-David Strobach-
I have been a little obsessed with baseball history since I started reading Bill James’ Historical Baseball Abstract. As I read, I would love to post baseball history fun facts to share cool new content!
Did you know that in the 1870s pitchers had to have a completely stiff arm and throw underhand from only 45 feet away? Baseball was originally closer to fast-pitch softball than the game it is now days! Instead of the four balls for a walk now days, back in the 1870s you were allowed 9 balls. The batter had the choice of whether he wanted a high or low pitch. The most interesting rule that I found about early baseball was that if a ball ever bounced in fair territory, in the infield, it was always fair. You could theoretically hit a line drive in the dirt and have it ricochet into foul territory and have it considered a fair ball. Baseball has the richest history of any sport! So, I look forward to sharing more interesting stories as I dive deeper into my research!
Pic from: http://ourgame.mlblogs.com/
Tagged: Baseball, baseball history, Bill James, Historical Baseball Abstract, history, MLB, National Pastime, olden days
