Baseball

=Baseball= By Pedro Ortiz

Baseball has been around for centuries, originating in Europe in different forms. Russia had a version called Lapta, which was almost exactly like modern baseball, but instead of running around to bases, the batter would run to the opposite side of the field and back before being hit by the ball. England adopted this game and altered it to form the game called Rounders. This game was played the same way, but with four posts similar to today's bases. The batter would hit the ball and would run to each post and earn points for his team depending on which post was reached and in what manner the post was reached.
 * Alexander Cartwright - "The Father of Baseball"**

As Europeans immigrated to the promising new country called America, so did the sport. The game was played all across the country with slight variations such as the use of bases instead of posts. In 1845, a man named Alexander Cartwright wrote a set of codes that players should follow to play. Changes made by these rules were: 3 strikes, 3 outs, fair and foul territory, and an umpire. Thus, modern baseball was born. Amateur teams played small games and made baseball increasingly popular. In 1857, a group of teams came together at a convention to discuss rules and other matters. A year later they organized the National Association of Base Ball Players, the first baseball league. As players got better at the sport, some decided that they wanted to play for a living. In 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first professional team, was formed. This trend caught on, and amateur players dropped off of the radar. The Association became the first professional league in 1871.
 * The 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings**