Baseball is abat-and-ball sport played between twoteams of nine players each, taking turnsbatting andfielding. The game occurs over the course of severalplays, with each play beginning when a player on thefielding team, called thepitcher, throws aball that a player on thebatting team, called thebatter, tries to hit with abat. The objective of the offensive team (batting team) is to hit the ball into the field of play, away from the other team's players, allowing its players to run thebases, having them advance counter-clockwise around four bases to score what are called "runs". The objective of the defensive team (referred to as the fielding team) is to prevent batters from becomingrunners, and to prevent runnersadvancing around the bases. A run is scored when a runner legally advances around the bases in order and touches home plate (the place where the player started as a batter).

The opposing teams switch back and forth between batting and fielding; the batting team's turn to bat is over once the fielding team records three outs. One turn batting for each team constitutes aninning. A game is usually composed of nine innings, and the team with the greater number of runs at the end of the game wins. Most games end after the ninth inning, but if scores are tied at that point,extra innings are usually played. Baseball has no game clock, though some competitions featurepace-of-play regulations such as apitch clock to shorten game time.

Baseballevolved from older bat-and-ball games already being played in England by the mid-18th century. This game was brought by immigrants to North America,where the modern version developed. Baseball's American origins, as well as its reputation as a source ofescapism during troubled points in American history such as theAmerican Civil War and theGreat Depression, have led the sport to receive the moniker of "America's Pastime"; since the late 19th century, it has been unofficially recognized as thenational sport of theUnited States, though in modern times is consideredless popular than other sports, such asAmerican football. In addition toNorth America, baseball spread throughout the rest of the Americas and the Asia–Pacific in the 19th and 20th centuries, and is now considered the most popular sport in parts ofCentral andSouth America, theCaribbean, andEast Asia, particularly inJapan,South Korea, andTaiwan. (Full article...)

Outline of baseball

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Image 1

WSNS-TV (channel 44) is atelevision station inChicago, Illinois, United States, serving as the local outlet for the Spanish-language networkTelemundo. It isowned and operated byNBCUniversal'sTelemundo Station Group alongsideNBC outletWMAQ-TV (channel 5). The two stations share studios at theNBC Tower on North Columbus Drive in the city'sStreeterville neighborhood and broadcast from the same transmitter atop theWillis Tower in theChicago Loop.

WSNS-TV began broadcasting in 1970. Originally specializing in the automated display of news headlines, it evolved into Chicago's third full-fledgedindependent station, carrying movies, local sports, and other specialty programming. This continued until 1980, when WSNS became the Chicago-area station forON TV, an over-the-airsubscription television (STV) service owned byOak Industries, which took a minority ownership stake in the station. While ON TV was successful in Chicago and the subscription system became the second-largest in the country by total subscribers, the rise of cable television precipitated the end of the business in 1985, with WSNS-TV as the last ON TV station standing. (Full article...)
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Jordan in 2014

Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initialsMJ, is an American businessman and retired professionalbasketball player who is a minority owner of theCharlotte Hornets of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He played 15 seasons in the NBA between 1984 and 2003, winning sixNBA championships with theChicago Bulls. By acclamation, Michael Jordan is one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and he was integral in popularizing basketball and the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s. He is one of theworld's richest celebrities, with a $3.8 billion net worth as of 2025.

Jordan playedcollege basketball with theNorth Carolina Tar Heels. As a freshman, he was a member of theTar Heels' national championship team in1982. Jordan joined the Bulls in1984 as thethird overall draft pick and emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring while gaining a reputation as one of the best defensive players. His leaping ability, demonstrated by performingslam dunks from thefree-throw line inSlam Dunk Contests, earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness". Jordan won his first NBA title with the Bulls in1991 and followed that with titles in1992 and1993, securing athree-peat. Citing physical and mental exhaustion from basketball and superstardom, Jordan abruptly retired before the1993–94 NBA season to playMinor League Baseball in theChicago White Sox organization. He returned to the Bulls in 1995 and led them to three more championships in1996,1997, and1998, as well as a then-record 72 regular season wins in the1995–96 NBA season. Jordan retired for the second time in 1999, then returned for two NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of theWashington Wizards. He was selected to play for theUnited States national team during his college and NBA careers, winning fourgold medals—at the1983 Pan American Games,1984 Summer Olympics,1992 Tournament of the Americas and1992 Summer Olympics—while also being undefeated. (Full article...)
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Meusel in 1921

Robert William Meusel (July 19, 1896 – November 28, 1977) was an Americanbaseball player. Aleft andright fielder, he played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for eleven seasons from 1920 through 1930, all but the last for theNew York Yankees. He was best known as a member of the Yankees' championship teams of the 1920s, nicknamed "Murderers' Row", during which time the team won its first sixAmerican League (AL) pennants and first threeWorld Series titles.

Meusel, noted for his strong outfield throwing arm, batted fifth behindBaseball Hall of Famers Babe Ruth andLou Gehrig. In 1925, he became the second Yankee, after Ruth, to lead the AL inhome runs (33),runs batted in (138) andextra base hits (79). Nicknamed "Long Bob" because of his 6-foot, 3 inch (1.91 m) stature, Meuselbatted .313 or better in seven of his first eight seasons, finishing with a .309 career average; his 1,009 RBI during the 1920s were the fourth most by any major leaguer, and trailed onlyHarry Heilmann's total of 1,131 among AL right-handed hitters. Meusel ended his career in 1930 with theCincinnati Reds. Hehit for the cycle three times, and was the second of six major leaguers to accomplish this feat as many as three times during a career. (Full article...)
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Chandler in 1940

Albert Benjamin "Happy"Chandler Sr. (July 14, 1898 – June 15, 1991) was an American politician fromKentucky. He represented Kentucky in theU.S. Senate and served as its 44th and 49thgovernor. Aside from his political positions, he also served as the secondcommissioner of baseball from 1945 to 1951 and was inducted into theBaseball Hall of Fame in 1982. His grandson,Ben Chandler, later served asrepresentative forKentucky's sixth district.

A multi-sport athlete during his college days atTransylvania College, Chandler briefly considered a career in professional baseball before deciding to pursue a law degree. After graduation, he entered politics and was elected as aDemocrat to theKentucky Senate in 1929. Two years later, he was elected 36thlieutenant governor, serving under GovernorRuby Laffoon. Chandler and Laffoon disagreed on the issue of instituting a statesales tax and when Chandler, the presiding officer in the state senate, worked to block the legislation, Laffoon's allies in theGeneral Assembly stripped him of many of his statutory powers. The tax then passed by a narrow margin. Knowing that Laffoon would try to select his own successor at the Democratic nominating convention, Chandler waited until Laffoon left the state—leaving Chandler as acting governor—and called the legislature into session to enact a mandatoryprimary election bill. The bill passed, and in the ensuing primary, Chandler defeated Laffoon's choice,Thomas Rhea. He then went on to defeatRepublican King Swope by the largest margin of victory for a Kentucky gubernatorial race at that time. As governor, Chandler oversaw the repeal of the sales tax, replacing the lost revenue with newexcise taxes and the state's firstincome tax. He also enacted a major reorganization of state government, realizing significant savings for the state. He used these savings to pay off the state debt and improve the state's education and transportation systems. (Full article...)
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Ruth in 1920

George Herman "Babe"Ruth (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professionalbaseball player whose career inMajor League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", he began his MLB career as a star left-handedpitcher for theBoston Red Sox, but achieved his greatest fame as a sluggingoutfielder for theNew York Yankees. Ruth is regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes inAmerican culture and is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time. In 1936, Ruth was elected to theBaseball Hall of Fame as one of its "first five" members.

At age seven, Ruth was sent toSt. Mary's Industrial School for Boys. In 1914, Ruth was signed to playMinor League baseball for theBaltimore Orioles but was soon sold to the Red Sox. By 1916, he had built a reputation as an outstanding pitcher who sometimes hit long home runs, a feat unusual for any player in thedead-ball era. Although Ruth twicewon 23 games in a season as a pitcher and was a member of threeWorld Series championship teams with the Red Sox, he wanted to play every day and was allowed to convert to an outfielder. With regular playing time, he broke theMLB single-season home run record in 1919 with 29. (Full article...)
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Feller with the Cleveland Indians,c. 1953

Robert William Andrew Feller (November 3, 1918 – December 15, 2010), nicknamed "the Heater from Van Meter", "Bullet Bob", and "Rapid Robert", was an Americanbaseball player who was apitcher for 18 seasons inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theCleveland Indians between 1936 and 1956. In a career spanning 570 games, Feller pitched 3,827innings and posted awin–loss record of 266–162, with 279complete games, 44shutouts, and a 3.25earned run average (ERA). His career 2,581 strikeouts were third all-time upon his retirement.

A prodigy who bypassed baseball'sminor leagues, Feller made his debut with the Indians at the age of 17. His career was interrupted by four years of military service (1942–1945) as aUnited States Navy Chief Petty Officer aboardUSS Alabama duringWorld War II. Feller became the first pitcher to win 24 games in a season before the age of 21. He threwno-hitters in 1940, 1946, and 1951, and 12one-hitters, both records at his retirement. He helped the Indians win aWorld Series title in1948 and anAmerican League-record 111 wins and thepennant in 1954. Feller led theAmerican League inwins six times and instrikeouts seven times. In 1946 he recorded 348 strikeouts, the most since 1904 and then believed to be a record. (Full article...)
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Rivera with the New York Yankees in 2007

Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is aPanamanian-American former professionalbaseball player who was apitcher for 19 seasons inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theNew York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and "Sandman", he spent most of his career as arelief pitcher and served as the Yankees'closer for 17 seasons. A thirteen-timeAll-Star and five-timeWorld Series champion, he isMLB's career leader in saves (652) andgames finished (952). Rivera won fiveAmerican League (AL)Rolaids Relief Man Awards and threeDelivery Man of the Year Awards, and he finished in the top three in voting for the ALCy Young Award four times. In2019, he was inducted into theBaseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, and is to date the only player ever to be elected unanimously by theBaseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA).

Raised in the modest Panamanian fishing village ofPuerto Caimito, Rivera was an amateur player until he was signed by the Yankees organization in 1990. He debuted in the major leagues in 1995 as astarting pitcher, before permanently converting to a relief pitcher late that year. After a breakthrough season in 1996 as asetup man, he became the Yankees' closer in 1997. In the following seasons, he established himself as one of baseball's top relievers,leading the major leagues in saves in 1999, 2001, and 2004. Rivera primarily threw a sharp-moving, mid-90s mile-per-hourcut fastball that frequently broke hitters' bats and earned a reputation as one of the league's toughestpitches to hit. With his presence at the end of games, signaled by his foreboding entrance song "Enter Sandman", Rivera was a key contributor to the Yankees'dynasty in the late 1990s and early 2000s that won four championships in five years. He was an accomplishedpostseason performer, winning the 1999World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award and the2003 AL Championship Series MVP Award, while setting postseason records that included lowestearned run average (ERA) (0.70) and mostsaves (42). (Full article...)
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Coveleski with the Washington Senators in 1925

Stanley Anthony Coveleski (bornStanislaus Kowalewski, July 13, 1889 – March 20, 1984) was an American right-handedpitcher inMajor League Baseball who played for fourAmerican League (AL) teams between1912 and1928, primarily theCleveland Indians. The star of the Indians pitching staff, hewon over 20 games each year from the war-shortened 1918 season through 1921, leading the AL inshutouts twice and instrikeouts andearned run average (ERA) once each during his nine years with the club. The star of the1920 World Series, he led the Indians to their first title with threecomplete-game victories, including a 3–0 shutout in the Game 7 finale. Traded to theWashington Senators after the 1924 season, he helped that club to its second AL pennant in a row with 20 victories against only 5 losses, including a 13-game winning streak, while again leading the league in ERA.

Coveleski followed in the footsteps of his brotherHarry as a major league pitcher. But after making his debut with thePhiladelphia Athletics in 1912, he was sidetracked by three more seasons in the minor leagues before joining the Indians in 1916, and won only 13 major league games before turning 27. Coveleski specialized in throwing thespitball, where the pitcher alters the ball with a foreign substance such as chewing tobacco. It was legal when his career began but prohibited in 1920, with Coveleski being one of 17 pitchers permitted to continue throwing the pitch. In 450 career games, Coveleski pitched 3,082innings and posted a record of 215–142, with 224 complete games, 38 shutouts, and a 2.89 ERA. He set Cleveland records of 172 wins,2,502+1⁄3 innings and 305starts, which were later broken byMel Harder andWillis Hudlin. He was inducted into theBaseball Hall of Fame in 1969. (Full article...)
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Youngstown Ohio Works (1906), with pitcher Roy Castleton seated in second row, second from left

TheYoungstown Ohio Works baseball team was aminor league club that was known for winning the premier championship of theOhio–Pennsylvania League in 1905, and for launching the professional career ofpitcher Roy Castleton a year later. A training ground for several players and officials who later established careers inMajor League Baseball, the team proved a formidable regional competitor and also won the 1906 league championship.

During its brief span of activity, the Ohio Works team faced challenges that reflected common difficulties within the Ohio–Pennsylvania League, including weak financial support for teams. Following a dispute over funding, the team's owners sold the club to outside investors, just a few months before the opening of the 1907 season. (Full article...)
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Adenhart pitching for theSalt Lake Bees in 2008

Nicholas James Adenhart (August 24, 1986 – April 9, 2009) was an Americanright-handed baseballstarting pitcher who played parts of two seasons inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In just four career games, Adenhart pitched 18 innings and posted a win-loss record of 1–0.

A graduate ofWilliamsport High School, Adenhart was highly touted as a high school prospect until an injury in his final game requiredTommy John surgery. The Angels drafted him in the 14th round of the2004 Major League Baseball draft, and began playing in their minor league system after the surgery was a success. He spent three full seasons in the minor leagues before making his major league debut on May 1, 2008. After appearing in three games, Adenhart spent the rest of 2008 in the minor leagues developing his skills, and in 2009 he earned a spot in the Angels' starting rotation. (Full article...)
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Advertisement inBillboard magazine in 1907

How Brown Saw the Baseball Game is an American short silentcomedy film produced in 1907 and distributed by theLubin Manufacturing Company. The film follows abaseball fan named Mr. Brown who overdrinks before a game and becomes sointoxicated that the game appears to him inreverse motion. During production,trick photography was used to achieve this effect. The film was released in November 1907. It received a positive review in a 1908 issue ofThe Courier-Journal that reported the film was successful and "truly funny". As of 2021^[update], it is unclear whether aprint of the film has survived. The identities of the film's cast and production crew are unknown. Film historians have noted similarities between the plot ofHow Brown Saw the Baseball Game andHow the Office Boy Saw the Ball Game, a comedy film directed byEdwin S. Porter that was released a year earlier. (Full article...)
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The2004 World Series was the championship series ofMajor League Baseball's (MLB)2004 season. The 100th edition of theWorld Series, it was abest-of-seven playoff between theAmerican League (AL) championBoston Red Sox and theNational League (NL) championSt. Louis Cardinals. The series was played from October 23 to 27, 2004, atFenway Park andBusch Memorial Stadium. The Red Sox swept the Cardinals in four games, earning their first title since1918 and ending theCurse of the Bambino.

The Cardinals earned their berth into the playoffs by winning theNL Central division title, and had the best win–loss record in the NL. The Red Sox won the ALwild card to earn theirs. The Cardinals reached the World Series by defeating theLos Angeles Dodgers in the best-of-fiveNL Division Series and theHouston Astros in the best-of-sevenNL Championship Series. The Red Sox defeated theAnaheim Angels in theAL Division Series. After trailing three games to none to theNew York Yankees in theAL Championship Series, the Red Sox came back to win the series, advancing to their first World Series since1986. The Cardinals made their first appearance in the World Series since1987. With theNew England Patriots winningSuper Bowl XXXVIII, the World Series victory made Boston the first city to have Super Bowl and World Series championship teams in the same year (2004) since Pittsburgh in 1979. The Red Sox became the third straight wild card team to win the World Series; the Anaheim Angels won in2002 and theFlorida Marlins won in2003. (Full article...)
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Tucker in 1950

Thurman Lowell Tucker (September 26, 1917 – May 7, 1993) was an American professionalbaseball player. Acenter fielder, Tucker played inMajor League Baseball for nine seasons in theAmerican League with theChicago White Sox andCleveland Indians. In 701 career games, Tucker recorded abatting average of .255 and accumulated 24triples, ninehome runs, and 179runs batted in (RBI). Due to his resemblance of the film comedianJoe E. Brown, Tucker was nicknamed "Joe E.".

Born and raised in Texas, Tucker first played professionally with theSiloam Springs Travelers. After gradually progressing throughminor league baseball, he signed with the Chicago White Sox before the 1941 season. His major league debut came the following year and he spent two years as the White Sox's starting center fielder until he enlisted in the armed forces during World War II. Upon his return, Tucker played two more seasons for the White Sox. Subsequently, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians, for whom he played four years, and continued to play minor league baseball throughout the 1950s. After his retirement, he became a major league scout and insurance agent. (Full article...)
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Hornsby in 1921

Rogers Hornsby (April 27, 1896 – January 5, 1963), nicknamed "the Rajah", was an Americanbaseball player,manager, andcoach who played 23 seasons inMajor League Baseball (MLB). He played for theSt. Louis Cardinals (1915–1926, 1933),New York Giants (1927),Boston Braves (1928),Chicago Cubs (1929–1932), andSt. Louis Browns (1933–1937). He was named theNational League (NL)'sMost Valuable Player (MVP) twice, and was a member of oneWorld Series championship team.

Born inWinters, Texas, Hornsby played for several semi-professional and minor league teams. In 1915, he began his major league career with the St. Louis Cardinals and remained with the team for 12 seasons. During this period, Hornsby won his first MVP Award and the Cardinals won the1926 World Series. He then spent one season with theNew York Giants and another with the Boston Braves before being traded to the Chicago Cubs. He played with the Cubs for four years and won his second MVP Award before the team released him in 1932. Hornsby re-signed with the Cardinals in 1933, but was released partway through the season, effectively ending his career as a full-time player. He was picked up by the St. Louis Browns and remained there until his final season in 1937, though he made only 67 appearances for them as a player. From 1925 to 1937, Hornsby was intermittently aplayer-manager. After retiring as a player, he managed the Browns in 1952 and theCincinnati Reds from 1952 to 1953. (Full article...)
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Baldwin photographed inc. 1890

Marcus Elmore Baldwin (October 29, 1863 – November 10, 1929), nicknamed "Fido" and "Baldy", was an American professionalbaseball player whopitched seven seasons inMajor League Baseball (MLB). In 346 career games, he pitched to a 154–165win–loss record with 295complete games. Baldwin set the single-season MLBwild pitches record with 83 that still stands today.

Born inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Baldwin made his professional debut for aCumberland, Maryland, team in 1883. Though signed byChicago White Stockings presidentAlbert Spalding to pitch against theSt. Louis Browns in the1886 World Series, Baldwin did not play after the Browns objected. He made his MLB debut for the White Stockings in 1887, when a writer for theOshkosh Daily Northwestern called him the "swiftest pitcher in theNational League" (NL). Released by Chicago player–managerCap Anson, he signed with theColumbus Solons of theAmerican Association (AA) in 1889, where he led the league ininnings pitched (513+2⁄3),losses (34),strikeouts (368), andwalks (274). (Full article...)

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Image 1Pesäpallo, aFinnish variation of baseball, was invented byLauri "Tahko" Pihkala in the 1920s, and after that, it has changed with the times and grown in popularity. Picture of Pesäpallo match in 1958 inJyväskylä, Finland. (fromBaseball)
Image 2An Afghan girl playing baseball in August 2002 (fromBaseball)
Image 3Ashortstop tries totag out a runner who is sliding head first, attempting to reach second base. (fromBaseball)
Image 4The NL championNew York Giants baseball team, 1913.Fred Merkle, sixth in line, had committed abaserunning gaffe in a crucial 1908 game that became famous asMerkle's Boner. (fromHistory of baseball)
Image 5Thestrike zone determines the result of most pitches, and varies in vertical length for each batter. (fromBaseball)
Image 6A pitcher handing off the ball after being taken out of the game during amound meeting. (fromBaseball)
Image 7Diagram of abaseball diamond (fromRules of baseball)
Image 8Stickball is a common street variant of baseball which often features impromptu adaptations. (Note the painted strike zone on the wall behind the batter.) (fromBaseball)
Image 9TheAmerican Tobacco Company's line of baseball cards featured shortstopHonus Wagner of thePittsburgh Pirates from 1909 to 1911. In 2007,the card shown here sold for $2.8 million. (fromBaseball)
Image 10TheTampere Tigers celebrating the 2017 title inTurku,Finland (fromBaseball)
Image 11President George W. Bush taking advice beforethrowing the first pitch of World Series game 3, weeks after9/11 (fromBaseball)
Image 12By the 1860sCivil War, baseball (bottom) had overtaken its fellow bat-and-ball sportcricket (top) in popularity within the United States. (fromHistory of baseball)
Image 13Two players on the baseball team of Tokyo, Japan'sWaseda University in 1921 (fromBaseball)
Image 14David Ortiz, the batter, awaiting a pitch, with the catcher and umpire (fromBaseball)
Image 15Fenway Park, home of theBoston Red Sox. TheGreen Monster is visible beyond the playing field on the left. (fromBaseball)
Image 16Diagram indicating the standard layout of positions (fromBaseball)
Image 17A well-worn baseball (fromBaseball)
Image 18The standard fielding positions (fromRules of baseball)
Image 19Diagram of abaseball field.Diamond may refer to the square area defined by the four bases or to the entire playing field. The dimensions given are for professional and professional-style games. Children often play on smaller fields. (fromBaseball)
Image 20Pitchers are generally substituted duringmound visits (team gatherings at the pitcher's mound). (fromRules of baseball)
Image 21Jackie Robinson in 1945, with theNegro American League'sKansas City Monarchs (fromBaseball)
Image 22Japanese-Americans spectating a World War II-era game while in aninternment camp. America's ties to immigrants and to Japan have been deeply shaped by a shared baseball heritage. (fromHistory of baseball)
Image 23Babe Ruth in 1920, the year he joined theNew York Yankees (fromHistory of baseball)
Image 24Alexander Cartwright, father of modern baseball (fromHistory of baseball)
Image 25Jackie Robinson in 1945, with the era'sKansas City Royals, abarnstorming squad associated with theNegro American League'sKansas City Monarchs (fromHistory of baseball)
Image 26Rickey Henderson—the major leagues' all-time leader in runs and stolen bases—stealing third base in a 1988 game (fromBaseball)
Image 27Cover ofOfficial Base Ball Rules, 1921 edition, used by theAmerican League andNational League (fromRules of baseball)
Image 28Cy Young—the holder of many major league career marks, including wins and innings pitched, as well as losses—in 1908. MLB's annualawards for the best pitcher in each league are named for Young. (fromBaseball)
Image 29A batter follows through after swinging at a pitched ball. (fromRules of baseball)
Image 30Sadaharu Oh managing theJapan national team in the2006 World Baseball Classic. Playing for theCentral League'sYomiuri Giants (1959–80), Oh set the professional world record for home runs with 868. (fromHistory of baseball)
Image 31Afirst baseman receives apickoff throw, as the runner dives back to first base. (fromBaseball)
Image 32The typical motion of a right-handed pitcher (fromRules of baseball)
Image 33A runner sliding into home plate and scoring. (fromBaseball)
Image 34Baseball games sometimes end in awalk-off home run, with the batting team usually gathering at home plate to celebrate the scoring of the winning run(s). (fromRules of baseball)
Image 352013 World Baseball Classic championship match between theDominican Republic andPuerto Rico, March 20, 2013 (fromBaseball)
Image 36Pick-off attempt on runner (in red) at first base (fromRules of baseball)
Image 37ANew York Yankees batter (Andruw Jones) and aBoston Red Sox catcher atFenway Park (fromBaseball)
Image 38Sadaharu Oh managing theJapan national team in the2006 World Baseball Classic. Playing for theCentral League'sYomiuri Giants (1959–80), Oh set the professional world record for home runs. (fromBaseball)
Image 39The strike zone, which determines the outcome of most pitches, varies in vertical length depending on the batter's typical height while swinging. (fromRules of baseball)
Image 401906 World Series, infielders playing "in" for the expected bunt and the possible play at the plate with thebases loaded (fromRules of baseball)
Image 41Babe Ruth in 1920, the year he joined theNew York Yankees (fromBaseball)
Image 42In May 2010, thePhiladelphia Phillies'Roy Halladay pitched the 20th major leagueperfect game. That October, he pitched only the secondno-hitter in MLB postseason history. (fromHistory of baseball)
Image 43Boston Red Sox playerMookie Betts hits a pitch by swinging hisbat. (fromBaseball)
Image 44Baserunners generally stand a short distance away from their base between pitches, preparing themselves to either go back or steal the next base. (fromRules of baseball)
Image 45By the 1860sCivil War, baseball (bottom) had overtaken its fellow bat-and-ball sportcricket (top) in popularity within the United States. Growing American influence abroad meant the same occurred in Japan and the Dominican Republic by the early 20th century. (fromBaseball)

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Image 1

Cody at Clemson in 1931

Joshua Crittenden Cody (June 11, 1892 – June 17, 1961) was an American college athlete,head coach, andathletics director. "Josh" Cody was a native ofTennessee and analumnus ofVanderbilt University, where he earned 13 letters playing several sports.

As a versatiletackle andblocker on theVanderbilt Commodores football team, he was a three-timeAll-American. During his four years on the team, Cody helped Vanderbilt score 1,099 points, winning 23 of 35 games. (Full article...)
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Banister at the 2015Winter Meetings

Jeffery Todd Banister (born January 15, 1964) is an American former professionalbaseball player andmanager who is thebench coach for theArizona Diamondbacks ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). Previously, he served as a special assistant for thePittsburgh Pirates. He was also as the manager of theTexas Rangers from 2015 through 2018. Before joining the Rangers, Banister spent 29 years within the Pirates organization as a player and coach in both the Pirates' major and minor league system.

Banister played baseball atLa Marque High School inLa Marque, Texas. He developedbone cancer in his sophomore year, which almost necessitated theamputation of his left leg below the knee. While playingcollege baseball forLee College, he suffered ahome plate collision which broke threevertebrae in his neck, leaving him paralyzed for ten days. After rehabilitating, he was named aJunior College All-American the next season, and received a scholarship to theUniversity of Houston, to play for theHouston Cougars baseball team. He was thendrafted by the Pirates in 1986. After playing inMinor League Baseball, he appeared in one major league game on July 23, 1991, recording ahit in his onlyplate appearance. He did not appear in another major league game, ending his playing career after the 1993 season. (Full article...)
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The2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 78th midseason exhibition between theall-stars of theAmerican League (AL) and theNational League (NL), the two leagues comprisingMajor League Baseball. The game was held on July 10, 2007, atAT&T Park, the home of the NL'sSan Francisco Giants. It marked the third time that the Giants hosted the All Star Game since moving to San Francisco for the 1958 season. The1961 and1984 All Star Games were played at the Giants former homeCandlestick Park, and the fourth overall in theBay Area, with the Giantsbay area rivals theOakland Athletics hosting once back in1987, and the second straight held in an NL ballpark.

The American League defeated the National League by a score of 5–4.Ichiro Suzuki won the MVP award for the game for hitting the firstinside-the-park home run in All-Star history. As per the 2006Collective Bargaining Agreement, theAmerican League champion (which eventually came to be theBoston Red Sox) receivedhome field advantage in the2007 World Series. The victory was the 10th consecutive (excluding the2002 tie) for the AL, and their 11-game unbeaten streak is only beaten by the NL's 11-game winning streak from 1972 to 1982 in All-Star history. (Full article...)
Image 4
Robert John Casey (April 11, 1925 – March 27, 2005) was an Americanpublic address announcer for theMinnesota Twins from their founding until his death. He was the announcer for 4,500 sporting events during his career.

Casey was aBoeing B-17 Flying Fortress turret gunner duringWorld War II. He started sports announcing with theMinneapolis Lakers andMinneapolis Millers before the Twins moved to Minnesota in 1961. Over 44 seasons, Casey announced more than 3,000 Twins games, plus more than 1,000 other sporting events. He was known for his playful commentary, intentional and unintentional gaffes, and announcement of "Noooooooooooooo smoking!" in theMetrodome. He entered the Twins'Hall of Fame in2003. (Full article...)
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WBFS-TV (channel 33) is atelevision station inMiami, Florida, United States, affiliated withThe CW. It is owned by theCBS News and Stations group alongsideWFOR-TV (channel 4), aCBS owned-and-operated station. The two stations share studios on Northwest 18th Terrace inDoral; WBFS-TV's transmitter is located inAndover, Florida.

WBFS-TV was established in 1984 as the fourth attempt at activating the channel for full-power use in Miami, and the first to be successful. It was the first station signed on by theGrant Broadcasting System, and would be by far the most successful due to Grant's aggressive approach to program purchasing and promotion. While these practices made WBFS a competitive independent in South Florida, they also sent Grant into receivership within three years. After being owned by a consortium of Grant's creditors throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, theParamount Stations Group reached a deal to purchase WBFS-TV in 1994, resulting in the station joiningUPN in 1995; however, WBFS-TV was passed over for affiliation with The CW in 2006 and affiliated instead withMyNetworkTV, airing that service's offerings until 2022. After two years as an independent, the station became the Miami-market CW affiliate in September 2024. Its operations were consolidated with WFOR in 2001, and since then WFOR has occasionally produced newscasts for WBFS. (Full article...)
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George W. Shafer [sometimes spelledShaffer orSchaefer] (October 4, 1851 – January 21, 1922) was an Americanoutfielder inMajor League Baseball. Nicknamed"Orator", because he was an avid speaker, Shafer played for 10 teams in four different major leagues between 1874 and 1890. Though he was a good hitter who batted over .300 three times, Shafer was best known for his defensive abilities. He led theNational League's outfielders in assists four times. In 1879, he set an MLB single-season record with 50 outfieldassists, which is a mark that has stood for over 130 years. He was considered by some to be the greatestright fielder of his era.

Shafer was 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) tall and weighed 165 pounds (75 kg). (Full article...)
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Devers in 1945

Jacob Loucks Devers (/ˈdɛvərz/; 8 September 1887 – 15 October 1979) was aUnited States Army general who commanded the6th Army Group in theEuropean Theater ofWorld War II. He was involved in the development and adoption of numerous weapons, including theM4 Sherman andM26 Pershing tanks, theDUKW amphibious truck, theBell H-13 Sioux helicopter, and theM16 rifle.

A graduate of theUnited States Military Academy, Devers was commissioned in thefield artillery in 1909. During World War I, he was an instructor at theSchool of Fire atFort Sill,Oklahoma and theNovember 11 armistice ended the fighting before he received orders to go to France. He traveled to France soon afterwards, where he attended the French artillery school atTreves. Between the world wars, he was a staunch advocate of mechanization when the idea of phasing out horses met strong resistance from conservative gunners. (Full article...)
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Moneyball is a 2011 Americanbiographical sports drama film directed byBennett Miller and adapted bySteven Zaillian andAaron Sorkin. It starsBrad Pitt,Jonah Hill,Philip Seymour Hoffman,Robin Wright andChris Pratt. The film is based on the 2003 bookMoneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game byMichael Lewis, an account of theOakland Athletics baseball team's2002 season and their general managerBilly Beane's attempts to assemble a competitive team with half (or even a third) as much money as his rivals.Moneyball follows Beane and his deputyPeter Brand scout the major leagues for undervalued talent by taking a sophisticatedsabermetric approach toscouting and analyzing players, triggering skepticism and resentment within the baseball community.

Columbia Pictures bought the rights to Lewis's book in 2004, hiring Chervin to write the screenplay.David Frankel was initially set to direct with Zaillian now writing the screenplay, but was soon replaced bySteven Soderbergh, who planned to make the film in a semi-documentary style featuring interviews from real athletes, and having the real players and coaches on the team portray themselves. But before its July 2009 filming start, the film was put inturnaround due to creative differences between Soderbergh and Sony over a last-minute script rewrite. Soderbergh exited, and Miller was hired to direct, with Pitt becoming a producer and Sorkin hired for rewrites. Filming began in July 2010 at various stadiums such asDodger Stadium andOakland Coliseum. (Full article...)
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Barrett batting for the Padres in 2007

Michael Patrick Barrett (born October 22, 1976) is anAmerican former professionalbaseball player and current catching coordinator for theWashington Nationals ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB as acatcher and started his professional career with theMontreal Expos at age 18. Barrett spent three years playing inMinor League Baseball as ashortstop and catcher. He played with theHonolulu Sharks,West Palm Beach Expos, andDelmarva Shorebirds, and was elected to two Minor LeagueAll-Star games. Barrett made his MLB debut in1998 as athird baseman, but was shortly outrighted to the minor leagues to play with theHarrisburg Senators for a season.

Upon Barrett's return to MLB in1999, he ranked among the top offensive rookies in various statistical categories. Barrett failed to stay healthy during the2003 season, which prompted the Expos to trade him to theOakland Athletics, who in turn, traded him to theChicago Cubs. During his tenure with the Cubs, Barrett won aSilver Slugger Award in2005, and recorded near career-high statistics in2004 season. The Cubs traded Barrett to theSan Diego Padres in June of2007. Barrett sustained two major injuries, which caused him to miss 115 games with the Padres, and was subsequently released after the2008 season. Barrett attempted to make a comeback with theToronto Blue Jays in 2009, but continued to struggle with injury issues, which led to his release in the subsequent offseason. He spent the second half of the 2010 season in theNew York Mets minor league system. Barrett was also a volunteer assistant coach for the baseball team at theUniversity of North Georgia. (Full article...)
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Michael Augustine Torrez (born August 28, 1946) is an American formerMajor League Baseball (MLB)starting pitcher. In an 18-season career, he pitched for theSt. Louis Cardinals (1967–1971),Montreal Expos (1971–1974),Baltimore Orioles (1975),Oakland Athletics (1976–1977, 1984),New York Yankees (1977),Boston Red Sox (1978–1982), andNew York Mets (1983–1984). As a member of the Yankees, he won two games of the1977 World Series over theLos Angeles Dodgers. He batted and threw right-handed.

A native ofTopeka, Kansas, Torrez was signed by the Cardinals in 1964. He made his MLB debut with them in 1967 and became a full-time major leaguer in 1969, winning nine of his final 10starts that year. He had a 10–4record in 1969 but an 8–10 record in 1970 before getting traded to the Expos during the 1971 season. After pitching one game for Montreal that year, Torrez spent the next three seasons with the ballclub, winning 16 games in 1972 and 15 games in 1974. Traded to the Orioles for 1975, he won 20 games for the only time in his career, posting a .690winning percentage. The Orioles sent him to Oakland for 1976 as part of theReggie Jackson trade; Torrez won 16 games for Oakland in 1976 before getting traded to the Yankees in April 1977. He reached the playoffs for the only time in his career that year, winning two World Series games as the Yankees defeated the Dodgers in six games. (Full article...)
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Kemp with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013

Matthew Ryan Kemp (born September 23, 1984) is an American former professionalbaseball outfielder. He began his professional career in theLos Angeles Dodgers organization in 2003, and played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) with the Dodgers from 2006 until 2014, theSan Diego Padres in 2015 and 2016 and theAtlanta Braves in 2016 and 2017 before returning to the Dodgers for the 2018 season, and briefly playing for theCincinnati Reds in 2019 andColorado Rockies in 2020. He was named to three All-Star teams and won twoGold Glove Awards (2009 and 2011) and twoSilver Slugger Awards (2009 and 2011).

The Dodgers selected Kemp in the sixth round of the2003 MLB draft. After four seasons in theminor leagues, he made his major league debut in 2006. He did not become a full-time player until 2008, when he took over as the startingcenter fielder for the Dodgers. In 2011, Kemp led theNational League inruns scored (115),total bases (353),OPS+ (171),WAR (7.8),home runs (39), andruns batted in (126). Additionally, he became the first player to finish in the top two in both home runs and steals sinceHank Aaron in1963. (Full article...)
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McGinnity in 1905

Joseph Jerome McGinnity (March 20, 1871 – November 14, 1929) was an American right-handedpitcher inMajor League Baseball (MLB) in the late 19th and early 20th century. McGinnity played in MLB for ten years, pitching for theNational League's (NL)Baltimore Orioles (1899) andBrooklyn Superbas (1900), before jumping to theAmerican League (AL) to play for theBaltimore Orioles (AL) (1901–1902). He returned to the NL with theNew York Giants (1902–1908). McGinnity continued to pitch in theminor leagues, eventually retiring from baseball for good at the age of 54.

In MLB, hewon 246games with a 2.66earned run average (ERA). He had seven 20-win seasons and two 30-win seasons. Including his time in the minor leagues, McGinnity won close to 500 games as a professional ballplayer. He led MLB in wins five times (1899, 1900, 1903, 1904, and 1906) and ERA once (1904). With the Giants, he won the1905 World Series. His teams also won NL pennants in 1900 and 1904. (Full article...)
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Kuntz with the Royals in 2013

Russell Jay Kuntz (/ˈkuːnts/KOONTS; born February 4, 1955) is an American baseball coach and formerMajor League Baseball (MLB)outfielder. He played for theChicago White Sox,Minnesota Twins andDetroit Tigers between 1979 and 1985. He never appeared in more than 84 games in any season during his playing career. In the final game of the1984 World Series, Kuntz hit apop fly to the second baseman that became the decidingrun batted in (RBI).

Kuntz grew up inKansas and California, playing three sports in high school and community college. He went to the Division III World Series twice withCalifornia State University, Stanislaus before being selected by the White Sox in the 11th round of the1977 Major League Baseball draft. (Full article...)
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Bohm in 2023

Alec Daniel Bohm (born August 3, 1996) is an American professionalbaseball player who is athird baseman for thePhiladelphia Phillies ofMajor League Baseball (MLB).

Bohm playedcollege baseball for theWichita State Shockers, and was selected third overall by the Phillies in the2018 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2020, and he finished out the season as the Phillies' everyday third baseman. Bohm helped the Phillies reach theWorld Series in 2022. In 2024, he was named to his firstAll-Star Game. (Full article...)
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DeRosa with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2013

Mark Thomas DeRosa (born February 26, 1975) is an American former professionalbaseball player who played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) from 1998 to 2013. He played for theAtlanta Braves (1998–2004),Texas Rangers (2005–2006),Chicago Cubs (2007–2008),Cleveland Indians (2009),St. Louis Cardinals (2009),San Francisco Giants (2010–2011),Washington Nationals (2012), andToronto Blue Jays (2013). DeRosa primarily playedthird base andsecond base, but he started at every position other thancenter field,pitcher, andcatcher. He currently works forMLB Network as a studio analyst. He managed theUnited States national team at the2023 World Baseball Classic, leading them to a silver medal.

ACarlstadt, New Jersey, native, DeRosa attended theUniversity of Pennsylvania, where he led thefootball team to consecutiveIvy League championships as theirquarterback in 1994 and 1995. He also playedbaseball for theQuakers, and he chose to sign when the Braves selected him in the seventh round (212th overall) of the1996 MLB draft. Originally ashortstop, DeRosa debuted with the Braves briefly in 1998. He gradually got more playing time over the next few seasons, especially after transitioning to autility player in 2001. In 2004, the Braves tried using him as their starting third baseman, but he was benched in June after struggling. Not offered a contract after the season, he signed with the Rangers. After playing just 66 games with them in 2005, he became an everyday player in 2006,batting .296 and setting career highs in several offensive categories. (Full article...)

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... thatDrew Golz, who wasBaseball Academic All-American of the Year andSoccer Academic All-American of the Year, became the first malestudent athlete to be namedAcademic All-American of the year for two sports at the same time?
... that theNational Baseball Hall of Fame does not know who first used the notation "ꓘ" to represent astrikeout looking?
... that the baseball biopic42 was screened in the White House?
... that baseball playerChuck Hockenbery had to refuse an offer to join an MLB team?
... thatRickey Henderson was the first American League baseball player to join the20–50 club?
... that a committee rejected six designs for theNational Baseball Hall of Fame commemorative coins before approving a seventh, which was sketched during the meeting?
... thatJenny Cavnar is the first female primaryplay-by-play announcer inMajor League Baseball history?
... that the ownership group ofSan Diego's MLS team includesa Native American tribe and baseball playerManny Machado?

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—Yogi Berra, In July 1973, when theNew York Mets trailed theChicago Cubs by 9½ games in theNational League East; the Mets won the division title on the final day of the season.

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Hall of Famer Fred Clarke was theLouisville Colonels' lastMajor League manager.

TheLouisville Colonels were aMajor League Baseball team that played inLouisville, Kentucky. They played in theAmerican Association when it was considered a major league from 1882 through 1891 and in theNational League from 1892 through 1899, after which the team folded and its best players were transferred to thePittsburgh Pirates. From 1882 through 1884 the team was named the Louisville Eclipse. During their time as a Major League team, the Colonels employed 17managers. The duties of the team manager include team strategy and leadership on and off the field.

The Colonels' first manager wasDenny Mack. Mack managed the team for one season (1882), in which he led the Colonels to a record of 38 wins and 42 losses. Fred Clarke was the Colonels' last manager. Clarke took over asplayer-manager of the team during the 1897 season, and managed the team through the 1899 season while also playing as anoutfielder for the Colonels. Clarke was one of the players transferred to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1900, as wereHonus Wagner,Tommy Leach,Claude Ritchey andDeacon Phillippe. Clarke took over as the Pirates' player-manager, and after a second-place finish in 1900, he led the Pirates, with the former Colonels stars, to three consecutive leaguepennants in 1901, 1902, 1903, and aWorld Series championship in1909. Clarke was inducted into theBaseball Hall of Fame in 1945, the only Colonels' manager so honored. The Colonels won their only Major League pennant when they had the best record in the American Association in 1890. They played to a tie in the World Series that season against the National League championBrooklyn Bridegrooms; each team won three games and there was one tie game.^[a]Jack Chapman was the Colonels' manager that season. (Full article...)
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Justin Upton, the first overall selection in 2005, was named to the2009 All-Star Team.

TheArizona Diamondbacks are aMajor League Baseball franchise based inPhoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in theNational League West division. Officially known as the "First-Year Player Draft", theRule 4 Draft is Major League Baseball's primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with the team possessing the worst record receiving the first pick. In addition, teams which lostfree agents in the previous off-season may be awardedcompensatory or supplementary picks. Since the franchise first participated in the draft in 1996, the Diamondbacks have selected 28 players in the first round. The First-Year Player Draft is unrelated to the1997 expansion draft in which the Diamondbacks filled their roster.

Of the 28 players picked in the first round by the Diamondbacks, 15 have beenpitchers, the most of any position; 11 of these have been right-handed, while 4 have been left-handed. Five players taken in the first round have beenshortstops; additionally, two players have been selected at each offirst base,third base,catcher, and theoutfield. Nosecond baseman has been selected in the first round by the Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks have drafted 16 players out of college, and 10 out of high school. Arizona has drafted seven players out of high schools or colleges in the state ofCalifornia, with two being taken from each ofFlorida,Georgia, and their home state of Arizona. (Full article...)
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Bob Jamison, announcer from 1979 to 1990, won theSouthern League Broadcaster of the Year Award in 1980 and 1982.

TheNashville Sounds Minor League Baseball team has played inNashville, Tennessee, since being established in 1978 as anexpansion team of theDouble-A Southern League. They moved up toTriple-A in 1985 as members of theAmerican Association before joining thePacific Coast League in 1998. In 2021, they were placed in the Triple-A East, which became theInternational League in 2022. The team has employed sevenplay-by-play announcers who have provided running commentary for their games' radio broadcasts on fourteenradio stations throughout their history.

As of 2025, all Sounds home and road games are broadcast onWBUZ-HD3 94.9 FM (AM 830). Live audio broadcasts are also available online through the team's website and the MiLB First Pitch app. Games can be viewed through theMiLB.TV subscription feature of the official website of Minor League Baseball, with audio provided by a radio simulcast. (Full article...)
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Billy Conigliaro was the first player ever drafted by the Boston Red Sox, selected in the first round of the1965 MLB draft. An outfielder, he played in MLB from 1969 through 1973.

TheBoston Red Sox are aMajor League Baseball (MLB)franchise based inBoston,Massachusetts. They play in theAmerican League East division. This page lists prospects selected by the team in the first round of the annualMajor League Baseball draft.

Officially known as the "First-Year Player Draft", the draft is MLB's primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with the team possessing the worst record receiving the first pick. In addition, teams that lostfree agents in the previous off-season may be awardedcompensatory or supplementary picks. (Full article...)
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Stephen Strasburg (2009) is considered to be one of the greatest pitching prospects in the history of the draft, and won the 2019 World Series MVP with the Nationals.

TheWashington Nationals are aMajor League Baseball (MLB) franchise based inWashington, D.C. Prior to 2005, they were known as theMontreal Expos and based inMontreal,Quebec,Canada. The Nationals play in theNational League East division. Since the institution of MLB'sRule 4 Draft, the Expos/Nationals have selected 73 players in the first round. Officially known as the "First-Year Player Draft", the Rule 4 Draft is MLB's primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with the team possessing the worst record receiving the first pick. In addition, teams which lostfree agents in the previous off-season may be awardedcompensatory or supplementary picks. The First-Year Player Draft is unrelated to the1968 expansion draft in which the Expos initially filled their roster.

Of the 73 players picked in the first round by Montreal or Washington, 38 have beenpitchers, the most of any position; 27 of them were right-handed, while 11 were left-handed. Thirteenoutfielders, tenshortstops, fivethird basemen, fourcatchers, and threefirst basemen were also taken. The team has never drafted a player atsecond base. In all, 40 of the players were drafted from high school, 27 from four-year colleges, and four fromjunior colleges. Eleven of the players came from high schools, universities, or junior colleges in the state of California, and Florida follows with 10 players. They have also drafted two players from Puerto Rico: Josue Estrada (1993) andHiram Bocachica (1994). (Full article...)
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Bill Virdon is the all-time winningest manager in Astro history; he won 544 games while leading the Astros to their first postseason berth in 1980 and two division titles.

TheHouston Astros are a professionalbaseball franchise based inHouston,Texas. They are a member of the American League West Division in Major League Baseball. The team joined MLB in 1962 as anexpansion team named the Houston Colt .45s and changed their name to the Houston Astros in 1965. The team won their firstNL Championship in 2005. Having first played inColt Stadium (1962–1964), and later in The Astrodome, now known as theReliant Astrodome (1965–1999), the Astros have played their home games atMinute Maid Park, which was first named The Ballpark at Union Station, since 2000. The current manager isJoe Espada.

There have been 25managers for the Astros franchise. The team's first manager wasHarry Craft, who managed for three seasons.Bill Virdon is the franchise's all-time leader for the most regular-season games managed (1066) and the most regular-season game wins (544).Dusty Baker is the franchise's all-time leader in career playoff games managed (53) and playoff games won (34).Salty Parker is the Astros' all-time leader for the highest regular-seasonwinning percentage, as he has only managed one game, which he won. Of the managers who have managed a minimum of 162 games (one season), Baker has the highest regular-season winning percentage with .594.Leo Durocher is the only Astros manager to have been elected into theBaseball Hall of Fame. Durocher and Baker each achieved their 2,000th managerial win with the Astros. Garner, Hinch, and Baker are the only managers to have won league pennants with the franchise, Garner winning one in theNational League in 2005, Hinch winning two in theAmerican League in 2017 and 2019, and Baker winning two in 2021 and 2022. Larry Dierker is the only Astros manager to have had his uniform numberretired by the Astros, with his uniform number 49 retired by the Astros in 2002. Dierker is also the sixth manager in MLB history to win a division championship in his first season for the Astros in 1997. Lanier and Dierker are the only managers to have won aManager of the Year Award with the Astros, winning it in 1986 and 1998 respectively.Grady Hatton, Lanier, Dierker, and Cooper have spent their entire managing careers with the Astros. (Full article...)
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Todd Worrell (1982) is the only Cardinals first-round draft pick to win theRookie of the Year Award.

TheSt. Louis Cardinals are aMajor League Baseball (MLB) franchise based inSt. Louis, Missouri. They play in theNational League Central division. Since the institution of MLB'sRule 4 Draft, the Cardinals have selected 77 players in the first round. Officially known as the "First-Year Player Draft", the Rule 4 Draft is MLB's primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with the team possessing the worst record receiving the first pick. In addition, teams which lostfree agents in the previous off-season may be awardedcompensatory or supplementary picks.

Of the 77 players picked in the first round by St. Louis, 39 have beenpitchers, the most of any position; 30 of them were right-handed, while nine were left-handed. Eightoutfielders, tenthird basemen, sixshortstops, sixfirst basemen, fivecatchers, and twosecond basemen were taken as well. The team also drafted one player,Leron Lee (1966), who played as aninfielder. 16 of the players came from high schools or universities in the state of California, and Texas and Arizona follow with seven and six players. The Cardinals have not drafted any players from their home state of Missouri. (Full article...)
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Don Larsen threw the only perfect game ever in MLB postseason play.

TheNew York Yankees are aMajor League Baseball franchise based in theNew York City borough ofThe Bronx. Also known in their early years as the "Baltimore Orioles" (1901–02) and the "New York Highlanders" (1903–1912), the Yankees have had twelve pitchers throw thirteenno-hitters infranchise history. A no-hitter is officially recognized by Major League Baseball only "...when a pitcher (or pitchers) allows no hits during the entire course of a game, which consists of at least nine innings. In a no-hit game, a batter may reach base via awalk, anerror, ahit by pitch, apassed ball orwild pitch on strike three, orcatcher's interference". No-hitters of fewer than nine complete innings were previously recognized by the league as official; however, several rule alterations in 1991 changed the rule to its current form. Four perfect games, a special subcategory of no-hitter, have been pitched in Yankees history. As defined by Major League Baseball, "in a perfect game, no batter reaches any base during the course of the game." This feat was achieved byDon Larsen in 1956,David Wells in 1998,David Cone in 1999, andDomingo German in 2023. Wells later claimed he was a "littlehung-over" while throwinghis perfect game.

George Mogridge threw the first no-hitter in Yankees history, beating their rivalBoston Red Sox 2–1, their only no-hitter in which the opposition scored. Their most recent no-hitter wasDomingo Germán's perfect game against theOakland Athletics during the 2023 season on June 28. The Yankees' first perfect game was also thrown by a right-handed pitcher, Don Larsen, and came in Game 5 of the1956 World Series.Larsen's perfect game was the only no-hitter inMLB postseason play untilRoy Halladay of thePhiladelphia Phillies pitched a no-hitter in Game 1 of the2010 National League Division Series. Coincidentally,David Cone's perfect game came on "Yogi Berra Day" at Yankee Stadium. Berra hadcaught Larsen's perfect game and both he and Larsen were in the stands for the game. Of the twelve no-hitters pitched by Yankees players, three each have been won by the scores 4–0 and 2–0, more common than any other result. The largest margin of victory in a Yankees no-hitter was 13 runs in a 13–0 win byMonte Pearson. German's perfect game represented the second largest margin of victory in a Yankees no-hitter, as the Yankees defeated the Athletics 11–0 in the 24th perfect game in MLB history. (Full article...)
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Skeeter Barnes played in 514 games for the Sounds, more than any other player in team history.

TheNashville Sounds Minor League Baseball team has played inNashville, Tennessee, since its establishment in 1978. Through the completion of the 2025 season, 1,559 players have competed in at least one regular-season game for the Sounds. Of those, 1,128 have also played in at least one game for aMajor League Baseball (MLB) team. Six additional players have appeared for the Sounds only inpostseason games, one of whom has also played in the majors. Encompassing both regular and postseason play, 1,565 players have competed for Nashville; 1,129 of those have also played in Major League Baseball.

Created as anexpansion team of theDouble-A Southern League in 1978, the Sounds played in this league through 1984. At the Double-A classification, Nashville was affiliated with Major League Baseball'sCincinnati Reds (1978–1979) andNew York Yankees (1980–1984). The Sounds moved up toTriple-A in 1985 as members of theAmerican Association before joining thePacific Coast League in 1998. With the restructuring of the minor leagues in 2021, they were placed in the Triple-A East, which became theInternational League in 2022. At this level, they have been affiliates of theDetroit Tigers (1985–1986), Cincinnati Reds (1987–1992),Chicago White Sox (1993–1997),Pittsburgh Pirates (1998–2004),Milwaukee Brewers (2005–2014),Oakland Athletics (2015–2018), andTexas Rangers (2019–2020). The Sounds reaffiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021. (Full article...)
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Mariano Rivera has the most career saves in Major League Baseball history with 652.

InMajor League Baseball (MLB), the300 save club is the group ofpitchers who have recorded 300 or more regular-seasonsaves in their careers. Most commonly arelief pitcher ("reliever" or "closer") earns a save by being the final pitcher of a game in which his team is winning by three or fewer runs and pitching at least one inning without losing the lead. The final pitcher of a game can earn a save by getting at least one batter out to end the game with the tying runon base,at bat, oron deck, or by pitching the last three innings without relinquishing the lead, regardless of score.
The statistic was created byJerome Holtzman in 1959 to "measure the effectiveness of relief pitchers" and was adopted as an official statistic by MLB in 1969. The save has been retroactively measured for past pitchers where applicable.Hoyt Wilhelm retired in 1972 and recorded just 31 saves from 1969 onwards, for example, but holds 228 total career saves.

Mariano Rivera holds the MLB save record with 652. Only Rivera andTrevor Hoffman have exceeded 500 or 600 saves, and Hoffman was the first to achieve either. Only eight pitchers have recorded 400 or more saves: Rivera, Hoffman,Lee Smith,Kenley Jansen,Craig Kimbrel,Francisco Rodríguez,John Franco, andBilly Wagner. (Full article...)
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TheSan Francisco Giants are aMajor League Baseball team that plays in theNational League Western Division. Since their inception as the New York Gothams in 1883, the Giants have employed 42managers. The duties of the team manager include team strategy and leadership on and off the field.

The franchise's first manager wasJohn Clapp, who managed the team for one year before being replaced in 1884 byJim Price. The New York Giants won twoWorld Series championships during the 19th century, in1888 and1889, withJim Mutrie as their manager both years.^[a]John McGraw became the Giants' manager during the 1902 season, beginning a streak of 54 consecutive years in which the Giants were managed by aBaseball Hall of Famer. McGraw managed for the better course of 30 years (he missed parts of the 1924, 1925, and 1927 seasons due to illness;Hughie Jennings took over for the former two whileRogers Hornsby served as player-manager for the latter), doing so until the middle of the1932 season, the longest managerial tenure in Giants history. McGraw won 2,583 games as the Giants manager, the most in Giants history. While managing the Giants, the team won the National League championship 10 times—in 1904, 1905, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1917, 1921, 1922, 1923 and 1924. They played in the World Series nine times (no World Series was played in 1904) and won three, in1905,1921 and1922. (Full article...)
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Ted Williams has the highest career on-base percentage in MLB history, led the American League in 12 seasons (also a record), and held the single-season on-base percentage record for 61 years.

Inbaseball statistics,on-base percentage (OBP) is a measure of how often abatter reaches base for any reason other than afielding error,fielder's choice,dropped or uncaught third strike,fielder's obstruction, orcatcher's interference. OBP is calculated inMajor League Baseball (MLB) by dividing the sum ofhits,walks, and timeshit by a pitch by the sum ofat-bats, walks, times hit by pitch andsacrifice flies. A hitter with a .400 on-base percentage is considered to be great and rare; only 61 players in MLB history with at least 3,000 careerplate appearances (PA) have maintained such an OBP. Left fielderTed Williams, who played 19 seasons for theBoston Red Sox, has the highest career on-base percentage, .4817, in MLB history. Williams led theAmerican League (AL) in on-base percentage in twelve seasons, the most such seasons for any player in the major leagues.Barry Bonds led theNational League (NL) in ten seasons, a NL record. Williams also posted the then-highest single-season on-base percentage of .5528 in 1941, a record that stood for 61 years until Bonds broke it with a .5817 OBP in 2002. Bonds broke his own record in 2004, setting the current single-season mark of .6094.

Players are eligible for the Hall of Fame if they have played at least 10 major league seasons, have been either retired for five seasons or deceased for six months, and have not beenbanned from MLB. These requirements leave 6 living players ineligible who have played in the past 5 seasons and 5 players (Bill Joyce,Ferris Fain,Jake Stenzel,Bill Lange, andGeorge Selkirk) who did not play 10 seasons in MLB. (Full article...)
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TheGolden Spikes Award is bestowed annually to the bestamateur baseball player in the United States. The award, created byUSA Baseball and sponsored by theMajor League Baseball Players Association, was first presented in 1978. It is given to an amateur player who best exhibits and combines "exceptional on-field ability and exemplarysportsmanship". Along with theDick Howser Trophy, the Golden Spikes Award is considered the most prestigious in amateur baseball.

Ten winners of the Golden Spikes Award are members of theNational College Baseball Hall of Fame, includingBob Horner, the inaugural winner in 1978. In that same year, he was thefirst overall MLB draft pick and proceeded to win theRookie of the Year Award. Seven Golden Spikes Award winners went on to become the first overall MLB draft pick. Only Horner achieved the MLB Rookie of the Year Award in the same year (althoughJason Jennings andBuster Posey were voted the top rookies of theNational League several years after winning the Golden Spikes Award).Jim Abbott,Jered Weaver andTim Lincecum are the only award winners to pitch an MLBno-hitter, while Horner is the only one tohit four home runs in one MLB game. Furthermore, 17 players won theDick Howser Trophy (considered to be theHeisman Trophy of college baseball) alongside the Golden Spikes Award. No player has won the award more than once, and no Golden Spikes recipient has yet been inducted into theNational Baseball Hall of Fame. (Full article...)
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Joe Quinn, the first Australian to play in MLB

The first recordedbaseball event in Australia took place inMelbourne,Victoria in 1857, between teams fromCollingwood andRichmond. Accounts vary as to the details, including whether it was a single game or a series of three games, though details in common include a score of 350–230 in favour of Collingwood, and that the rules used were some form of hybrid betweencricket and baseball, with teams batting until all players were out, and runs being scored for every base crossed, rather than just for reaching home plate. Though there are no records to confirm it, the commonly held belief is that baseball in Australia originated on theBallarat gold-fields among American miners. TheClaxton Shield, the first annually recurring national tournament, commenced in 1934. Though the tournament itself has been supplanted at various points in its history, the physical Shield is still awarded to the national champions in theAustralian Baseball League.
As of the2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) season^[update], 38 Australians have played in at least oneMLB game. Of those players, 33 were born in Australia, the remainder having been born elsewhere but raised in Australia and have played for theAustralia national baseball team atInternational Baseball Federation or sanctioned tournaments such as theOlympic Games andWorld Baseball Classic. 25 of the players have beenpitchers and the other 13 have beenposition players. (Full article...)
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Hank Aaron, the holder of ten franchise records for the Braves

TheAtlanta Braves are aMajor League Baseball (MLB) franchise based inAtlanta. The Braves formed in1871 as the Boston Red Stockings. After moving in 1953 to Milwaukee for 12 years and a World Series Championship in '57, the Braves relocated to Atlanta in 1966. Through 2010, the Braves have played 20,053 games, winning 9,945, losing 9,954, and tying 154, for awinning percentage of approximately .500. This list documents the superlative records and accomplishments of team members during their tenures in MLB.

Hank Aaron holds the most franchise records as of the end of the 2010 season, with ten, including most careerhits,doubles, and the best careeron-base plus slugging percentage. Aaron also held the careerhome runs record from April 8, 1974 until August 8, 2007. He is followed byHugh Duffy, who holds eight records, including best single-seasonbatting average and the best single-seasonslugging percentage record. (Full article...)

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...that onMother's Day, May 14, 2006, theLouisville Slugger Company produced more than 400pink baseball bats for game use by more than 50professional baseball players?
... that the12–6 curveball gets its name from the way thepitch breaks downward, looking like it moves from the number 12 to the number 6 on aclock?
... thatLou Marson hit his first major leaguehome run on the final day of thePhiladelphia Phillies’World Series-winning2008 season?
...thatJerry Dybzinski's baserunning error in game four of the1983 American League Championship Series ultimately cost theChicago White Sox both the game and the series?
... thatNick Castellanos received a $3.45 millionsigning bonus from theDetroit Tigers, the highest ever for a player not drafted in the first round in theMajor League Baseball Draft?

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Credit: Paul Thompson

Edward Augustine Walsh (May 14, 1881 – May 26, 1959) was aMajor League Baseball pitcher. He holds the record for lowest careerERA, 1.82. Born inPlains Township, Pennsylvania, Walsh had a brief though remarkable major league career. He made his major league debut in1904 with theChicago White Sox and pitched his first full season in1906, going 17-13 with a 1.88 ERA and 171strikeouts.

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