Baseball Season Ticket: The Ultimate Fan Guide

Baseball Season Ticket: The Ultimate Fan Guide — page 5
United States in the early 1800s By the start of the Civil War in 1861 soldiers on both sides knew the game and played it when they had time Even President Abraham Lincoln participated in games on the White House lawn After the war the game spread as returning soldiers took it to their homes Rural towns and big cities alike soon had teams for what was called base ball or town ball In its early years the game was far different than it is now Players didn’t wear gloves or mitts Fielders could get an out by hitting a base runner with a thrown ball Pitchers were required to throw underhand Batters could ask for a high or low pitch For a while too players could use bats that were flat on one side In 1869 the Cincinnati Red Stockings now the Reds became the first pro team They toured the country to play local amateurs In 1876 the Red Stockings were part of the eight team National League of Professional Baseball