Only a few decades after the first official baseball game was played, The National League was formed in 1876 — making it the oldest major professional sports league in the world. And since that wasn't enough baseball for America, the American League gave fans a lot more to love in 1901. They later joined forces.
As you’ll see, the joining of another little cluster of leagues (regardless of race) helped slowly bring all of the world’s best baseball players into the fold. After we thank the MLB for finally getting over petty differences like skin color and simplifying things for fans by completing the professional baseball umbrella, we want to take a look back on some notable moments from Major League Baseball as a whole.
1
Nolan Ryan's Superhuman Stats
Pitcher Nolan Ryan holds the strikeout record of 5,714 (with 2nd place Randy Johnson almost 1,000 behind him. He threw 7 no-hitters and with the longest career ever (27 years), he struck out the sons of 8 players he’d struck out earlier in his career.
2
Muddy Secrets
To improve grip for pitchers, every MLB baseball is coated with mud from a secret location in New Jersey.
3
Perfect Games
Only 24 perfect games have been pitched in over 200,000 games played. New York Yankees pitcher Domingo Germán threw the 24th perfect game against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday, June 28, 2023.
4
The Iron Man
Cal Ripken Jr. earned the nickname "Iron Man" for playing 2,632 consecutive games. For context, that's 502 more than 2nd place Lou Gehrig and twice as many as 3rd place's Everett Scott.
5
The First Official Baseball Game
Although the game had been played before, the oldest recorded game was played between the Knickerbockers and a group of cricket players on June 19, 1846.
6
Chilling Out The Babe
Babe Ruth often placed chilled cabbage leaves under his cap during games to defend against the oppressive summer heat.
7
A Red Moon for The Red Sox
The first and only lunar eclipse in World Series history was a bright red “blood moon” that coincided with the Red Sox winning Game 4 of the 2004 World Series, ending their 86-year wait for a championship.
8
The "Black Sox"
Eight Chicago White Sox players intentionally lost the World Series in exchange for money from gamblers. Known as “The Black Sox,” all eight were banned from baseball for life and tarnished professional baseball for quite some time.
9
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson “broke the color line” when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. The Dodgers signing Robinson heralded the end of racial segregation in professional baseball, which had relegated black players to their own league.
10
Octavius Catto
Following the Civil War, Octavius Catto pioneered professional baseball for black players and helped establish Philadelphia as a major hub of what became Black baseball. Although he's sadly not in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Black baseball and many black players are now in the Hall because of him.
11
The Steroid Era
In the late '90s and early 2000s, widespread use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) among players, especially home run hitters. Players like Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, and Alex Rodriguez had congressional hearings and (to date) are ineligible for Hall of Fame inductions.
12
The Pete Rose Betting Scandal - 1989
All-time hits leader Pete Rose was found to have bet on baseball games, including those involving his team, while managing the Cincinnati Reds. Rose accepted a lifetime ban from MLB and remains ineligible for Hall of Fame induction.
13
The Rule Book
The very first rule book was published in 1877 and a significant number of those rules remain the same.
14
A Hero On and Off The Field
Doc Medich, a player studying medicine, once saved a fan's life by administering CPR after the fan suffered a heart attack during a game.
15
The Houston Astros Sign-Stealing Scandal of 2017
The Astros illegally used technology to steal signs during games in their World Series-winning 2017 season. Manager A.J. Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow were suspended, then fired, and the team was fined $5 million.
