Baseball

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With many big names from the past, such as Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Cy Young, Yogi Berra, and Lou Gehrig, and newer names, such as Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, and Ryan Howard, baseball is one of the most popular sports in America. Baseball, which originated from the English game, rounders, came to America in the early 19th century. A man named Alexander Cartwright was the person who created the rules of modern day baseball. He also invented the modern baseball field in 1945. Here is a look of baseball through the decades:

1900-1909

The idea of a World Series between the American League (formerly called the Western League), and the National League. In 1906, the Chicago Cubs went 116-36. Nap Lajoie, the first American League batting champion batted .422. Honus Wagner was one of the great hitters and base stealers of this decade. Though singles, doubles, and triples were common throughout the decade, the top homerun hitters only reached 16 homeruns at the maximum. Great players of this decade include Honus Wagner, Nap Lajoie, Ty Cobb, Cy Young, and Christy Mathewson.

1910-1919

Despite World War I being fought in the later part of this decade, baseball continued without any problems.  During this decade, a league called the Federal League came in and started to take players from the American and National Leagues. Eventually, after agreements were made between the two leagues, the new league dissolved. John McGraw, who was one of the best major league managers of all times took the New York Yankees, new to the National League, to four World Series. During the "Dead Ball Era", which was the era when the baseball was much softer and squishier than today, Walter Johnson was one of the great pitchers. Homerun leaders still never topped the 24 homerun mark. Great players of this era include Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, Gavvy Cravath, Walter Johnson, and Joe Jackson.

1920-1929

This baseball decade, known as the "Roaring Twenties", was known for lots of great baseball. The New York Yankees, won 29 American League Pennants, and 20 World Championships, in 40 years. After the dead ball era, which ended in this decade, homeruns per season increased for many players, but none so much as Babe Ruth, who hit 60 homers in 1927 was unbeaten for 34 years. He also hit 714 homers, a record that wasn't broken until 1974. Babe Ruth, was the first player to make $50,000, which was a lot of money for that time. In 1919, the Chicago White Sox, were called the Black Sox, because eight of the players on the team were intentionally losing the series against the Reds, so they would earn money from gamblers. The first league commissioner banned them from the game. One of these players included the great hitter "Shoeless" Joe Jackson. Great players of this decade include Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Lefty Grove, and Grover Alexander.

1930-1939

Baseball was a great comfort to many Americans who lost their jobs during the Great Depression. Jimmie Foxx of the Philadelphia Athletics almost broke Babe Ruth's record with 58 homers in one season. Hack Wilson set a still standing record of 191 RBI's in one season. In 1934, Babe Ruth played is last game for the Yankees, and then after the 1935 season, in which he played some games for the Braves, he retired. However, Ruth's teammate, Lou Gehrig played with a new teammate who emerged in 1936, baseball great, Joe DiMaggio. Gehrig, who retired because of a serious illness in 1937, had played 2,130 consecutive games, which was a record that was thought to never be broken. In 1935, the first night game ever in baseball was played in Cincinnati. Soon many night games were played, except at Wrigley field in Chicago, which didn't play night games until 1988. Great players of this era include Lefty Grove, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Johnny Mize, Hack Wilson, Dizzy Dean, and Hank Greenburg.

1940-1949

The main focus of America in the early 1940's was World War II. Many players left their team to serve in the U.S. military. Young player, and veterans, who were too old for the army made up the majority of the teams. Due to the fact that many men were in the army, women's baseball teams sprouted, and attracted a lot of attention in their own league. Baseball, which was a major part of the life of an American at that time, gave people comfort. Soldiers were proud of their home teams. Baseball even helped in the war, because infantrymen would ask a baseball question to determine friend from enemy. If you didn't know baseball at the time, you were in trouble. In 1945-46, the majority of baseball players returned from the military.  Ted Williams, who was a great baseball player, and military hero, batted .406 in 1941. No one has batted over .400 since then. After taking three years off of baseball due to the war, Williams returned in 1946, and batted over .300 every year until 1959. At this time there were many great African-American players playing in the negro leagues, such as Jackie Robinson, Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, and Satchel Paige. These players would definitely been great players in the Major League, if team owners let them play. In 1947, Branch Rickey, the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, promoted Jackie Robinson to the Major League. This officially broke the "color barrier". Great players of this decade include Warren Spahn, Johnny Sain, Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, and Bob Feller.

1950-1959

 New York was on top of baseball. They had three teams, the Yankees, Dodgers, and Giants. At the end of the 1951 season, the New York Giants, and the Brooklyn Dodgers were tied for first place in the NL, forcing them to play one game to determine who would go to the World Series. The Dodgers led the game 4-1, until the bottom of the ninth, a sure victory. But then the Giants scored one run, and the score was 4-2. Then Bobby Thompson hit a homer with two men on base, which one the game for the Giants 5-4. The Giants went to the World Series. The homerun hit by Thompson was known as the "shot heard round the world." In the early 1950's, baseball was officially televised on television, which was a real technology upgrade. Before that, people had to go to the game, because they didn't own television sets. New York's great rivalry between the three teams ended in 1958, when the Dodgers and Giants went to Los Angeles, and San Francisco respectively. Great players of this era include Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Duke Snider, Ted Williams, Whitey Ford, and Stan Musial.

1960-1969

34 years after Babe Ruth set the Major League record for homeruns in a season (60), Roger Maris hit his 61st homerun on the last day of the season. In 1961, the American League, the Los Angeles Angels, and the Washington Senators. One year later, the New York Mets, and the Houston Colt 45's, who became the Astros, were the newest teams added to the National League. By the end of this decade, four more teams were added: The Montreal Expos, and San Diego Padres (NL), and the Seattle Pilots (who one year later became the Milwaukee Brewers), and the Kansas City Royals. The leagues, which were composed of twelve teams, split into two six team divisions: East and West. Famous players of this decade include Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, Don Drusclale, Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Willie McCovey, and Carl Yastrzemski.

1970-1979

In 1972, Major League players went on strike, because they had to stay on the same team, until they were released or traded. Eventually, they earned the right to free agency. In 1973, in order to score more runs in a game, the American League came up with the idea of a designated hitter. Lou Brock became the first player to steal 900 bases in 1977, surpassing Ty Cobb's record of 892. Atlanta Braves' Hank Aaron hit is 715th homerun on April 8th, 1974, which broke Babe Ruth's 714 record. Hank Aaron ended his career with 755 homers. Famous players of this decade include Reggie Jackson, Joe Morgan, Willie Stargell, Tom Seaver, Catfish Hunter, Pete Rose, and Johnny Bench.

1980-1989

Because free agency cause salaries to boost up, owners of teams tried to limit players' ability to change teams. In the middle of the 1981 season, players went on strike, and more than 700 games. Fans, who were not happy with this did not watch much baseball anywhere for the second half of the 1981 season. In 1981, Rickey Henderson stole 130 bases in one season. In the 1980's relief pitchers, closers, and setup men to go into pitch, once the starter couldn't go anymore. Great players of this decade include Ozzie Smith, Nolan Ryan, Dennis Eckersley, Mike Schmidt, George Brett, Wade Boggs, Tony Gwynn, and Ricky Henderson.

1990-1999

In this decade, the Florida Marlins, Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Tampa Devil Rays (currently known as Tampa Bay Rays), were added to the Major League. These teams are the most recent to be added. In 1994, each league was split into three divisions: East, Central, and West. Lou Gehrig's consecutive games played which s 2,130 games was broken by Cal Ripken Jr. In 1994, a strike ended the baseball season, and for the first time since 1904, there was no playoffs or World Series. After this strike, the amount of fans who watched baseball dwindled, and in an effort to gain back fans, owners  decided to start interleague play, which is where the National League plays the American League. The first interleague game ever was played between the Texas Rangers, and San Francisco Giants. Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire hit 66 and 70 homers respectively in 1998. However, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Mark McGwire were testified before congress to test for steroids. Although the MLB is not sure who is using steroids, in 2005 steroid testing was required for all players. Since then, homer runs have decreased from a decade ago. Famous players of this decade include Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Randy Johnson, Cal Ripken Jr., Barry Bonds, and Mark McGwire.

2000-2009

The Cubs hadn't won a World Series since 1908, the Red Sox since 1918, when they traded Babe Ruth. The Red Sox won in 2004, but the Chicago Cubs still have yet to win their first World Series since 2008. The Yankees paid lots of money to lots of people, such as C.C. Sabathia. They earned a playoff berth from 2000-2007, but only won the World Series in 2009. Famous players of this decade include Pedro Martinez, Roger Clemens, Johan Santana, Manny Ramirez, Albert Pujols, Randy Johnson, Ichiro Suzuki, Chipper Jones, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Tim Lincecum.