One of the things that makes baseball so great is its history. It is one of the first sports developed and played here in the United States and continues to be a favorite to this day. What fan doesn’t love collecting LA Dodgers caps or St. Louis Cardinals jerseys or New York Yankees watches? Much of what developed baseball into what it is today were the dramatic events shaping this country.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, American’s began developing this sport called town ball or base ball. It didn’t do so well at first largely because they had to compete with cricket; which was still extremely popular. With the outbreak of the Civil War, many soldiers began playing together and establishing a more uniform version of the game. As a result, the first amateur league, the National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP), was formed at the end of the war. Over the next 150 years the sport of baseball grew and progressed; new rules and regulations were formed, players were given salaries, and the popularity of the sport continued to grow.

By far one of the greatest players of all time was second baseman #42 Jackie Robinson. Although he was a phenomenal player, he is most well known for his part in breaking segregation in baseball. In 1947 he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first African American to play in the major leagues. There are many records, however, that indicate that perhaps there were African Americans that played under the NABBP and earlier leagues, but listed themselves as Native Americans or South Americans.

Most of us grew up as children collecting and trading baseball cards, attending games at the ballpark, and singing the song “Take Me Out to The Ballgame.” The challenges and changes that game of baseball has faced over the years has brought us closer together as Americans and united us in a way that nothing else could.