History of Baseball
By Padraic Haggerty
The game of baseball was invented by Abner Doubleday at Cooperstown, New York in 1839. Cooperstown, New York is the location of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. In 1876, the National League was founded. In 1901, the American League was founded and Nap Lajoie won the Triple Crown with a .426 average with 14 home runs and 125 runs batted in. In 1903, Major League Baseball had its first ever World Series (also known as the Fall Classic) and it was played a best of 5 wins out of 9 games between the Boston Red Sox (then known as the Boston Americans) and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Boston beat Pittsburgh in the series 5 games to 3. Unfortunately, there was no World Series in 1904. In 1905, baseball had its second ever World Series but it was a best of 4 wins out of 7 games and it was between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Athletics. New York beat Philadelphia in the series 4 games to 1. In 1906, the Chicago Cubs set a regular season record by winning 116 games but lost the World Series in 6 games against their interleague rivals, the Chicago White Sox. In 1907, the Chicago Cubs won their first ever World Series title by sweeping the Detroit Tigers. In 1908, the Chicago Cubs won their second ever World Series title by beating the Detroit Tigers in 5 games and the Cubs during that era had the famous double play combination, Tinker to Evers to Chance and a pitching staff that was led by Mordecai Brown (nicknamed Three Finger because of 2 of his fingers being cut off by a corn chopper at his uncle's farm) who won 29 games that season and during those days, the Cubs did not play in Wrigley Field. They played at the West Side Grounds. In 1909, Ty Cobb (the guy who is nicknamed the Georgia Peach and always spiked the catcher while sliding into home) won the Triple Crown with a .377 average with 9 home runs and 107 runs batted in and the Pittsburgh Pirates won their first ever World Series title by beating the Detroit Tigers in 7 games.
In 1910, during a Washington Senators Opening Day game at Griffith Stadium, William Howard Taft became the first president to throw out the first pitch and the Chicago Cubs won their fourth ever National League pennant but lost the World Series in 7 games against the Philadelphia Athletics. In 1911, Shoeless Joe Jackson batted .408 with 233 hits in 147 games for the Cleveland Indians (then known as the Cleveland Naps). He was nicknamed Shoeless Joe because he once played a games in just his socks while he was playing for Greenville in the minor leagues and Ty Cobb called him the greatest left fielder of all time and Shoeless Joe's glove was the place where triples went to die and Ty Cobb won the first American League MVP award and Frank Schulte of the Chicago Cubs won the first National League MVP award. In 1912, the Boston Red Sox won their second ever World Series title and their first ever as the Boston Red Sox by beating the New York Giants in 7 games and played their first season at Fenway Park and the Detroit Tigers played their first season at Tiger Stadium (then known as Navin Field). In 1913, the New York Giants were in the World Series again but lost to the Philadelphia Athletics in 7 games. In 1914, Babe Ruth played his first season the major leagues for the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Athletics won their second straight American League pennant but got swept in the World Series in 4 games by the Boston Braves and Wrigley Field began to be constructed. In 1915, the Boston Red Sox won their third ever World Series title by beating the Philadelphia Phillies who had their first ever World Series appearance that year in 5 games. In 1916, Harry Frazee bought the Boston Red Sox and then won the World Series again by beating the Brooklyn Dodgers (then known as the Brooklyn Robins) in 5 games and Babe Ruth got his first chance that year to pitch in the World Series and pitched 29 ⅔ consecutive scoreless World Series innings during the Red Sox's greatest years and the Chicago Cubs played their first season at Wrigley Field (then known as Cubs Park). In 1917, the Chicago White Sox won their second World Series title by beating the New York Giants in 6 games. In 1918, Babe Ruth became an outfielder and the Red Sox let him play outfield on the days he would not pitch and then hit 11 home runs and the Boston Red Sox won their fifth World Series title and their first ever at Fenway Park by beating the Chicago Cubs in 6 games. In 1919, Babe Ruth set a home run record of 29 home runs and the Chicago White Sox threw the World Series in 8 games against the Cincinnati Reds and then the commissioner of baseball banned 8 of the players including the great Shoeless Joe Jackson for life even though Shoeless Joe Jackson batted .375 in the series, committed 2 errors, and had 12 hits including the series' only home run. In December 1919, the Boston Red Sox owner, Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for $125,000 and it started “The Curse of the Bambino”.
In 1920, baseball had its first fatality that ended the dead ball era. As a result, the Indians were in New York with Carl Mays on the mound who threw high and inside to the Cleveland Indians' shortstop, Ray Chapman and the ball hit him in the temple and then he died the next morning. After that, baseball got its first ever real ball with a white leather cover stitched with red thread and then the era of the home run hitter began and Babe Ruth hit 54 home runs and set a single season slugging percentage record of .847. However, the Cleveland Indians won the World Series that year by beating the Brooklyn Robins 5 games to 2. In 1921, Babe Ruth hit 59 home runs and then the Yankees won their first ever American League pennant but lost to the World Series 5 games to 3 against the New York Giants. In 1922, Rogers Hornsby won his first Triple Crown with a .401 average with 42 home runs and 152 run batted in and the Yankees were in the World Series again but got swept in 4 games by the New York Giants. In 1923, the New York Yankees went to the Bronx to play their first season at Yankee Stadium which became the first triple deck park and the first structure to be called a stadium so that all the fans can watch Babe Ruth and it was the rookie year for Lou Gehrig (nicknamed “The Iron Horse”) and then in the first ever game at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees played the Red Sox and the Yankees beat them 4-1 with a game winning 3 run home run by Babe Ruth who hit 41 home runs in the season. After that, Yankee Stadium was nicknamed, "The House That Ruth Built" and then the New York Yankees won their first ever World Series title by beating the New York Giants in 6 games. In 1924, the Washington Senators won their first and only World Series title by beating the New York Giants in 7 games and the seventh game ended in the 12th inning with the ball hitting a pebble for a bad hop to Giants' infielder, Freddie Lindstrom. In 1925, Rogers Hornsby won his second Triple Crown with .403 average with 39 home runs and 143 runs batted in and the Washington Senators won their second straight pennant but lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 7 games. In 1926, Babe Ruth set a record for a number of home runs in World Series game (3) but the Yankees lost the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in 7 games. In 1927, Cubs Park became Wrigley Field and Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs for the Yankees and Lou Gehrig finished with 47 and the Yankees won 110 games during the regular season and then the Yankees swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series. In 1928, Babe Ruth hit 54 home runs for the Yankees again and then the Yankees won the World Series again by sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1929, baseball began to have numbers on the backs of all of the team's uniforms and the Chicago Cubs went to the World Series again but lost in 5 games to the Philadelphia Athletics.
In 1930, the Philadelphia Athletics won the World Series again by beating the St. Louis Cardinals in 6 games. In 1931, the Philadelphia Athletics played the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series again but they lost in 7 games. In 1932, Jimmie Foxx (nicknamed Double X) hit 58 home runs for the Philadelphia Athletics. On October 1, 1932, during the third game of the World Series, in the top of the 5th inning at Wrigley Field, Babe Ruth pointed to the center field bleachers after taking 2 strikes with Charlie Root on the mound and then hit a home run exactly where he pointed and it was known as “The Called Shot” and then the Yankees went on to sweep the Cubs in the World Series. In 1933, Jimmie Foxx won the American League Triple Crown with a .356 average with 48 home runs and 163 runs batted in and Chuck Klein won the National League Triple Crown with a .368 average with 28 home runs and 120 runs batted in and baseball had its first ever All Star Game (also known as the Midsummer Classic) and it was played at Comiskey Park and Babe Ruth it the first ever All Star Game home run and the New York Giants won the World Series again by beating the Washington Senators in 5 games. In 1934, during the All-Star Game, Carl Hubbell struck out five of baseball's best hitters which were Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, and Joe Cronin and it was Babe Ruth’s final season with the Yankees and Lou Gehrig won the Triple Crown with a .363 average with 49 home runs and 165 runs batted in and the All-Star Game was at the Polo Grounds and the Detroit Tigers were back in the World Series but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in 7 games. In 1935, Babe Ruth played his final major league season but was with the Boston Braves and the All-Star Game was at Cleveland Municipal Stadium and the Detroit Tigers won their first ever World Series title by beating the Chicago Cubs in 6 games. In 1936, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, and Honus Wagner became the first 5 Hall of Fame inductees and the All Star Game was at National League Park which was home of the Boston Bees and then the Yankees won their first ever World Series title without Babe Ruth by beating the New York Giants in 6 games. In 1937, Joe Medwick won the Triple Crown with a .374 average with 31 home runs and 154 runs batted in and the New York Yankees won their sixth World Series title by beating the New York Giants in 5 games. In 1938, Hank Greenberg hit 58 home runs for the Detroit Tigers and the Yankees won their seventh World Series title by sweeping the Chicago Cubs. In 1939, Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio began their careers in the major leagues and the Yankees won their eighth World Championship and their fourth consecutive by sweeping the Cincinnati Reds and during July, Lou Gehrig gave a farewell speech and said "Yet today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth”. At the end of Lou Gehrig’s career, he played 2,130 consecutive games.
In 1940, the Cincinnati Reds won their second World Series Championship by beating the Detroit Tigers in 7 games. In 1941, Ted Williams batted .406 to become the last player to bat .400 in a full season and Joe DiMaggio had a 56 game hitting streak and the Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in the World Series in 5 games. In 1942, Ted Williams won his first Triple Crown with a .356 average with 36 home runs and 137 runs batted in and the Yankees won a second straight American League pennant again but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in 5 games. In 1943, the New York Yankees beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series in 5 games. In 1944, the St. Louis Browns won their first ever American League pennant but lost the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in 6 games. In 1945, the Chicago Cubs won their first National League pennant since 1935 but lost the World Series in 7 games to the Detroit Tigers and there was a fan named William Sianis who owned the Billy Goat Tavern and brought his pet goat named Murphy during Game 4 at Wrigley Field and it was called “The Curse of the Billy Goat”. In 1946, the Boston Red Sox won their first American League pennant since 1918 but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in 7 games. In 1947, Ted Williams won his second Triple Crown with a .343 average with 32 home runs and 114 runs batted in and Jackie Robinson began to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers to become the first African American to play in the major leagues and the date of his debut was April 15, 1947 and he became the first player to win the Rookie of the Year Award and then Jackie Robinson helped them get to the World Series but they lost to the New York Yankees in 7 games. In 1948, the Boston Braves won their first National League pennant since their first and only World Championship in 1914 but they lost to the Cleveland Indians in 6 games and Gene Bearden became the first ever knuckleball pitcher to start a World Series game. Alvin Dark won the Rookie of the Year Award. In 1949, the New York Yankees won the World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers again in 5 games. Roy Sievers won the first American League Rookie of the Year Award and Don Newcombe won the first National League Rookie of the Year Award.
In 1950, the Philadelphia Phillies (then also known as The Whiz Kids) won their first National League pennant since 1915 but got swept by the New York Yankees. In 1951, in the bottom of the 9th inning in a one game playoff game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants, The Dodgers were leading 4-2 with Ralph Branca on the mound with 2 out and 2 men on base and Bobby Thomson hit a game winning home run to win the National League pennant for the Giants 5-4 and it was known as “The Shot Heard 'Round the World” and on deck was Willie Mays but the Giants lost the World Series to the Yankees in 6 games and it was Joe DiMaggio's final major league season and Gil McDougald was the American League Rookie of the Year Award winner and the Rookie of the Year of the National League was Willie Mays. In 1952, the Yankees became the second Yankees team to win 4 consecutive World Series Championships by beating the Dodgers in 7 games.