Baseball
Sarah Crawford
History of the Sport
September 1845: New York Knickerbocker Club is founded, and these men decided on rules that shape modern baseball
1846: The Knickerbockers play their first game
1857: The National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP) is formed
1871: First professional baseball league is founded
1876: National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs is formed, focuses on clubs rather than players, so that clubs can have player contracts
1900–1919: Dead Ball Era - popularity increased, and many new parks were built
1919: Black Sox Scandal - 8 players were banned for taking money in exchange for fixed games
1920: Negro National League is founded
1921: First radio broadcast of a baseball game
1923: Eastern Colored League is founded (these leagues were not very successful, they were inconsistent)
1933: First All-Star Game
1943-1954: All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
1947: Jackie Robinson is the first black player in the major leagues after over 50 years
1958: Expansion Era begins (the Dodgers and Giants move from New York to California)
1970s-Today: Marketing and Hype Era (game attendance increases, televised games also become popular, steroids become an issue)
Role in Society
Cultural Impact
Economical Impact
Teams that sold their games to television have helped that business grow.
Political Impact
The use of steroids by many major league players has caused a negative image of athletes to some people.
Jackie Robinson played a large role in the desegregation of America.