“America’s National Pastime” baseball is a cultural fixture in the United States. The sport has evolved over the years, bringing in millions of dollars in player fees and revenue. What are the origins of baseball? How did it grow so popular and what changes have been made to the game?
Here’s what we know.
The origins
While the exact origins of the sport are unknown, theories suggest that baseball began back in the 1800s, mostly as a mash-up of many stick-and-ball games that have been around for centuries.
Possible influences include rounders and cricket from England or even games from the ancient Mayans, but it is the English origin story that’s most likely.
In 1876 the National League was established and there were few equipment standards. That has evolved over time. Today baseball bats have weight restrictions and the wood used to make them is regulated.
Later developments
Major League Baseball, which is the ruling body for baseball’s two most elite professional leagues, instituted more rules. These included changes to the outfield, which can no longer be deeper than 420 feet. Rules of the game have also developed. For example, the addition of designated hitters in the American league has kept pitchers out of the batter’s box, creating more offensive opportunities, while reducing the complexity of the game somewhat.
The introduction of new technology has seen the game reach higher levels of progress. After 2014, use of video playback was expanded with managers given one video replay challenge in a game, which has had a positive effect on call accuracy.