BASEBALL ?? How'd That Happen? 1845-1860. The very beginning of the game we all know and love.

BASEBALL, HOW'D THAT HAPPEN? The Final Look

From one game in 1845 in Hoboken, NJ, to an international pastime  with hundreds of thousands of players and millions of spectators....all in 55 years. Yikes, How could that have happened?  It's an incredible story that shows what a great game it is and the development process that made the game what it is today.

In The World of Baseball, 60' 6" Makes It a New Game by 1890

A few more rules, Pitcher to home, that is, and 60'6", changes the game. Massive growth continues in spectators, cities and schools.  Japan is No. 1 internationally while Cuba and Mexico are not far behind.

Baseball, 1860-1875 Incredible growth, until April 1861, the Civil War and 4 years of horror. Recovery was still swift and very real.

The Civil War brought baseball to a screeching halt for the first year of the war. then, soldiers played baseball in their downtime. The game was taught to those from the Midwest, such as Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois. It turned out to be a catalyst for the Baseball's growth.

BASEBALL ?? How'd That Happen? 1845-1860. The very beginning of the game we all know and love.

The years between 1845 and 1860 were crucial in creating the foundation of the game that actually became known nationally as baseball. The Knickerbocker Baseball Club in 1845  created the first 20 rules of baseball. A bit later the National Association of Baseball Players in 1858 added a few more rules to define baseball as the sport destined to become the national game we have today. It wasn't without a hiccup now and then but most of those rules still apply today, a mere 175 years later. Go figure.

BASEBALL?? How'd THAT Happen?? The "stick and ball" games prior to1845.

Baseball, the best game of all and the most difficult to play at the highest levels.  And I prove it without a doubt.  A short analysis of a routine major league pitch is all that is needed but a bit of icing on the cake adds to the proof.   While there's no doubt about it, I couldn't help but wonder where did it all come from? Who decided what?  Civil War? What Civil War?  There's been a lot written, but not so much from a common sense direction. So, in the first of 6 episodes we will look at what happened in the early 1800s up until 1845 and what impact it has on today's game.  This episode will take a look at the games that slowly but steadily evolved into baseball as we know it.   This is a look at the "stick and ball" games on the East Coast leading up to the year 1845.