In a baseball scoreboards feature, we will look at the history of baseball in the US.
Most baseball historians accept that the game baseball comes from the English game called rounders. When and how the rules first morphed no one is quite sure. Sources suggest that in the early 1900’s a game called townball or baseball grew in popularity.
Baseball clubs were set up in larger cities in the Eastern part of the US in the early to mid 1800s, and in 1845 the initiative was taken to formally write down a set of rules to which every team could play. These rules constitute the basis of the modern game of baseball. Alexander Cartwright wrote these rules, and he is considered by many as the founder of baseball.
In 1846, the first baseball contest that was recorded took place in New Jersey, and after that the popularity of amateur games exploded. In 1858 the National Association of Baseball Players was formed. This was the very first organized baseball league in the US, and the league even started charging fans a small fee for admission.
The civil war led to Union soldiers taking the game across the US to the west and south. As a result, when the war ended, the popularity of the game grew dramatically. The game started to become commercialized. Teams sought out donations and sponsors as it was expensive for them to travel, and admission prices increased.
At the time the league was supposed to consist of amateurs only, but in fact most of the good players did receive a wage. In 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first completely professional team in the history of baseball in the US. They recruited the best players, and in their first season as professionals, they won 66 games and lost zero. This lead to the death of amateur teams, as they could no longer compete. Soon later, in 1871, the first professional baseball league, the National Association, was formed.
There were nine teams in the National Association in 1871, and the baseball scoreboards showed that this increased to 13 teams by 1875, but due to gambling scandals the National Association was short-lived. In 1875, it was replaced by the National League. This league differed in that it was run by businessmen, who standardized many aspects of the game, such as ticket prices, and player contracts.
In 1882, the American Association was formed as a rival league, but instead of competing with the National league, it worked together with it. They agreed to make a clause that granted all teams the right to renew a player’s contract whether he wanted it or not.
Infuriated players tried to form their own league in 1884, but their attempt failed. The competition meant that the American Association shut down too, and its best teams joined the National League.
The rivalry between the leagues continued at the turn of the century. The American league was formed, which raided most of the best players form the National League. After a bitter dispute, however, the two leagues found a way to co-exist peacefully.
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