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Baseball invetned
This was the year that baseball was invetned. Baseball is thought to have be invetned by Abner Doubleday, but there is little evidence to support this. Baseball also is thought to have evoled from folk games like stoolball cricket, and trap ball. -
Organized Baseball Quest for Order
The Louisville and St. Louis franchises had poor records so they had few fans. The New York and Chicago clubs which were important to the Major League, couldn't build strong ball clubs. So in 1899, the League returned to it's original eight clubs which were: Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, Cincinati, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis. Those teams would remain the same until 1953 when the Boston Braves were relocated to Milwaukee. -
Rule Change for Pitchers
On opening day 1893 two rule changes were implimented. One was the changing of the distance of the pitchers mound from only 50 feet to 60 feet 6 inches. The pitching rubber was also introduced this season. Also another rule change that effected pitchers was that they now had to keep there back foot on the pitching rubber until the ball was thrown -
Period: to
Dead Ball Era
This era iscalled the dead ball era because it is when hits and runs were the lowest in baseball history. During this time period baseball was played with much more strategy, more stealing bases, bunting, and hit and run types plays were used. Some factors for the dead ball era were the baseball parks were bigger than modern day parks and that a baseball was used until it started to unravel, this is important becasue baseball become soft after repeated use whitch made it harder to hit homers. -
Team dynasties
For most of the 1800's and early 1900's all of the teams in the MLB were equal. This is because of the Reserve Clause which is like free agency today. Teams prevented their goods plays from leaving their club by granting them a release but at the same time keep their rights. So they had tyo choose either playing or holding out. The wealthy clubs argued this rule because they could pay goods players. When the good players finally got released by their teams they went to big cities. -
Rule Change for Batters
During the first baseball game of the 20th century two more rule changes happened. One was the changing of home plate to its current 5 sided shape which is 17 inches across. The second was to count the first two foul balls as strikes. Before this rule change foul balls counted as nothing. -
Organized Baseball Quest for Order
The peace settlement, known as the National Agreement, was the centerpiece of professional baseball. It recognized each league's reserve clauses and established a three man national commission. The Agreement also recognized the territorial monopolies of Minor League teams and granted the teams reserved rights in players and set up a draft system, in which the Major League can draft Minor League players for a set price. -
World Series
This is when the first world series was play. This was a nine game series between the Boston Americans (present day Boston Red Sox) and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Boston Americans won the series 5 games to 3. -
Organzied Baseball Quest for Order
Club owners were faced with two challenges during this era. The first one was keeping salary costs under control and the second was the rise of a contender for big league status, the Federal League. The reserve clause made sure that owners can limit salaries to less than the players would have received in the open market. With profits rising the best players would hold out on their club until they were paid more money. -
Great Depression/ WWII
The Great Depression cause a sharp decline in the interest of baseball. The attendence was way down until 1946, when it made a recovery but only until 1949. So a way owners good people in the stands were promotional gimmicks. and then WWII came along which sent the good players over seas whiched cause clubs to sign very young and very old players. Even women started a leauge of their own for people to get their fullment of baseball. -
Black Sox Scandal/ Kenesaw Mountain Ladis
In September 1920 shokcing news came about, revealing that the 1919 World Series had been fixed. A total of 8 players were accused of gambling but only 7 admitted to it. They were paid between $5,000-$10,000, the money totals exceeded their annual salary. All players were banned for life. 8 Players involved- "Shoelees" Joe Jackson, Eddie Cicotte, Claude "Lefty" Williams, Buck Weaver, Arnold "Chick" Gandil, Fred McMullin, Charles "Swede" Risberg, Oscar "Happy" Flesh. -
Important Dates
1st night game (Kansas City)
1st All-Star Game 1933
1936 Hall-of-Fame was founded
In 1944 only 40%of starters were playing from 1941.
In 1945 the St.Louis Browns signed a 1 armed outfielder. -
Black Baseaball
In 1937 the Negro National League played its 1st game. The Negro League had great prosperity in the 1940's. In one season a team could play over 200 games. But they came to a end in 1945 once WWII was over.
Players;
Leroy "Satchel" Page and
Josh Gibson -
Centennial
On this day Major league baseball gave every team the day off to celebrate 100 years of baseball in America. This was done so the Baseball Hall of Fame could be dedicated. Also during this season teams wore a comemerative patch on the sleeve of their jerseys.
