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Abner Doubleday claims he invented baseball in Cooperstown, New York, in 1839. -
The Knickerbocker Rules were created and adopted on September 23, 1845, by the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York. Developed largely by Alexander Cartwright and members of the club, these 20 rules codified the "New York game," introducing features like the 90-foot diamond, three-strikeout rules, and nine-inning games. -
The first officially recorded, organized baseball game was played on June 19, 1846, at Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey. -
Organized on March 15, 1869, by attorney Aaron Champion and manager/player Harry Wright, the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first openly professional baseball team, boasting an undefeated 57-0 or 67-0 record that season. They were the first to pay their 10-player roster, revolutionizing the sport and embarking on a national tour. -
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NA), founded March 17, 1871, in New York City, was the first fully professional baseball league, replacing the previous amateur-focused organization. It established a $10 entry fee, allowed for player compensation, and operated through 1875 before many of its teams formed the National League. -
On February 2, 1876, the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs (NL) was founded in New York City, establishing a disciplined, and stable structure for baseball to replace the chaotic National Association. Spearheaded by William Hulbert and featuring eight teams, it is the oldest extant professional team sports league, marking the true beginning of modern Major League Baseball. -
In 1887, racial segregation in professional baseball became firmly enforced through a "gentlemen's agreement" among team owners to ban new contracts for Black players. Driven by prominent figures like Cap Anson and intensified racism, the International League voted on July 14, 1887, to exclude Black players, essentially establishing a whites-only, de facto policy. -
In 1893, Major League Baseball officially adopted the 60 feet 6 inches pitching distance, moving the pitcher's rubber 5 feet further back from the home plate. This change was enacted by the National League to boost declining offense, combat pitcher dominance, and reduce excessive strikeouts. The new, longer, and standardized distance significantly increased action and scoring in the game. -
By the late 19th century, baseball was firmly established as America's "national pastime" due to its rapid growth alongside urbanization, serving as a unifying cultural force. While the term was used as early as the 1850s, by 1899, the sport was widely recognized as a cornerstone of American leisure and identity.