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[[Image:Busch Stadium.jpg|right|thumb|200px|A baseball game at Busch Memorial Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri.]]

[[Image:Busch Stadium.jpg|right|thumb|200px|A baseball game at Busch Memorial Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri.]]

'''Baseball''' is a [[game]] originally created by an unknown person, consisting of nine active players on each [[team]] (except for those teams having [[designated hitter]]s) who take turns playing defense on the field and batting one at a time.  The object is for the batters to hit a ball thrown by the [[pitcher]] into "fair" territory such that it is not caught in the air and gives the batter time to run to a base.  The offense strives to advance these baserunners until they circle the three [[infield]] bases in order and get to the fourth base, called "home".  This results in the scoring of a run.  Failing to reach a base during their batting attempt results in an out, and the offense is only allowed three outs before they must take the field once again.  Each team is allowed nine of these "innings" during the course of the game, an exception being that a team does not bat a ninth time if they are winning after the other teams ninth attempt.

'''Baseball''' is a [[game]] originally created by an unknown person, consisting of nine active players on each [[team]] (except for those teams having [[designated hitter]]s) who take turns playing defense on the field and batting one at a time.  The object is for the batters to hit a ball thrown by the [[pitcher]] into "fair" territory such that it is not caught in the air and gives the batter time to run to a base.  The offense strives to advance these baserunners until they circle the three [[infield]] bases in order and get to the fourth base, called "home".  This results in the scoring of a run.  Failing to reach a base during their batting attempt results in an out, and the offense is only allowed three outs before they must take the field once again.  Each team is allowed nine of these "innings" during the course of the game, an exception being that a team does not bat a ninth time if they are winning after the other teams ninth attempt.

The Abner-Doubleday-in-Cooperstown tradition was a reaction to famous baseball writer Henry Chadwick, who had stated that the game evolved from the British game of "rounders."<ref name=cooperstown/>. In response, Albert G. Spaulding, another baseball pioneer, urged the formation of a commission to determine the game's origin; one was formed, and in due course issued a report on December 30, 1907 stating "the first scheme for playing baseball, according to the best evidence obtainable to date, was devised by Abner Doubleday at Cooperstown, N.Y. in 1839."  

The Abner-Doubleday-in-Cooperstown tradition was a reaction to famous baseball writer Henry Chadwick, who had stated that the game evolved from the British game of "rounders."<ref name=cooperstown/>. In response, Albert G. Spaulding, another baseball pioneer, urged the formation of a commission to determine the game's origin; one was formed, and in due course issued a report on December 30, 1907 stating "the first scheme for playing baseball, according to the best evidence obtainable to date, was devised by Abner Doubleday at Cooperstown, N.Y. in 1839."  

The results of the Spaulding commitee led to the 1939 founding of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the city of Cooperstown.<ref>The National Baseball Hall of Fame was inspired by the Hall of Fame for Great Americans in New York. Established in 1901, with a 600-foot colonnade ultimately containing bronze busts of 98 great Americans, the Hall of Fame was at one time a major landmark, and the additions of honorees to it was a national news event. Ironically, the Hall of Fame for Great Americans has itself passed into obscurity; today, the phrase "Hall of Fame" has practically come to mean the National Baseball Hall of Fame.</ref>   

The results of the Spaulding committee led to the 1939 founding of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the city of Cooperstown.<ref>The National Baseball Hall of Fame was inspired by the Hall of Fame for Great Americans in New York. Established in 1901, with a 600-foot colonnade ultimately containing bronze busts of 98 great Americans, the Hall of Fame was at one time a major landmark, and the additions of honorees to it was a national news event. Ironically, the Hall of Fame for Great Americans has itself passed into obscurity; today, the phrase "Hall of Fame" has practically come to mean the National Baseball Hall of Fame.</ref>   

The baseball as we know it&mdash;or at least the familiar "figure-eight" stitched cover&mdash;was invented in the 1840s by Ellis Drake of Stoughton, Massachusetts.<ref>[http://www.19cbaseball.com/19th-century-baseball.html Nineteenth-century baseballs]</ref>

The baseball as we know it&mdash;or at least the familiar "figure-eight" stitched cover&mdash;was invented in the 1840s by Ellis Drake of Stoughton, Massachusetts.<ref>[http://www.19cbaseball.com/19th-century-baseball.html Nineteenth-century baseballs]</ref>

==Notes and references==

==Notes and references==

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[[category:sports]]

 

[[Category:Baseball]]