History of Baseball in America Essay

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It took almost 50 years to finally allow blacks to become a part of the National league when Brooklyn Dodgers signed Jackie Robinson in 1946. "Many of the men who played in the Negro Leagues were of major league caliber. After all, when black teams competed against white ones, …the black ball players won most of the time… but financially the Negro Leagues were precarious, undercapitalized endeavors, often poorly administered and supported, especially compared to the major leagues." (Kyle et al. p. 58)

For some time, this game had been an exclusive white man sport as cricket was for the British. "For a time aristocratic clubs like New York Knickerbockers tried to monopolize the game as a gentlemen's pastime in much the same way as the Marylebone Club dominated English cricket. But with new baseball teams springing up in other urban centers, surging public interest speeded the polarization of the game." (Voigt, p. 5)

In order to maintain control, many minor leagues were later brought under the umbrella of the National League giving immense power to this association. "To establish control over all phases of commercial baseball, major league owners brought the minor leagues under their control and established a system of territorial rights protecting each owner." (Voigt, p. 5)

Interesting National League became so powerful that it was not even healthy for competitive sports. The owners of this league completely dominated the game but failure on the part of their clubs finally shifted balance of power and American League became a major challenger. "In 1903, President Ban Johnson of the American League joined the National and a new National Agreement was signed. Under its terms two major leagues coexisted and the annual champions of each league were to meet each October in a "World Series" to decide the mythical world championship." (Voigt, p.6)

From 1860 to 1900, baseball enjoyed a very interesting history in America.

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On the one hand, the game was gaining momentum in some major urban centers and on the other; it was also stopped temporarily by the outbreak of the civil war. But historians maintain that while during the civil war, baseball activities went down to some extent, it was the war itself that made the game even more popular in the U.S. "If the Civil war temporarily checked the spread of the game, that conflict helped to bring baseball to regions where it was previously unknown." (Voigt, p. 48)

Once peace was restored, the game saw unprecedented growth and popularity as more and more people learned of the sport and many states started their local baseball teams. However in most major states, the game was more well-known in the urban centers till the mid of 1870s but later that decade, more rural areas also became familiar with baseball.

Baseball however remained a national pastime with or without its spread to the rural areas. By 1900, things had changed to a large extent from its early days. Baseball had by then become a highly paid sport and the two major leagues were thriving with American League being more popular and enjoying greater success. Discrimination was still prevalent and black players had not yet become a part of the major white leagues. Jackie Robinson's inclusion in all white team in 1946 forever changed the color of this game. Baseball to this day is one of the most highly watched and highly rated sports in the U.S. But interesting American football and basketball have managed to erode some of the popularity and glory previously attached exclusively to Baseball. Super Bowl is today a much more keenly awaited than the World Series showing the baseball has somehow failed to retain people's interest in the sport to the same degree as it was back in.....

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