If you’re like me, you’re caught up in Playoffs fever right now. But did you ever wonder how baseball came to be?

The exact time when baseball actually came to be is really not known. Historians all agree though that baseball did come from England were it was known there as rounders. When it was brought to the U.S. in the 19th century it was called townball or base and it quickly caught on. Pretty soon small towns and big cities alike were playing the game but it wasn’t until 1845 the rules that hold true today were made by Alexander Cartwright.

Some fans believe that Abner Doubleday invented the game of baseball, but the games true father is Cartwright.

The first two teams were formed in 1846 and were called the Cartwright Knickerbockers and the New York Baseball club.

Their first game was in Hoboken, New Jersey, were the Knickerbockers lost to the New York Baseball Club, but the game grew from there and in 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stocking’s was the first team to turn professional. The players themselves decided to form a baseball league of their own and formed the National Association two years later. The association did not last long though and it wasn’t until a group of businessmen got together in 1875, and formed the National League that professional baseball was born. In 1901, The American League was formed and lured many of the National League’s players to come over to their side. This caused a battle between the leagues bosses until a court injunction drew up a list of a three-man commission to run the league, making it possible for both leagues to exist quietly with each other.

During the first decade of the 20th century, baseball remained a game of strategy. Its so-called “dead ball” led to few homeruns. Contact-hitters, base stealing and bunting provided most of its offense. The 1911 adoption of cork- centered ball changed the game dramatically. With the use of the new ball, forty years of batting records began to fall, and the game’s popularity exploded.

One of the most popular people in U. S. history is George “Babe” Ruth. He alone revolutionized the game because he could hit a home run just about every time his bat hit the ball. He first started baseball as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, then became an outfielder for the New York Yankees. The year was 1920, and it was a very good year for baseball.

Baseball has created some pretty great men. Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Pete Rose and Reggie Jackson were all pretty incredible players. Baseball has not been all good and glory though and has suffered through some bad times. Labor disputes and strikes have plagued the game and in 1994 saw the cancellation of the World Series. The game started re-capturing some of its old-time glory in 1998 when a single season saw two men racing for home run records. Mark McGuire and Sammy Sousa competed for the same home run record.

McGuire won by surpassing Maris’ longstanding record of 61 home runs by hitting 70. In 2001, we saw another record broken when Barry Bonds broke McGuire’s record of 70 by hitting 73 home runs that year.

Who’s the next baseball superstar who will cement their place in the record books?