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Baseball

The exact origin of baseball is the subject of some debate. It is widely accepted that baseball is a North American invention. There is mention of baseball in a 1791 Pittsfield, Massachusetts, statute that prohibited the playing of the baseball within 80 yards of the town's meeting house. There is also a description of the game published in 1838 by Dr. Adam Ford in Beachville, Ontario, Canada. The first list of rules for baseball came in 1845 from Alexander Cartwright of New York City. The game now generally recognized as the first in U.S. history to be officially recorded happened on June 19, 1846, in Hoboken, New Jersey. In that game, the "New York Nine" defeated the Knickerbockers, 23-1, in four innings.

Semiprofessional baseball was played in the 1860s, and the first professional team was formed in 1869 - the Cincinnati Red Stockings. The first major league was the National Association which played from 1871 to 1875. The National League, which is the origin of Major League Baseball and still exists to this day, was founded in 1876. The American League was founded in 1901, and the two leagues joined forces for the first World Series in 1903, which has happened every year since except 1904, and 1994.

Following is an overview of baseball in North America as it exists today at all levels.

Professional Baseball

North American professional baseball is organized into three major tiers of teams. These are:

Major League Baseball (MLB) - Major League Baseball, also referred to as the "big league", "the majors", or "the show", is the highest level of achievement in North American baseball. It is the league of teams such as the Boston, Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, the All-Star Game, and the World Series.
Minor League Baseball (MiLB) - Minor League Baseball, also referred to as "the minors", or the "farm league", is a league of teams that are affiliated with Major League Baseball teams. Players often move back and forth between the minors and the majors.
Independent Baseball - Independent Baseball consists of teams in several leagues throughout North America that are not affiliated with Major League Baseball - hence the title "independent". Independent League players typically aspire to move up to Minor League Baseball, and, hopefully, on the Major League Baseball.

Professional Baseball Resources

Major League Baseball web site

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College Baseball

Colleges and Universities play baseball at all three NCAA levels (NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division III), as well as the NAIA. For more information on college baseball see:

Little League Baseball

Little League Baseball provides opportunities for children ages 5 to 18 to play baseball. Little League Baseball is open to both boys and girls.

Little League Baseball's Divisions

The divisions for Little League baseball as defined by Little League International are:

Little League Tee Ball
For children 5 to 6 years old, with a local option for ages 7 and/or 8-year-olds to participate.
Field: 60-foot diamond with a mound distance of 46 feet.
Minor League Baseball
For ages 7-12 years old. May be divided into machine pitch, coach pitch, and player pitch subdivisions.
Field: 60-foot diamond with a 46 foot pitching distance.
Little League Baseball (Also known as the Major Division of Major League)
For ages 9 to 12 years old but may also be limited to 10, 11, and 12 at the discretion of local authorities.
Field: 60-foot diamond with a 46 foot pitching distance.
Junior League Baseball
For ages 13 and 14.
Field: Uses conventional 90 foot diamond with 60 foot 6 inch pitching distance.
Senior League Baseball
For ages 14 to 16 years old.
Field: Uses conventional 90 foot diamond with 60 foot 6 inch pitching distance.
Big League Baseball
For ages 16 to 18 years old.
Field: Uses conventional 90 foot diamond with 60 foot 6 inch pitching distance.

The Little League World Series

The Little League World Series is played every year in August in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It features baseball players who are aged 11, 12 and 13. It is sponsored by Little League International.

The little League World Series consists of 8 regional tournaments. The state champion for every state, and the District of Columbia compete in these tournaments. The regional tournament leaders advance to the Little League World Series. The field of competitors at the Little League World Series consists of 8 teams from the U.S. and 8 teams from the rest of the world.

The teams are assigned to two brackets - the United States Bracket and the International Bracket. Teams within each bracket are randomly assigned to two pools. Teams compete round-robin within their pool, and the top two teams from the pool advance to the semifinal of their bracket. The winner of the U.S. Bracket and the International Bracket compete in the Little League World Series.

Additional Little League World Series information:

AAU Baseball

The Amateur Athletic Union, more commonly referred to as the AAU also sponsors baseball for amateur athletes in the following age categories:

18/19 & Under (18/19:U)
17 & Under (17:U)
16 & Under (16:U)
15 & Under (15:U)
14 & Under (14:U)
13 & Under (13:U)
12 & Under (12:U)
11 & Under (11:U)
10 & Under (10:U)
9 & Under (9:U)
8 & Under (8:U)

The AAU also sponsors district and national championships. For more information se the AAU Baseball web site.

Baseball Links

Baseball Almanac
An interactive baseball encyclopedia baseball facts, original baseball research, baseball statistics and more.
BaseballLibrary.com
The site bills itself as "the home of baseball history".
Baseball Reference
Historical information from 1871 - now.
Retrosheet
Provides computerized play-by-play accounts of games, box scores of every Major League game from 1957 to 2005, and more.
World Series Records
MLB's site for World Series records.