Baseball in 1860–1900 as a reflection of North American history

History Of Baseball in America

Baseball has a very long and deep-rooted connection to North America. The history goes back to the 18th century when the game in its modern form was first introduced to this part of the world. It is not known exactly when baseball in its primitive shape was first played in the U.S. And Canada, but it is understood that modern baseball evolved from similar ball and bat games like cricket.

The first reference of baseball ever found in American literature was in 1791 when a Massachusetts law forbade people from playing close to Pittsfield's meeting house. But it was much later in 1838 that any literature on rules of the game was published or at least the only record we have available to us was written in 1838. Few years later, that document appeared in a sports magazine. In 1844, the first official codification of the rules of baseball was done and it was known as the 'knickerbockers rules'. This is because members of New York Knickerbocker Baseball Club were the first ones to invent the baseball field. Most of the rules that appeared back then are still being used and the first recorded game of baseball was played between the Knickerbockers and the New York Baseball Club in 1846.

North America was one place that accepted baseball soon after its official codification. It was introduced in 1860 and in 1869; the first fully functional and professional baseball club was formed known as the Cincinnati Red Stockings. "If not the nation's first all professional team, the Red Stockings were certainly the highest paid, the best promoted, and the most successful." (Kyle et al. p. 15). This led to a dramatic adoption of baseball by the Americans and soon after, it became the favorite National pastime. "The great national sport of the American people is distinctively and almost exclusively the game of baseball. This is not the opinion of a crank. It is a fact admitted by everybody save, perhaps, a limited number of the followers of the turf -- its only rival. But there is really no comparison between the two species of amusement in their extent and popularity, and the causes which give them prominence." (Palmer et al. p.22)

In 1869, the game saw an unexpected growth spurt when Cincinnati went to play baseball teams in California. Though the local teams lost heavily, the tour "ignited locals' passion for the game beyond expectations. Newspapers often on the front page covered seemingly every movement of the players on and off the field including gala banquets held in their honor in both cities' finest restaurants. Fans...marveled at the superior skills of pitching, fielding, batting and running demonstrated by the Cincinnati nine, gaped at their impressive physiques and dapper uniforms…" (Kyle et al. p. 15)

When a game is played professional, we need associations, league and other bodies to form and maintain the rules. The same as true for baseball and once it was being professionally played in the U.S., an association was needed. In 1871, the National Association was formed but this did not last very long and four years later, it was replaced the National League which is still one of the two biggest leagues of baseball. Many smaller leagues were formed soon after but none could withstand the test of time with the exception of America league which still exists today. "

"The first professional association lasted five years. Then came the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, which ruled the sport with a strong hand and purified it from the taint of dishonesty. That organization for seven years claimed and exercised exclusive jurisdiction over the sport. Then came the organization of the American Association, which has, since 1883, divided with the League the responsibility of conducting the game upon its present honest and. remunerative basis." (Palmer et al. p.27)

Due to severe discrimination along racial lines, a gentleman's agreement in 1890s prohibited African-Americans to play in both major and minor leagues. Blacks thus formed their own black leagues, some of which still exist. It took almost 50 years to finally allow blacks to become a part of the National league when Brooklyn Dodgers signed Jackie Robinson in 1946. "Many of the men who played in the Negro Leagues were of major league caliber. After all, when black teams competed against white ones, & #8230;the black ball players won most of the time… but financially the Negro Leagues were precarious, undercapitalized endeavors, often poorly administered and supported, especially compared to the major leagues." (Kyle et al. p. 58)

For some time, this game had been an exclusive white man sport as cricket was for the British. "For a time aristocratic clubs like New York Knickerbockers tried to monopolize the game as a gentlemen's pastime in much the same way as the Marylebone Club dominated English cricket. But with new baseball teams springing up in other urban centers, surging public interest speeded the polarization of the game." (Voigt, p. 5)

In order to maintain control, many minor leagues were later brought under the umbrella of the National League giving immense power to this association. "To establish control over all phases of commercial baseball, major league owners brought the minor leagues under their control and established a system of territorial rights protecting each owner." (Voigt, p. 5)

Interesting National League became so powerful that it was not even healthy for competitive sports. The owners of this league completely dominated the game but failure on the part of their clubs finally shifted balance of power and American League became a major challenger. "In 1903, President Ban Johnson of the American League joined the National and a new National Agreement was signed. Under its terms two major leagues coexisted and the annual champions of each league were to meet each October in a "World Series" to decide the mythical world championship." (Voigt, p.6)

From 1860 to 1900, baseball enjoyed a very interesting history in America. On the one hand, the game was gaining momentum in some major urban centers and on the other; it was also stopped temporarily by the outbreak of the civil war. But historians maintain that while during the civil war, baseball activities went down to some extent, it was the war itself that made the game even more popular in the U.S. "If the Civil war temporarily checked the spread of the game, that conflict helped to bring baseball to regions where it was previously unknown." (Voigt, p. 48)