Historical Roots: Baseball’s origins can be traced back to older bat-and-ball games played in England, such as rounders, but it evolved into the game we know today in the United States in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Inception of the World Series: The first World Series, held in 1903, was a competition between the American League’s champion and the National League’s champion. The Boston Americans (now the Red Sox) won against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Longest Game: The longest professional baseball game in history was played in 1981 between the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings, two teams from the Triple-A International League. It lasted 33 innings and over 8 hours of playing time.
Jackie Robinson’s Legacy: In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era.
Home Run History: Barry Bonds holds the record for the most career home runs in Major League Baseball, with 762. He also holds the single-season home run record, with 73 homers hit in 2001.
The Perfect Game Rarity: A perfect game in baseball is an exceedingly rare feat where a pitcher (or pitchers) allows no opposing player to reach base during the entire game. Since the modern era of baseball began in 1900, there have been only 23 officially recognized perfect games in MLB history.
Yankees’ Dynasty: The New York Yankees hold the record for the most World Series championships in baseball history, having won 27 titles since their first win in 1923.
Unique Ballparks: Fenway Park in Boston, home of the Red Sox, is the oldest MLB stadium still in use, opened in 1912. It is famous for the “Green Monster,” a 37-foot-2-inch high left-field wall.
The Designated Hitter Rule: Adopted by the American League in 1973, the Designated Hitter (DH) rule allows a player to bat in place of the pitcher without requiring the pitcher to play in the field.
Cal Ripken Jr.’s Iron Man Streak: Cal Ripken Jr. holds the record for most consecutive games played, appearing in 2,632 straight games over more than 16 years without missing a single game, earning him the nickname “The Iron Man” of baseball.
