I see great things in Baseball. It's our game- the American game- Walt Whitman
There are only two season- Winter and Baseball- Bill Veeck
Well folks, it's finally arrived. Baseball. Opening day. It's been a long, hard winter and if you're like us, you're looking forward to the boys of summer.
In honor of Opening Day, we thought we'd share some interesting facts that you may not know-
-Baseball was one of the original American start-up rushes. At one time, there were over 400 organized team playing in multiple leagues
-Noone actually knows when baseball started. References exist that date to the very early 1800s. It's possible that Abner Doubleday was one of the early players, but there is little proof that he was the first to invent the game.
-The first professional league game took place in 1946, in New Jersey. The New York Nine beat the Knickerbockers- by 23 to 1.
-Before 1930, a player could hit a "Bounce Home Run" meaning the ball would take a bounce in fair territory over the wall and be counted as a Home Run. Not anymore.
-The "Dead Ball" era was the real deal. Baseballs were very expensive in the early days of baseball, almost $100 each in today's money. So the same ball was used throughout the game, getting scuffed, dirty, and changing shape. This single change contributed to the boost in Home Run hitting in the early 1900s. Now baseballs are used for only 7 to 8 pitches.
-That said, new baseballs are still rubbed with mud to make them harder to hit. Everyone uses the same mud- Lena Blackburne.
-Over 20 million hot dogs are eaten each year at the Ballpark. That's alot. We tried to count the beer, but lost track. You know- one for you, one for me.
-Louisville Slugger has been making MLB bats since 1894 and is still the most-used bat in the league. Maple is now more popular than Ash due to it's home-run hitting reputation.
-The Yankees, for all of their chest-pounding, actually have won the most titles- 27 World Series victories.
-This is Day One. There will be 162 games in the season. Enjoy!
