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Baseball Facts & Worksheets

Baseball is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of nine players each, who take turns batting and fielding.

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Baseball is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of nine players each, who take turns batting and fielding. It evolved from older bat-and-ball games, an early form of baseball was being played in England in the mid-18th century. The game was then brought by immigrants to North America, where the modern version developed.

See the fact file below for more information on the baseball or alternatively, you can download our 27-page Baseball worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY BASEBALL

  • It is believed that the game of baseball originated somewhere between the mid-1700s and early 1800s in the United States.
  • The distance between the bases is exactly 90 feet in Major League Baseball, while the distance from the pitcher’s mound to the home plate is 60 feet and 8 inches.
  • The rules of baseball have been changed since 1877 when the first rule book was issued for the National League.
  • The first baseball stadium built in the United States was Forbes Field, in Pittsburgh in 1909.
  • The first professional baseball league was initiated in 1871. Most of the big cities in the eastern parts of United States had a professional team representing them by the beginning of 20th century.
  • The longest game in the history of Major League Baseball was played between the Boston Braves and the Brooklyn Robins on May 1, 1920. The 26 inning game, which was called off as a draw at the leveled scores of 1-1, actually went on for 8 hours and 22 minutes.
  • The first World Series was played in 1903 between Pittsburgh and Boston. The nine-game series was won by Boston 5-3.
  • In baseball, the umpires used to sit in padded chairs behind the home plate before 1859.
  • The National Association of Baseball Players, was formed in 1858.
  • The movement of Union soldiers during the Civil War helped to spread the game, and increased opportunities for leisure.
  • In 1869, Harry Wright organized the Cincinnati Red Stockings, baseball’s first professional team, and took them on a 57-game tour, during which they were unbeaten.
  • In the 1870s, a number of competing leagues were formed, including the National League.
  • A competing league, the Western Association, changed its name to the American League in 1900.

RISE OF THE STARS

  • During World War II, many major league stars served in the armed forces.
  • By the mid-1940s, most returned to their teams. Major league baseball excluded black players, who had a separate league – Negro National League.
  • In 1947, Branch Rickey, Brooklyn’s general manager, began the integration of the major leagues by bringing Jackie Robinson to the Dodgers.

TOWARDS MODERN BASEBALL

  • The New York Yankees, in the first half of the 20th century, were the representatives of the city.
  • St. Louis Cardinals emerged as the champions of the Midwest.
  • The League Championship Series were originally decided best of five from 1969 until 1984. Since 1985, both were expanded to best of seven.
  • Baseball expansion resulted in the following:
    • The earned run averages for pitchers during this era averaged 3.30.
    • The strike zone was expanded.
    • Managers explored more strategic uses of the relief pitchers.
    • New glove technology improved defensive play.
    • Baseball stadiums used artificial turf instead of natural grass.
    • Designated hitters were introduced in 1973.
    • Play-offs between division winners determined the league pennant winners, who then played in the World Series, which was extended into late October.
    • In 1994, both leagues were reconfigured into East, Central, and West divisions.
    • By 1998, the American League and National League each had 15 teams to compete.

WOMEN IN BASEBALL

  • In 1875, three men organized a women’s baseball club in Illinois and divided it into two teams, the Blondes and the Brunettes.
  • The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was founded with four teams – the Rockford Peaches, Racine Belles, Kenosha Comets, and the South Bend Blue Sox.
  • The AAGPBL survived for 11 years with notable female players given an exhibit at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 1988.
  • In 1992, the feature film A League of Their Own dramatized the story of the AAGPBL.

BASEBALL AROUND THE WORLD

  • The game was introduced in Cuba in 1864, when students returned home from the United States with a bat and ball.
  • The game was soon introduced to other countries in Central to South America.
  • Baseball was introduced in Japan in the 1870s. It quickly gained popularity and, by the end of the century, had become a national sport.
  • Europe has less acceptance of baseball since they prefer football.
  • To have all baseball players meet, World Baseball Classic was established in March 2006. Japan won over 16 teams.

Baseball Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about baseball across 27 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Baseball worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the baseball which is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of nine players each, who take turns batting and fielding. It evolved from older bat-and-ball games, an early form of baseball was being played in England in the mid-18th century. The game was then brought by immigrants to North America, where the modern version developed.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • The Field
  • The Players
  • The Gears
  • Terms
  • Major League
  • My New Team
  • Nine-inning Sportsmanship
  • Baseball Heroes
  • The Battery
  • World Baseball Classic

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Link will appear as Baseball Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, July 22, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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