Show Origin of Baseball While baseball as we know it is isa isa isa a sport of comparatively recent development a game ame in which a tossed ba ball was batted with a rude club has bas been traced back to the century in Europe The pres pres- present pres- pres present present ent American game Kame was probably an out out- out growth of that of or town ball played in New England from bout 1830 in which the runs i were made around posts set in the ground instead of bases The first code of baseball rules was formulated by the Knick Knicker Knickerbocker r- r x- x bocker club of New Nea York YorImi in 1845 the tho first match game was was was- the following year and the first money money gate series of games g took place at Hoboken in 1858 1868 The development of the game ame was checked by the Civil War but was revived ved in 1865 when a conven- conven tion conven tion was held at which representatives representatives nta- nta tives of 30 clubs were present A Rockford Ill team am first em- em em played re regularly salaried players but the Cincinnati Red Stockings or organized in 1868 is consi considered red the first professional club It made madea madeI a tour in 1869 1860 winnin winning 69 games without metin meting a sin single le defeat In 1870 it won 29 strai straight ht games ames be- be being be being ing defeated in the by the At- At At of Brooklyn Gamblers having gotten otten control of the game ame a convention was held in Louisville in 1873 1878 at lt which strict rules to overcome briber bribery betting by players and other abuses were adopted and the Na- Na National National Na National League was formed There are now more than 20 professional proCessional lea leagues ues of which the National and tho American ori originally inay the West West- Western Western em ern formed by Ban Johnson in 1893 are the two big leagues The most significant event vent in inI baseball history was the appoint appoint- appointment appointment appointment I ment of Judge Kene Kenesaw w Landis as baseball czar in 1920 |