The Evolution Of Baseball: From Pastime To Profession

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Baseball, as with many other sports, has had to keep up with continuous change. That might be the reason, why it is still seen as America's pastime, nearly 180 years after its invention.

The game itself has not been affected too significantly, the general rules and field layout remain the same. What has changed are the aspects surrounding the sport.

Live attendance and radio coverage have been dwarfed by online and television viewership. Wagers placed on games face to face, and at physical betting locations, have been supplemented by online baseball gambling and sportsbooks.

What makes baseball such a beautiful game, is that with all the development surrounding it, the essence of the sport remains intact. Camaraderie, competition, pride in one's team, and the feel of a packed stadium, are ever-present.

Read on, to find out more about baseball's origins and the factors that have helped it evolve.

The Early Days

Baseball is an undoubtedly American sport, everything about it says so. It feels American, and although it was popularized there, its true origins are English. Sporting historians believe that its most direct ancestors are the two English games of cricket and rounders, a children's game brought to the country by early New England colonists.

The game took hold, being enjoyed in schoolyards and colleges.

The modern rules of baseball seen today, were set up by a New York City individual and bank clerk, Alexander Joy Cartwright. He was part of a group of New York City men who established the New York Knickerbocker Baseball Club in September of 1845. Cartwright's new rules defined the foul lines, diamond shaped infield and three strike rule.

The first official game, under the rules, took place in Hoboken, in 1846. With the Knickerbockers playing against a team of cricket players.

The Development Of The Game

• There might not be an obvious link between sport and war, but baseball continued its growth into and past the Civil War (1861-1865). Soldiers would welcome the sport's distraction and the friendly nature of group competition. Once soldiers returned home, they continued this pastime.
• A little over 10 years after the end of the Civil War, baseball changed from a hobby, to something people could potentially make a living from. The National League was created in 1876, increasing viewership, solidifying the rules and dress codes, and allowing for the possibility of corporate sponsorship.
• Style of play became the next step in the growth of baseball. During the period of 1900 to 1920, players took a strategic approach to the game. Low scores and defensive play lead fans to nickname the period, the Dead Ball Era.
• Defensive baseball gave way to offensive baseball, with power hitters such as Babe Ruth shifting the game into the Home Run Era, starting in the 1920's.
• Baseball helped to break racial barriers in American society, when Jackie Robinson became the first African American player to join a Major League Baseball team in 1947.

What The Sport Looks Like Today

Baseball's American rise, has led many organizations and countries to establish leagues of their own.

Leagues include:

• Youth Leagues, such as the Little League, Pony Baseball and the Babe Ruth League.
• Alternative Baseball for people with disabilities
• Amateur Leagues, like the National Amateur Baseball Federation and the Abalone League
• College Leagues, including the National College Athletic Association (NCAA)
• Major League Baseball (MLB), encompassing the American and National Leagues
• International Leagues, forming in Latin America, Japan, Korea, China, Malaysia, as well as the Australian Baseball League and Leagues within Europe

In The End

Baseball has grown into a global phenomenon. With higher resolution coverage, instant replays, player data analysis and contemporary stadium design adding to the thrill and immersion. Athletes have become superstars, shoes and bats are being precision tested to uplift performance, seating capacity has been increased and global viewership as well as participation in the sport have skyrocketed. A lot has happened since 1845, yet the game remains the same.

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