How did the game of baseball originate?

Answer 1

1931 The answer depends on what you call "Baseball", but whatever you call it, it did not originate in 1931. In the 15th Century (and possibly earlier), there was a game, commonly played in England, called "stoolball", which has many similarities to baseball, and is considered the common ancestor of baseball, cricket, and rounders. Rounders, which also originated in England, in the 18th century or earlier, is also considered an ancestor of baseball. The earliest-known use of the term "base-ball" was in a 1744 British publication, which included an illustration of a field that was similar to a modern baseball field layout, but with only three bases instead of four, and with vertical posts serving as the bases. The first known American reference to baseball was a 1791 law in Pittsfield, MA, forbidding the playing of the game near the town's newly-built meeting house (presumably to avoid broken windows), though it is uncertain what the rules of this game were. A 1796 German book describes "englische Base-ball" as a contest between two teams in which "the batter has three attempts to hit the ball while at home plate". In the 1830s, a sport more closely resembling modern baseball was played in the US. Some players actually called it "base-ball", but it was more commonly referred to as "townball". Though more closely related to modern baseball than any of the earilier forms, there remained crucial differences that would prevent most people from calling this game "baseball". There were four bases, and the object of was to reach the fourth or "home" base. But batters could be put out by catching a hit ball either on the fly or after one bounce, while runners could be put out by hitting them with a thrown ball (known as "soaking" or "plugging" the runner), or, in some rules, by even throwing the ball across the runner's path in front of him. The concept of "innings" was used, with both teams taking turns on offense and defense, but the number of innings in a game varied, as did the number of outs required per inning (in some cases one out was required, while in others, all batters on a team had to be put out) In 1845, Alexander Cartwright first codified the rules of baseball, known as the "Knickerbocker Rules". These rules barred "soaking" the runner, but still called it an "out" when a hit ball was caught after one bounce. Also, the pitcher had to throw underhanded, and there was no rule specifying where the pitcher had to pitch from. The field layout was nearly identical to modern baseball, though the distances were specified in "paces" rather than feet, but given a standard 3-foot "pace", it's pretty close to 90 feet between bases. Rather than a set number of "innings", teams played until one team reached 21 "aces" (runs), with the caveat that, at the end of the game, both teams had the same number of turns at bat (which were called "hands" rather than innings). These rules introduce the concept of a "foul" ball, and defined it similarly to its current definition, but including a ball hit between first and third base but so far away as to be outside of the field of play (which we now call a "home run"). However, fouls were not strikes until 1858, and foul bunts were not strikes until 1894. In fact, strikes could only be called when the batter actually made an attempt to hit a pitched ball and failed to make contact - there was no such thing as a "strike zone" or a "called strike". Three strikes was an out, just like today, but there were no "balls" (non-strikes), and thus no "base on balls", until 1863. Three outs ended a half-inning, just like today. Early improvements on the "Knickerbocker Rules" created a gradual progression to something even more akin to modern baseball. Establishing fouls as strikes (1858), establishing a "strike zone" and "called strikes" (1858), establishing "balls" and "bases on balls" (1863), and requiring that a hit ball be caught on the fly, rather than after one bounce, were the most important such improvements. So, by 1863, the rules (if not the strategy, character, and culture) of the game was much the same as it is today, with the sole major exception being that the ball was still pitched underhanded. The first fully professional baseball club was the 1869 Cincinatti Red Stockings, and the first professional baseball "league" was the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, which lasted from 1871 to 1875. But most baseball scholars consider "Major League Baseball" to have begun in 1876, when the National League (the same one still in existence today) was formed. 1884 saw the legalization of overhanded pitching. Since that time, rule changes have been minor (in scope at least, if not effect). However, the strategy, character, and culture of baseball are arguably much different today than back then. Home runs became a major factor in the 1930s as fields were reduced in size to accomodate outfield seating and strict regulation of how baseballs were constructed led a consistently more "lively" ball. Desegregation of Major League baseball began in the late 1940s. The acceptance and adoption of the curveball and other non-straight pitches made the game less offense-oriented and drastically increased the importance of pitching. And, of course, television has forever changed the financial aspects of the game, at least at the professional level. So, again, it depends on what you call "baseball". If you want to be absolutely strict and say it has to be indentical, in every detail, to the modern game, then "baseball" is reinvented every season, as there are, almost invariably, some minor rule changes every year. Personally, I would date the origin of "modern baseball" to 1884, when overhand pitching was legalized, but credit the 15th-century "stoolball" as the first recognizably similar version of today's game.

Answer 2

Well think about the question. Base is what you stand on when get a hit. So that's were you get base in the word baseball. Now the ball is what you hit to get on a base. Now that's were you get ball. Now why they don't call it baseball bat as the offical game is a different question.

Answer 3

The earliest known reference to baseball is in a 1744 British publication, A Little Pretty Pocket-Book, by John Newbery. It contains a rhymed description of "base-ball" and a woodcut that shows a field set-up somewhat similar to the modern game-though in a triangular rather than diamond configuration, and with posts instead of ground-level bases.

Answer 4

The fact that the game uses bases and a ball

Answer 5

Probably because the there are bases in the game, and you use a ball to play.

Answer 6

The sport baseball originally came from town ball. It was played back when kids did't have all the things we have today.

Answer 7

It comes from this, the BASE that you run and touch after hiting the BALL! notice the all cap letters.

Answer 8

According to their wikipedia page, they changed their name from the Quakers to the Philadelphians in 1883. Then they shortened it to Phillies.

Answer 9

in the farm