Wednesday, February 08, 2012
   
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Baseball

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Subject Index - Sports

 

 

 

 

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1.  It is believed that the game of baseball originated somewhere between the mid-1700s and early 1800s in the United States.
 
2.  The distance between the bases is exactly 90 feet in Major League Baseball, while the distance from the pitcher's mound to home plate is 60 feet and 8 inches.
 
3.  The rules of baseball have been changed every year from 1877 when the first rule book was issued for the National League.
 
4.  The first baseball stadium built in the United States was Forbes Field, built in Pittsburgh in 1909.
 
5.  The first professional baseball league was initiated in 1871. Most of the big cities in the eastern parts of United States had a professional team representing them by the beginning of 20th century.
 
6.  The longest game in the history of Major League Baseball was played between the Boston Braves and the Brooklyn Robins on May 1, 1920. The 26 inning game, which was called off as a draw at the leveled scores of 1-1, actually went on for 8 hours and 22 minutes.
 
7.  The first World Series was played in 1903 between Pittsburgh and Boston. The nine-game series was won by Boston 5-3.
 
8.  Superstitions prevailed in baseball. Legendary baseball player Babe Ruth would wear a cabbage leaf under his cap while playing, which he would change after every two innings.
 
9.  In baseball, the umpires used to sit in padded chairs behind the home plate before 1859.
 
10.  The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is based in Cooperstown, New York. The museum was built to mark the 100th anniversary of baseball in 1935.

 

 

 

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 Fast Facts Resources
Baseball Almanac
The Baseball Archive
Major League Baseball