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Baseball

Also Known As America's Pastime A popular epithet for the sport in the United States, not a formal alternate name.
Bat-and-Ball Sports

Baseball is a bat and ball game played between two teams of nine, one batting and one fielding at any moment, over nine innings (each a turn at bat for each side). A member of the batting team scores a run by hitting a pitched ball and circuiting all four bases, first, second, third and home, without being put out; the side with more runs after nine innings wins, extra innings being played if the score is tied. The Abner Doubleday origin story is a documented myth with no contemporary evidence behind it (see the recorded dissent on this entity's origin-year fact). The Knickerbocker Rules, codified by Alexander Cartwright in New York in 1845, are the earliest organized modern ruleset; the game itself descends from older English bat and ball games, principally rounders and stoolball, played in America since colonial times. The fielding team stations a pitcher and catcher (the battery), four infielders (first, second and third basemen and a shortstop) and three outfielders (left, center and right field); a batter is put out chiefly by striking out (three strikes), by a fielder catching a batted ball before it touches the ground, or by a fielder holding the ball while touching a base ahead of a runner forced to reach it (a force out) or tagging a runner not on a base. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Disputed
Origin Year
1845 3
The Abner Doubleday origin story is a documented myth with no contemporary evidence behind it. The Knickerbocker Rules, codified by Alexander Cartwright in New York in 1845, are the earliest organized modern ruleset; the game itself descends from older English bat and ball games, principally rounders and stoolball, played in America since colonial times.
Originating Region
United States, developed from English bat and ball games 3
International Governing Body
World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) 3
Identity
Symbol
A ball pitched by the pitcher and struck with a bat by the batter. 1
Classification
Olympic Programme Status
Current Olympic Sport 2
Baseball
Filter Results1 entry
Connections

Ancestor Of

Softball, Sports
Source Softball - Wikipedia

Associated With

Cricket, Sports
Source Wikipedia, Baseball
Darts, Sports
Source Darts - Wikipedia

Featured In

Source Wikipedia: International Amateur Baseball Tournament
Source Wikipedia, 1992 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia, 1996 Summer Olympics
Source Major League Baseball (Wikipedia)

Left the programme after 2008 and reinstated for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Source Wikipedia: Olympic sports
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica

Governed By

Source Wikipedia, World Baseball Softball Confederation

Long-Form Articles

Played By

Aaron Judge, Athletes
Ace Parker, Athletes
Source Ace Parker (Wikipedia)
Andre Dawson, Athletes
Source Andre Dawson (Wikipedia)
Babe Ruth, Athletes
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Barry Bonds, Athletes
Source Branch Rickey (National Baseball Hall of Fame)
Carl Hubbell, Athletes
Chief Bender, Athletes
Source Chief Bender (Wikipedia)
Source Curtis Granderson (Wikipedia)
Cy Young, Athletes
Source Wikipedia, Cy Young
Source David Price (baseball) (Wikipedia)
David Wells, Athletes
Source David Wells (Wikipedia)
Source Denny Bautista (Baseball-Reference.com)
Denny McLain, Athletes
Dizzy Dean, Athletes
Source Elston Howard (Wikipedia)
Fred Lynn, Athletes
Source George Foster (baseball) (Wikipedia)
Hank Aaron, Athletes
Source Wikipedia: Hank Aaron
Source Baseball Hall of Fame: Home Run Baker
Source Ichiro Suzuki (Wikipedia)
Source Jackie Robinson (Wikipedia)
Joe DiMaggio, Athletes
Jose Altuve, Athletes
Lou Boudreau, Athletes
Lou Gehrig, Athletes
Source Wikipedia: Lou Gehrig
Mark McGwire, Athletes
Maury Wills, Athletes
Mo'ne Davis, Athletes
Ozzie Smith, Athletes
Source Ozzie Smith (Wikipedia)
Pete Rose, Athletes
Source Wikipedia: Pete Rose
Source Roger Clemens (Wikipedia)
Roger Maris, Athletes
Ron Guidry, Athletes
Sadaharu Oh, Athletes
Sandy Koufax, Athletes

Showing 1 to 50 of 59 in Played By, page 1 of 2.

In the Other Atlases

Found In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Wikipedia, Baseball
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Introduction
    Baseball's American origins, as well as its reputation as a source of escapism during troubled points in American history such as the American Civil War and the Great Depression, have led the sport to receive the moniker of "America's Pastime"; since the late 19th century, it has been unofficially recognized as the national sport of the United States, though in modern times is considered less popular than other sports, such as American football.
  • lead section
    a player on the batting team, called the batter, tries to hit with a bat
  • Associated With: Cricket, Distinctive elements
    The comparison between cricket and baseball demonstrates that many of baseball's distinctive elements are shared in various ways with similar sports.
View the Source
2. Baseball at the Summer Olympics (Wikipedia)
Olympic programme statusView the Source
3. Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.View the Source
Wikipedia, History of baseball
Origins section
Quote, Origins section
The once widely accepted story that US Army officer Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown, New York, in 1839 has been conclusively debunked by sports historians.
View the Source
Wikipedia, World Baseball Softball Confederation
WikipediaGoverned By: World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), Lead section, scope of governanceView the Source
Wikipedia: Olympic sports
Featured In: Olympic Games, Changes between 2000 to 2030
Quote, Featured In: Olympic Games, Changes between 2000 to 2030
Baseball and softball, before their reinstatement for the 2020 Olympics, were last included in 2008
View the Source
Softball - Wikipedia
Ancestor Of: Softball, Early history section
Quote, Ancestor Of: Softball, Early history section
Envisioned as a way for baseball players to maintain their skills during the winter
View the Source
Wikipedia: International Amateur Baseball Tournament
Featured In: 1968 Summer Olympics, Lead section
Quote, Featured In: 1968 Summer Olympics, Lead section
The International Amateur Baseball Tournament was held in Mexico City in 1968 between four different national baseball teams.
View the Source
Wikipedia, 1992 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1992 Summer Olympics, Sports overview
Quote, Featured In: 1992 Summer Olympics, Sports overview
After being demonstrated in six previous Summer Olympic Games, baseball officially became an Olympic sport.
View the Source
Wikipedia, 1996 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1996 Summer Olympics, Sports contested list with event counts
Quote, Featured In: 1996 Summer Olympics, Sports contested list with event counts
Baseball (1)
View the Source
Darts - Wikipedia
Associated With: Darts, Variants, Dartball
Quote, Associated With: Darts, Variants, Dartball
Dartball is a darts game based on the sport of baseball
View the Source
Ichiro Suzuki (Wikipedia)
Played By: Ichiro Suzuki, Lead paragraph, first sentence
Quote, Played By: Ichiro Suzuki, Lead paragraph, first sentence
is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder
View the Source
Tim Lincecum (Wikipedia)
Played By: Tim Lincecum, Lead section, first sentence
Quote, Played By: Tim Lincecum, Lead section, first sentence
professional baseball pitcher
View the Source
David Wells (Wikipedia)
Played By: David Wells, Lead paragraph, sport
Quote, Played By: David Wells, Lead paragraph, sport
professional baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball
View the Source
Curtis Granderson (Wikipedia)
Played By: Curtis Granderson, Lead paragraph, first sentence
Quote, Played By: Curtis Granderson, Lead paragraph, first sentence
an American former professional baseball outfielder
View the Source
Andre Dawson (Wikipedia)
Played By: Andre Dawson, Lead paragraph, first sentence
Quote, Played By: Andre Dawson, Lead paragraph, first sentence
an American former professional baseball outfielder
View the Source
Elston Howard (Wikipedia)
Played By: Elston Howard, Lead paragraph, first sentence
Quote, Played By: Elston Howard, Lead paragraph, first sentence
was an American professional baseball player
View the Source
Roger Clemens (Wikipedia)
Played By: Roger Clemens, Lead sentence, description of the athlete
Quote, Played By: Roger Clemens, Lead sentence, description of the athlete
an American former professional baseball pitcher
View the Source
Ozzie Smith (Wikipedia)
Played By: Ozzie Smith, Lead section [plays]
Quote, Played By: Ozzie Smith, Lead section [plays]
is an American former professional baseball player
View the Source
David Price (baseball) (Wikipedia)
Played By: David Price (baseball), Lead section [plays]
Quote, Played By: David Price (baseball), Lead section [plays]
is an American former professional baseball pitcher
View the Source
Baseball Hall of Fame: Home Run Baker
Played By: Home Run Baker, About Home Run Baker
Quote, Played By: Home Run Baker, About Home Run Baker
Baker led the AL in home runs and RBI in both 1912 and 1913
View the Source
Baseball Hall of Fame: Wilbert Robinson
Played By: Wilbert Robinson, About Wilbert Robinson
Quote, Played By: Wilbert Robinson, About Wilbert Robinson
Robinson was the catcher
View the Source
Branch Rickey (National Baseball Hall of Fame)
Played By: Branch Rickey, About, career summary
Quote, Played By: Branch Rickey, About, career summary
Rickey's life in baseball began as a player for the St. Louis Browns and New York Highlanders from 1905-07.
View the Source
Stan Coveleski (National Baseball Hall of Fame)
Played By: Stan Coveleski, About, career summary
Quote, Played By: Stan Coveleski, About, career summary
Stan Coveleski took his baseball seriously
View the Source
Ace Parker (Wikipedia)
Played By: Ace Parker, Lead [plays 2]
Quote, Played By: Ace Parker, Lead [plays 2]
Parker also played in the Major League Baseball (MLB) during 1936 and 1937 with the Philadelphia Athletics.
View the Source
Tony Fernandez (Wikipedia)
Played By: Tony Fernandez, Lead paragraph, sport
Quote, Played By: Tony Fernandez, Lead paragraph, sport
Dominican professional baseball player
View the Source
Major League Baseball (Wikipedia)
Featured In: Major League Baseball, Lead paragraph 1 [scope]
Quote, Featured In: Major League Baseball, Lead paragraph 1 [scope]
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league in North America composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada.
View the Source
Denny Bautista (Baseball-Reference.com)
Played By: Denny Bautista, Page header, Major League Players listing
Quote, Played By: Denny Bautista, Page header, Major League Players listing
Major League Players > B Listing > Denny Bautista Statistics and History
View the Source
Wikipedia: Hank Aaron
WikipediaPlayed By: Hank Aaron, Introduction
Quote, Played By: Hank Aaron, Introduction
Henry Louis Aaron (February 5, 1934 - January 22, 2021), nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Lou Gehrig
WikipediaPlayed By: Lou Gehrig, Introduction
Quote, Played By: Lou Gehrig, Introduction
Henry Louis Gehrig ( GAIR-ig; born Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig; June 19, 1903 - June 2, 1941) was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees.
View the Source
Wikipedia, Cy Young
WikipediaPlayed By: Cy Young, Introduction
Quote, Played By: Cy Young, Introduction
Denton True "Cy" Young (March 29, 1867 - November 4, 1955) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher and manager.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Pete Rose
WikipediaPlayed By: Pete Rose, Introduction
Quote, Played By: Pete Rose, Introduction
Peter Edward Rose Sr. (April 14, 1941 - September 30, 2024), nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", was an American professional baseball player and manager.
View the Source
Jackie Robinson (Wikipedia)
Played By: Jackie Robinson, Introduction
Quote, Played By: Jackie Robinson, Introduction
Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 - October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era.
View the Source
Chief Bender (Wikipedia)
Played By: Chief Bender, Lead, discipline
Quote, Played By: Chief Bender, Lead, discipline
professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball
View the Source
George Foster (baseball) (Wikipedia)
Played By: George Foster (baseball), Lead, sport
Quote, Played By: George Foster (baseball), Lead, sport
professional baseball player
View the Source
Dissenting Readings (1 dissenting reading)
Origin Year

Sporting-goods magnate Albert Spalding, wanting to refute the theory that baseball derived from the English game rounders, called in 1905 for an investigation into the sport's origins. A commission chaired by Abraham G. Mills received a letter from mining engineer Abner Graves, who claimed to have watched Abner Doubleday sketch a baseball diamond and lay out rules in Cooperstown, New York. The commission's 1908 report named Doubleday the game's inventor and 1839 its invention year, and that account, not the documented one, is what this atlas treats as the debunked position for its origin-year fact. It does not survive scrutiny: Doubleday was a first-year cadet at West Point in 1839, where new cadets were rarely granted leave, making a trip to Cooperstown implausible; Graves was five years old in 1839 and later made other demonstrably false claims about his own life; and Doubleday, who died in 1893, mentioned baseball only once across his surviving letters and diaries, never as something he invented. The Knickerbocker Rules, codified by Alexander Cartwright in 1845 from rules developed by William R. Wheaton in 1837, remain the earliest secure documented codification, and evidence such as an 1791 Pittsfield, Massachusetts ordinance banning baseball near the meeting house shows the game already existed well before 1839 in any case.

A dissenting reading, from Mills Commission (1908 report), chaired by Abraham G. MillsWikipedia, Doubleday Myth, Wikipedia

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