Baseball’s 7 Paths to First Base Explained

(103.3 The Goat) - Sports as a pastime, including the major sports like football, baseball, softball, and even indoor soccer have pre-American roots. Sports like volleyball, skateboarding, snowboarding, ultimate frisbee and the ever-popular basketball were uniquely American game inventions.

An interesting piece of trivia, the oldest game in North America still being played (especially at the college level) is lacrosse. The game has its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century.

Brief History of Baseball's Origin

Baseball's history begins in England where the original game 'rounders' was even mentioned in the book "A Little Pretty Pocket-Book." As immigrants made their way to the New World, they brought traditions and games like rounders with them. Over the years, the rounders game developed into the sport we now know as baseball. The 'first' official baseball game occurred not in America, but in our neighbors to the north, Canada in 1838.

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As the years went by, more rules were developed, especially by the New York City clubs which were similar to Canada's game but far different from the original English version. Eventually the clubs formed the official ruling system for the sport in 1871 with the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players.

The current MLB rule book is loaded with rules for a game that seems so simple. Some rules were created to protect the integrity of the game. One obscure (but understandable) rule allows all runners as well as the batter to advance three bases if a fairly batted ball is intentionally touched by a cap, mask or other part of their uniform "detached from the proper place on his person"...basically, you can't throw your cap to stop the ball.