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Baseball is often referred to as “America’s Pastime.” |
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The first recorded baseball game was played in 1846. |
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Abner Doubleday is often credited with inventing baseball, although this is disputed. |
4 |
A regulation baseball has 108 stitches. |
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The New York Yankees have won the most World Series titles, with 27 championships. |
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The fastest recorded pitch in MLB history is 105.1 mph, thrown by Aroldis Chapman. |
7 |
A baseball can reach speeds of up to 150 mph when hit. |
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Babe Ruth, often called “The Great Bambino,” is one of baseball’s greatest legends. |
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Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in MLB in 1947. |
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Cooperstown, New York, is home to the Baseball Hall of Fame. |
11 |
The shortest game in MLB history lasted just 51 minutes. |
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“Take Me Out to the Ballgame” is a popular baseball song. |
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The distance between bases in baseball is 90 feet. |
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The first night game in MLB was played in 1935. |
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The World Series trophy is known as the Commissioner’s Trophy. |
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The Chicago Cubs ended a 108-year championship drought in 2016. |
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The “Curse of the Bambino” haunted the Boston Red Sox for 86 years until 2004. |
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Baseball gloves were initially considered “unchristian” and not allowed on the field. |
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Pitchers in the National League still bat, while in the American League, the designated hitter (DH) is used. |
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Hank Aaron held the home run record for over three decades before it was broken by Barry Bonds. |
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The San Francisco Giants played in New York before relocating to California. |
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Baseballs used in the major leagues are rubbed with a special mud to make them less slippery. |
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The fastest triple play in MLB history took just 12 seconds. |
24 |
The oldest baseball stadium still in use is Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. |
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“The Shot Heard ‘Round the World” refers to Bobby Thomson’s famous home run in 1951. |
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Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, was the last MLB stadium to install lights for night games. |
27 |
Nolan Ryan holds the record for the most career strikeouts in MLB history. |
28 |
The All-Star Game determines home-field advantage for the World Series. |
29 |
Pitcher Cy Young holds the record for the most career wins with 511. |
30 |
Lou Gehrig famously declared himself “The Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth” in his farewell speech. |
31 |
The “Black Sox Scandal” involved players from the Chicago White Sox intentionally losing the 1919 World Series. |
32 |
The term “can of corn” refers to an easy, high-fly ball. |
33 |
“The Curse of the Billy Goat” plagued the Chicago Cubs for over 70 years until 2016. |
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The “Pine Tar Incident” involved George Brett’s disputed home run in 1983. |
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The Montreal Expos, now the Washington Nationals, were the first MLB team located outside the United States. |
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The fastest stolen base in MLB history was recorded at 2.4 seconds. |
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The Atlanta Braves have won the most consecutive division titles in MLB history, with 14. |
38 |
The distance from the pitcher’s mound to home plate is 60 feet, 6 inches. |
39 |
“The Say Hey Kid,” Willie Mays, is known for his iconic over-the-shoulder catch. |
40 |
The New York Mets won their first World Series title in 1969, just seven years after their founding. |