| There is evidence to suggest that in terms of | | | | plugging, soaking, or stinging the batter. This was |
| baseball history, people played games that involved a | | | | where fielders could put runners out by throwing the |
| stick and a ball, right back to the early days of | | | | ball at them as they ran between the bases. People |
| civilization. Ancient cultures in Persia, Egypt, and | | | | used various names to describe it rounders depending |
| Greece played ball and stick games for recreation and | | | | on what part of the country you were in. It was also |
| as part of special ceremonies where celebrations | | | | known as town ball, one o' cat, and base ball (hence |
| were rituals. Ball and stick games of this type spread | | | | the now shortened version we know as baseball). |
| throughout Europe in the Middle Ages and became | | | | Americans began playing baseball in informal |
| even popular as different varieties took hold. | | | | competitions in the early 1800s. By the 1860s, the |
| Europeans brought ball and stick games to the | | | | sport, was being described as America's "national |
| American colonies as early as the 1600s. Until the late | | | | pastime." In 1845 Alexander Cartwright and the |
| 1700s, however, they were widely considered | | | | members of the New York Knickerbocker Base Ball |
| children's games. | | | | Club, devised the first rules and regulations for the |
| By the early 1800s, a variety of ball and stick games | | | | modern game of baseball. The first game was held at |
| had also become popular in North America. Many | | | | the Elysian Fields, in New Jersey. |
| people in northeastern cities such as Boston, New | | | | In 1858, the National Association of Base Ball Players, |
| York, and Philadelphia played cricket, but rounders | | | | the first organized baseball league with tournaments |
| also began to take hold. Rounders most closely | | | | and competitions between clubs was formed and in |
| resembled modern baseball as we know it now. | | | | 1876 the first major league, the National League, was |
| This early version of baseball history then known as | | | | formed. This allowed states to play against other |
| rounders, required a batter to strike a ball and run | | | | states. State teams were fed players from local |
| around bases without being caught out. Balls that | | | | leagues where the cream of the crop was selected |
| were caught on the fly, or in some cases after one | | | | to play for the states League team. Baseball is know |
| bounce, were commonly known as outs. | | | | one of the most popular sports in the country. |
| Varieties of rounders also involved the practice of | | | | |