A lot of traditions and activities come from the isle of Britain to the people in the United States, such as food, drink, and Rounders. What is Rounders? It’s a game that is known as ‘America’s favorite pastime’ – or baseball as we like to call it. Certainly it has been modified and changed, and college baseball has been affected by the adaptation of the game. Also, colleges played their part in helping with the promotion and popularity of the game. Read a little more about the history of baseball.

The wonderful game of baseball began in the United States, but when it started it was played with a lot of informal rules, or ‘make up as you play’, and this was practiced in earnest all before the American Civil War in (1861). Rule games became formulated in one of the first known baseball games played in New York, but due to mass communication problems the rules didn’t become much known about. Later the National Association of Professional Baseball Players founded the beginnings of several teams which created a real sense of a growing professional sport. Rules and regulations grew along with the times. The National League would grow straight from the earlier association of teams and their players. The popularity of the game could be found at the local levels in many hometowns, and college baseball recruited from the locals. College baseball was the place of recruitment for the major leagues. Colleges and universities such as Baylor produced stars such as Red Smith in the early 1900s, and who would later coach at Auburn, and Bo Jackson would be recruited from to play for the major leagues from (1983 – 1986).

However, the turbulent times of the late 1920s were almost the end for the game, especially for the growing minor leagues. The Great Depression brought on by the 1929 stock market crash was the key contributor, but the 1950s saw a revival in baseball at the local and college levels for various reasons. TV was a prime factor in the re – emergence of its popularity, and when the 1980s came along with the modern technology of cable TV, it was time to kick back and watch a few games at home! College baseball has played such an influential part in the popularity of the American game of baseball, and it looks like it won’t change at all. There are many Bo Jacksons from college baseball just eager to play in the big time.