Some perspective on the age of professional baseball

[comet28]

- The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs was founded in 1876 (replacing the National Association) and turned 150 years old on February 2. This means the NL has operated continuously for 60% of American history (the USA, of course, turns 250 this July 4).
- The American League followed in 1901; as of this year, the "Junior Circuit" has played for half of the country's existence.
- Two MLB teams (the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves) predate the NL's establishment, and are only 33 years younger than the cities they now play in.
- Fenway Park opened on April 20, 1912, five days after the Titanic sank. Only 7 living people are older than Fenway. Along with Wrigley Field, it has also existed longer than the NHL, NFL, and NBA.
- The first World Series concluded before the Wright Brothers' flight in December 1903. The first ALCS and NLCS matchups weren't played until Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, and are still younger than the WS was in 1969.
- Regular-season interleague play began with a June 12, 1997, Giants-Rangers game. The time since is less than a quarter of baseball's "modern era," yet is almost as old as the quasi-major sports league MLS.
- Boston hasn't hosted Braves games since 1952 (74 years ago); one would have to be at least 80-85 now to recall any of them. Despite this, the franchise has spent longer (77 years) in Boston than Milwaukee and Atlanta combined. A similar stat applies to the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers and New York/San Francisco Giants.
- The Chicago Cubs broke the longest championship drought in sports (108 seasons) in 2016. They passed that inauspicious distinction to the Arizona Cardinals, who last won it all in 1947. The football Cardinals would still have to play another 30 seasons without a ring to surpass Chicago. In fact it won't be until 2033 that they catch the Red Sox's drought—which ended before some current players were born.
- 4 of the 5 NL Central clubs (all but the Brewers) were founded before 1883. That year Thomas Edison's electric lighting system began operation in New Jersey, one of the country's then-38 states.
- And throughout this entire time, three strikes have always made an out.

 

[PolarVortex]

MLB has now been integrated (79 years) longer than it was segregated (71 years).

 

[PolarVortex]

- The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs was founded in 1876 (replacing the National Association) and turned 150 years old on February 2. This means the NL has operated continuously for 60% of American history (the USA, of course, turns 250 this July 4).
- The American League followed in 1901; as of this year, the "Junior Circuit" has played for half of the country's existence.
- Two MLB teams (the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves) predate the NL's establishment, and are only 33 years younger than the cities they now play in.

Cincinnati Reds were the first professional baseball team in the United States dating back to 1869: https://www.mlb.com/reds/one-fifty/reds-first

- Fenway Park opened on April 20, 1912, five days after the Titanic sank. Only 7 living people are older than Fenway. Along with Wrigley Field, it has also existed longer than the NHL, NFL, and NBA.
- The first World Series concluded before the Wright Brothers' flight in December 1903. The first ALCS and NLCS matchups weren't played until Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, and are still younger than the WS was in 1969.
- Regular-season interleague play began with a June 12, 1997, Giants-Rangers game. The time since is less than a quarter of baseball's "modern era," yet is almost as old as the quasi-major sports league MLS.
- Boston hasn't hosted Braves games since 1952 (74 years ago); one would have to be at least 80-85 now to recall any of them. Despite this, the franchise has spent longer (77 years) in Boston than Milwaukee and Atlanta combined. A similar stat applies to the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers and New York/San Francisco Giants.
- The Chicago Cubs broke the longest championship drought in sports (108 seasons) in 2016. They passed that inauspicious distinction to the Arizona Cardinals, who last won it all in 1947. The football Cardinals would still have to play another 30 seasons without a ring to surpass Chicago. In fact it won't be until 2033 that they catch the Red Sox's drought—which ended before some current players were born.
- 4 of the 5 NL Central clubs (all but the Brewers) were founded before 1883. That year Thomas Edison's electric lighting system began operation in New Jersey, one of the country's then-38 states.
- And throughout this entire time, three strikes have always made an out.

 

[comet28]

Cincinnati Reds were the first professional baseball team in the United States dating back to 1869: https://www.mlb.com/reds/one-fifty/reds-first

That team and the current Reds are not the same franchise. The Red Stockings were booted for the unforgivable sins of… playing on Sundays and selling beer during games. But then again the White Stockings (Cubs) didn't play for two years following the Great Fire. 1800s baseball was weird.

 

[PolarVortex]

That team and the current Reds are not the same franchise. The Red Stockings were booted for the unforgivable sins of… playing on Sundays and selling beer during games.

So? It doesn't make my statement any less true. They were the first professional baseball team to play in the United States. That's a fact.

 

[msgkings322]

So? It doesn't make my statement any less true. They were the first professional baseball team to play in the United States. That's a fact.

It's also a fact that the 1869 team was a different team than the current one.

 

[Khushboo]

This is the type of perspective that makes baseball history so much fun. If you begin lining it out, you can really see how long it has been a part of the culture, just as events such as the Titanic, Apollo 11, and the Wright Brothers.

 

[comet28]

This is the type of perspective that makes baseball history so much fun. If you begin lining it out, you can really see how long it has been a part of the culture, just as events such as the Titanic, Apollo 11, and the Wright Brothers.

I also think baseball fans generally respect past players more. The NFL has existed since 1920, but for some reason only stats and records from the Super Bowl era are ever discussed. Even the old NFL championships are completely tossed from franchise success; nobody says the Packers have 13 titles. The NHL's Original Six era might as well not exist, even though it lasted 25 years. And I doubt most NBA fans know their league is more than 40 years old.

Of course those leagues have changed drastically since their founding, but so has MLB, and MLB fans are happy to bring up accomplishments from horse-and-buggy days. I love that connection to history.

 

[idseer]

That team and the current Reds are not the same franchise. The Red Stockings were booted for the unforgivable sins of… playing on Sundays and selling beer during games. But then again the White Stockings (Cubs) didn't play for two years following the Great Fire. 1800s baseball was weird.

how many years were the reds known as the redlegs?

 

[idseer]

- The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs was founded in 1876 (replacing the National Association) and turned 150 years old on February 2. This means the NL has operated continuously for 60% of American history (the USA, of course, turns 250 this July 4).
- The American League followed in 1901; as of this year, the "Junior Circuit" has played for half of the country's existence.
- Two MLB teams (the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves) predate the NL's establishment, and are only 33 years younger than the cities they now play in.
- Fenway Park opened on April 20, 1912, five days after the Titanic sank. Only 7 living people are older than Fenway. Along with Wrigley Field, it has also existed longer than the NHL, NFL, and NBA.
- The first World Series concluded before the Wright Brothers' flight in December 1903. The first ALCS and NLCS matchups weren't played until Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, and are still younger than the WS was in 1969.
- Regular-season interleague play began with a June 12, 1997, Giants-Rangers game. The time since is less than a quarter of baseball's "modern era," yet is almost as old as the quasi-major sports league MLS.
- Boston hasn't hosted Braves games since 1952 (74 years ago); one would have to be at least 80-85 now to recall any of them. Despite this, the franchise has spent longer (77 years) in Boston than Milwaukee and Atlanta combined. A similar stat applies to the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers and New York/San Francisco Giants.
- The Chicago Cubs broke the longest championship drought in sports (108 seasons) in 2016. They passed that inauspicious distinction to the Arizona Cardinals, who last won it all in 1947. The football Cardinals would still have to play another 30 seasons without a ring to surpass Chicago. In fact it won't be until 2033 that they catch the Red Sox's drought—which ended before some current players were born.
- 4 of the 5 NL Central clubs (all but the Brewers) were founded before 1883. That year Thomas Edison's electric lighting system began operation in New Jersey, one of the country's then-38 states.
- And throughout this entire time, three strikes have always made an out.

kudos on a very interesting post.

 

[broncosmitty]

Chicago was founded in the 1700’s.

Incorporation is different than founded.

 

[comet28]

how many years were the reds known as the redlegs?

1953-1958 - they switched because of the anti-communist "Red Scare"

 

[comet28]

Sorta related—a 109-year-old WWII/Korean War vet threw the first pitch in Baltimore today!
Also the best-looking man his age I've seen. He doesn't look a day over 80

 

[Debbie Does]

But, on a clear, bright summer day you can still go to a game, sit in your seat, and wonder how they get every blade of grass so green, and every photon of visible light so blue. You can't figure out why every hot dog is so perfect, and every sip of crap beer is still so refreshing. It's the magic of the baseball field, an inviolate ecocosm we've created where somehow, all dreams come true.

Was it Casey Stengal who said "You gotta believe?" We haven't ever stopped. Somehow, the sins of the Black Sox scandal have been washed clean by one sectacular night by one Roy Hobbs, although he was never real and somehow passed unquestioned into the Myth of the Diamond, never to be questioned.