Baseball - A Quick History Lesson

Baseball has been around for decades, often timesmind that your strategy will differ with each team
recognized as "America's national sport". Historicalyou play against. An important factor to your
evidence of baseball indicates that its roots stemstrategy is your batting order and pitching rotation.
from cricket and rounders, both very popular gamesBatting orders should be based upon your players
originating in Great Britain. The baseball we know anddifferent contributing strengths and sometimes
love today has gradually developed over many years.weaknesses. While one player may be a fast runner,
By the end of the 18th century, many forms ofor power hitter, the next could be a dependable
baseball were being played all over the United States.bunter. A batting order is designed so that the
In New York City, they played a game called "One o'players strengths will work together, trying to
Cat". Other cities were playing "Town Ball" and "Newadvance runners and get players on the
York Ball". These early renditions of the sport werebases.Pitching requires as much mental skill as it does
played on a square field. Originally for bases theyphysical. A perfect pitching scenario would be a
used stakes, later replacing the stakes with stones,"perfect game", where the opposing team does not
but to prevent further injuries, the stones were thenreach base once. The next best scenario and more
replaced with sand filled sacks. It wasn't until thencommon one, is what we called a "No Hitter". This is
that people started to call them bases and this iswhere the pitcher does not allow a single safe hit by
where the name "baseball" originated.It wasn't untilthe opposing team. Pitching line ups change often
somewhere between 1850 and 1860 that baseballbecause pitchers are usually required two to three
became increasingly popular and in 1869, professionaldays off between games to allow their arms to rest.
baseball was introduced by the Cincinnati RedHowever, it is important to try and align your best
Stockings. Other official teams represented citiespitchers to be in rotation when you are facing a
from Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Brooklyn,more competitive team.Today, there are many
Cleveland, New York, Ohio and four other cities.different leagues other than Major League Baseball
Several other teams were added throughout the(MLB), each complete with several divisions within the
next quarter of the century. In 1900, what we knowactual league. Baseball is truly a part of American
as the American League was founded and fought forhistory, where generations have watched the sport
many years to be recognized as an equal to theunfold into the force it is now. It's a flashy,
National League. Jackie Robinson was the first blackcompetitive, skill-driven sport and over the years has
player to join the Major Leagues in 1947, playing fornever lost the real reason as to why it is so vastly
the Brooklyn Dodgers.There are several aspects thatpopular. Year after year, from city to city, stadium to
make the game of baseball what it is. For example, astadium, people gather for one reason and one
teams strategy can make or break whether or notreason - the simple love of the game.
that particular team will win or lose games. Keeping in