BASEBALL AND ITS GREATEST PLAYERS BA IUS A ball arcing into the stands brings the game of baseball to a whole new level of excitement for fans Here at Wrigley Field spectators become participants as they scramble for the ball at a 2010 game between the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers Chicago Tribunel McClatchy Tribune Getty Images
INTRODUCTION toward the sport In the era of free agency superstars can command salaries and endorse ments of more than 30 million dollars a year For some the schism between player incomes and those of the average fan national cen sus figures show that the median household income for 2009 hovered at around 50 thou sand dollars reflects not only the excess of the sports world but also a country increas ingly divided between rich and poor Going beyond America's shores this book documents the global reach of the sportſ in Latin America and Asia ecause from Cuba to Korea Venezuela to Japan baseball has millions of fans around the world But no matter where the game is played baseball is perennially about personalities statistics and of course athleticism As this concise volume brings readers back to the game's ori gins explaining the ins and outs of the sport it also highlights luminaries from Hank Aaron to Ichiro Suzuki exceptional players who have made baseball the game it is today Although baseball legend Yogi Berra famous for his one liners said of the game In baseball you don't know nothing Baseball and Its Greatest Players provides a brief but insightful look at the game so that readers will indeed come away knowing
CHAPTER 1 A WORLD SPORT WITH AMERICAN ORIGINS Nhe sport of baseball developed in the eastern United States in the mid 18oos From there it spread to big cities and small towns across the country By the turn of the 20th century baseball was known as America's national pastime To Some people baseball was also considered a symbol of the country's character Whoever wants to know the heart and mindof America had better the learn baseball rules and reali ties of the game wrote American author and historian Jacques Barzun The United States is not the only coun try where the game has had a large impact Baseball is also a national passion in Cuba Puerto Rico the Dominican Republic and Venezuela And in Mexico Japan and Korea baseball has thrived since the early 1900s Whereas the United States can boast IO
A WoRLD SPORT WITH AMERI ORIGINS of legendary players such as Babe Ruth and Willie Mays elsewhere fans praise the tal ents of baseball heroes such as Martin Dihigo of Cuba Roberto Clemente of Puerto Rico and Sadaharu Oh of Japan Today television radio print media and Web sites provide information on players and teams for millions of baseball fans in all corners of the globe Baseball is played by two teams of nine players On the inner part of the field are four white bases laid out in a square The basic equipment consists of a bat ball and gloves During a game the two teams alter nate between being fielders playing defense and batters playing offense The object of the game is to score more runs than the opponent A run is scored each time a player on the offensive team is able to run to and touch all four bases A period of play called an inning is completed when both teams have had a turn at bat The team with the most runs after nine innings wins the game If there is a tie extra innings are played until a winner emerges NoRTH AMERICA The two major professional leagues in North America are the National League NL II
