Faces People, Places, and World Culture for Kids and Children April 2015

ere are fie fun facts to get your started! 1 Abner Doubleday did NOT invent baseball. Contrary to popular legend, Doubleday did not invent baseball in Cooperstown, New York. In fact, at the time legend says he “invented” the game; versions of it were already being played throughout the country. 2 Did you know players wore skirts during World War II? That’s because as many baseball players left their teams to fight in the war, a new league, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was formed to keep interest in the game alive. 3 Nearly 10 percent of all Major League baseball players come from the tiny Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic. Each of the 30 Major League teams runs a baseball academy in the country in hopes…

In most leagues, a baseball team consists of nine players. The main defensive positions are classified as outfielders (left, center, and right), infielders (first base, second base, shortstop, and third base), a pitcher, and a catcher. When a team is on offense, or at bat, each position player bats. In the American League of Major League Baseball, a designated hitter bats for the pitcher, who is usually not a strong hitter. Catcher From their position behind home plate, catchers can see the game unfold before their eyes. Catchers are responsible for "calling" pitches (instructing the pitcher which type of pitch to throw) A strong arm is important as he or she must try to throw out runners trying to steal second or third base. Pitcher Most eyes are on the…

Major League baseball fans have cast their votes for their favorite mascot and the winner is the San Diego Chicken. This famous fowl has entertained fans since 1974. The Sporting News editors named him one of The Top 100 Most Powerful People in Sports of the 20th century, a list that also included Muhammad Ali, Babe Ruth, and Jesse Owens. He has performed for Presidents Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, and George Bush. The man behind the beak is Ted Giannoulas, who first started dressing as a chicken during his college days for $2.00 an hour. Ted is responsible for some of the entertainment ideas that fans today take for granted. For example, before The Chicken, professional games featured live organ music. The “stadium rock” soundtracks we listen to today have…

Baseball is called America’s pastime, but today it is a global game. It is a sport shared across generations and country borders. Fans are intensely involved in losses, wins, records, and personalities. They thrive on the dramatic moments when one pitch or hit can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Great moments, whether they are awesome plays or disastrous mistakes, get etched in memories. Baseball is a part of our national identity and many people cherish it. So, how did this classic American game get started? English Roots Believe it or not, baseball’s closest ancestors actually were two English games that may date to about 400 years ago — rounders and cricket. Rounders is somewhat like softball where the bowler (pitcher) throws underhand and the offense tries to hit…

For years, Abner Doubleday’s name was tied to the story of baseball beginnings. A report on the origins of the game, researched by the Mills Commission and released in 1907, claimed that Doubleday had organized the first baseball game, which was supposedly played in 1839 in Cooperstown, New York. While Doubleday did have roots in that area, the report’s claims that he “invented” baseball appear to be untrue. But in the 1930s, the idea of celebrating the 100th anniversary of America’s most popular sport took on a life of its own. Plans for a major celebration were released to the press and the “first game of baseball was honored in Cooperstown on June 12, 1939. With enthusiastic public support, a shrine to baseball and its players was created in the…

Have you ever heard the expression that something is as American as baseball? That may have been true at one time, but today baseball is a global sport. From many parts of Asia to countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, and even to a few footholds in Europe, baseball has long been beloved outside of our own country. It is a common misconception that American servicemen introduced our national pastime throughout the world during and after the Second World War. In truth, the history of baseball in many countries dates almost as far back as it does here in the birthplace of the sport. At the time of the U.S. Civil War, the rules of the game of baseball had recently been codified. Previously, different versions of the game…