Baseball
History of Baseball, 1860-1945
Explore the origins of baseball, from the Doubleday myth to the organization of the pastime through professional leagues. Meet the stars of the dead-ball era, see Babe Ruth’s reinvention of the game with his homers, and get to know the heroes who left the diamond to serve during World War II.
History of Baseball since 1945
Catch the Hall-of-Fame names and unforgettable plays from the past seventy-five years. Learn more about the changing face of baseball, from breaking the color barrier and expansion west, to the labor strikes and steroid scandals that have plagued the league.
African Americans in Baseball, Before and After Integration
Discover the big-name players from the Negro leagues, many of whom were credited by their Major League contemporaries as the best in the game. Learn more about African Americans in early baseball, professionalization of the Negro leagues, and the bond formed with Latin America. Follow their story through integration to the continued fight for civil rights, and how their contributions to the game are honored.
Women's Impact on Baseball
Go beyond the story of how women players saved baseball during World War II, and learn how women of all ages have been playing the game since its early days. Explore the women who managed the business of baseball and the wives who supported and shared in their husbands’ legacies.
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Travel through the gameday experience and learn how people have attended and watched baseball games through the years. Enter baseball’s great cathedrals, grab some peanuts and Cracker Jacks, and prepare to sing during the seventh-inning stretch. If you can’t make it, tune into your favorite broadcast.
America's Pastime
Slide into the game with baseball devotees of all ages and skills. Learn more about how American youth grew to love the game through Little League, high school, and college teams, while lifelong ballplayers fielded teams with organizations, companies, the military, and even prisons. Discover how America’s pastime inspired poems, songs, and other forms of popular culture.
Topic curated by Michelle Bickert, Digital Public Library of America