Call to the pen
Fansided

MLB: The History of the American Pastime

By Keaton Moore

Sep 30, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a baseball prior to a game between the Kansas City Royals and the Cleveland Indians at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 30, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a baseball prior to a game between the Kansas City Royals and the Cleveland Indians at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 25
Next
Jul 19, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a baseball on the field prior to a game between the Cleveland Indians and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /

To truly love baseball is to fully appreciate how the game turned into the American Pastime. Broken up decade-by-decade, this slideshow examines the history of baseball.

As fans annually fill up ballparks throughout the country, baseball is more than the nine players who take the field. The excitement and wonder keeps fans coming back to the American Pastime year after year.

Even while it stumbled through the Black Sox Scandal and the 1994 Strike, baseball fans always return with their love of the game. The memories of Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays evoke nostalgia more than any other sport. They serve to remind fans of what baseball was and what they hope it will continue to be.

Please treat this slideshow as an overall snapshot of each decade, rather than a textbook. This slideshow captures the essence of baseball throughout its history, highlighting on key events rather than every event.

So sit back, relax, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy this brief, but thorough history of the American Pastime.

Home/MLB History