Sanctioned professional play began in 1869, when 12 clubs declared themselves professional teams and paid their players. In 1870, an agreement by the owners of the professional clubs banned nonwhite players. In 1893, the Western League began operating with teams in eight different cities and became aggressive in recruiting the best professional players in the United States. The Western League became the American League in 1900, and the feuding began between it and the National League.
1900 to 1940
In 1902, the National and American Leagues signed an agreement that established the World Series; the first, held in 1903, was won by Boston of the American League. This time was known as the dead-ball era, due to the conditions that favored infield hitters, low-scoring games and talented pitchers such as Walter Johnson and Cy Young. It also saw the formation of the Negro National and Eastern Colored Leagues, which folded during the Great Depression. The dead-ball era ended with rule introductions in 1920 that regulated the size, shape and construction of baseballs and with the introduction of larger parks with outfield fences that were closer to the infield.
1941 to 1970
In 1942, the Negro League World Series was brought back to baseball. Between 1942 and 1948, when it ceased to exist, it produced such stars as Jackie Robinson. When he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Robinson became the first African-American professional baseball player since the late 19th century. By 1953, only 16 major league teams had an African-American player on the rosters. America's entrance into World War II reduced the available ranks of professional baseball and saw a decline in attendance. The war also brought the founding of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League, which gave baseball fans a chance to watch women play on a professional level. This time in American baseball also saw great players, such as Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams, set seemingly unbreakable records. After World War II, new attendance records were set in 1945, 1948 and 1949, as the availability of young men to play recovered from years of war.
1971 to Modern Day
The main difference between the National and American Leagues in modern baseball is the designated hitter rule, which was established in 1973. By 1974, more than one-quarter of all professional baseball players were African-American. In 1977, 1993 and 1998, expansion teams were brought into the major leagues, for a total of 15 per league. Strikes and lockouts have plagued modern-day baseball since 1972, causing fans to lose faith and trust in the game. The cancellation of the 1994 World Series was met with criticism from fans nationwide. In the 21st century, Congress has become involved with the reported drug use of baseball players.
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