Great Moments In Baseball History

Baseball Hall of Fame

From the first World Series game to the longest hitting streak, check out these great moments in baseball history.

Jackie Robinson

Great Moments In Baseball History - First Pitch

It's not exactly clear when the first game of baseball was played. Some historians believe baseball originated from rounders - a 18th century British game, in which players hit a ball using a paddle. Cooperstown, New York, which is home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, is sometimes credited with being the site of the first baseball game in 1839, when players hit a ball using a four-inch bat and ran around four bases in a diamond formation. However, in 1845, the New York Knickerbockers first developed the 20 rules, including the use of three outs and the distance between bases, which would become the basis for the modern game of baseball we all know now.

Great Moments In Baseball History - First World Series

The first World Series took place in 1903 as a best of nine series between the Boston Americans (later named the Red Sox) of the American League and the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League. The Americans won the series 5-3 to become baseball's first World Series champions. Players on the Americans received $1,182 each for winning the Series. Each member of the Chicago White Sox, who won the 2005 World Series, received a slightly higher paycheck for winning - $325,000!

Great Moments In Baseball History - Babe Ruth's Bat

When the Boston Red Sox traded Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1918, they began one of sports history's most famous curses and launched the career of baseball's most famous slugger. During his first season with the Yankees, Ruth shattered his own homerun record by slamming a mind-blowing 54 homers and helped the team win their first World Series. Ruth soon became such an attraction in New York that the team was able to build Yankee Stadium in 1923. During his 22 years in baseball, Ruth hit 714 homeruns and became one of the most famous athletes of the 20th century.

Great Moments In Baseball History - Joe DiMaggio's Streak

In 1941, Joe DiMaggio of the Yankees set a record by hitting in 56 straight games. During the two-month streak, the Yankee Clipper batted .409 with 91 hits. His 65 year-old streak still stands today and may never be broken.

Great Moments In Baseball History - Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson broke baseball's "color barrier" on April 15, 1947, when he played his first major league game for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Many people booed and jeered Jackie when he took the field but by the end of the season, he won many of them over with his play on the field. He batted .297, led the league in stolen bases and was named the National League Rookie of the Year. Besides being the first African American to play in the Majors, Robinson would also go on to play in six World Series and was named National League MVP in 1949. Robinson changed the game of baseball by opening up Major League Baseball and other professional sports to black athletes.

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