Baseball

Baseball is known as America's favorite pastime. When asking a little boy what he wants to do, the answer is usually that he wants to play the big leagues. Baseball is not only for boys. There are many girls that play soft pitch baseball as they grow; this gives them the love of baseball all their lives.

Baseball first came to America in the 1860s. The first game was played in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1846. Baseball has not evolved that much since its infancy. It is simply played with a bat and ball. Players have gloves to protect their hands. There are four bases. When a player hits the ball, he must run and touch all four bases to score a run. There are nine players on a team and they play nine innings to complete a game. An inning consists of three outs. If there is a tie at the end of regulation, they continue on until an inning is complete. The team that scores more runs in that inning is the team that wins the game.

Over the years, the game has basically not changed, but the players have. The caliber of play has changed with the equipment improvements and strategies have become sophisticated. There was a time when the players were under a great deal of scrutiny for using illegal steroids and that would aid in their performance. They have now been eliminated for the most part and the crowds again roar and applaud their favorite baseball team.