The U.S. was the biggest disappointment
of the inaugural World Baseball Classic, losing games to Canada, South Korea and Mexico while barely beating Japan, and failing
to advance to the semi-finals. In the 2009 Classic, the U.S. advanced to the semi-finals before losing to eventual champion,
Japan. Although American football is more popular and generates more revenue, MLB Ballpark Trips are very popular, as well as North American Minor League Ballparks and North American Independent League Ballparks. Many of today's MLB players born in the U.S. played in some of the Best NCAA Ballparks and some of the Best North American College Summer League Ballparks, including Alaska: The Last Frontier.
And to the non-U.S. born baseball player,
MLB in America is what comes to mind when they think of the sport. After all, MLB is where the game’s best players play
– not just those born in America, but from all parts of the world. Learn more about baseball in the U.S. and the World
Baseball Classic by purchasing World in a Ballpark: Baseball Goes Global, which is available at the Buy Joe's Guides page. If you want to view a sample of the guide and how easy the guide
works, visit the MLB Ballpark Trips page.
QUICK UNITED STATES BASEBALL FACTS
Most Known For: Where they play the best baseball
in the world in the best ballparks in the world; Where those players make a ton of money.
Baseball’s U.S. Debut: There is
still some debate as to the exact timeframe, but for certain, baseball was born in the U.S. In 1791, a town bylaw passed in
Pittsfield, Massachusetts banned the playing of baseball within 80 yards of the town meeting house. Professional baseball
began in the U.S. around the mid 1860’s and the National League was founded in 1876.
Biggest Sports Competitors: U.S. football;
basketball; golf; hockey; alternative sports.
America’s
Best Baseballtown: Open for debate but Boston, New York and St. Louis could lay claim, given their historically high
MLB-attendance numbers and history.
Baseball
Hot Beds: Although baseball is “America’s Pastime,” American football is the most popular team
sport in the U.S. Warm weather states like California, Arizona, Texas and Florida enable aspiring ballplayers to play year-round
however, and MLB is also very popular in cities like San Francisco and elsewhere.
No. of U.S.-born currently signed to MLB organizations:
Too many to count.
U.S.-Born
MLB Record-Breakers: Joe DiMaggio (most consecutive games with a hit, 56); Ted Williams (last player to bat .400;
hit .406 in 1941); Henry Aaron (most home runs all-time, 744); Barry Bonds (most home runs in a season, 73).
Some Notable MLB Hall-of-Famers
(very abbreviated list): Ty Cobb (born in 1886 in Narrows, Georgia); Cy Young (born 1890 in Gilmore, Ohio); Jackie
Robinson (first African-American to play Major League Baseball, born 1919 in Cairo, Georgia); Joe DiMaggio (born 1914 in Martinez,
California); Ted Williams (born in 1918 in San Diego, Calif.); Mickey Mantle (Born 1931 in Spavinaw, Oklahoma); Babe Ruth
Baseball Weather:
Favorable almost year-round in the Southwest and Florida; favorable everywhere else most of the MLB season, from April to
September.
Best
Baseball Museum: National Baseball Hall of Fame (www.baseballhalloffame.org/).
Distintcly
America: MLB is the only baseball league in the world to employ multiple “retractable roof”
ballparks. The roof on about a half-dozen MLB ballparks can open or close during play without distracting the participants
or fans.
Quotable:
"Everywhere around the world, they’re coming to America.” – Neil Diamond.
